1. Outline of the Degree Programs in Humanities and Social Sciences
The University of Tsukuba campus is located in the center of Tsukuba Science City, approximately 60 kilometers northeast of Tokyo. The Tsukuba Express Line (TX) links Akihabara and Tsukuba Stations in only 45 minutes, and the highway bus connects Tokyo Station and Tsukuba in 70 minutes.
The University of Tsukuba is a frontrunner in university reform in Japan. Japanese universities once tended to remain cloistered in their own specialized fields and alienated from their communities. Our university has made it its goal to create a flexible education and research structure in order to provide an environment that allows future leaders to realize their full potential and gives them the opportunities to develop their individuality and skills through education that is backed by cutting-edge and interdisciplinary research.
By reorganizing the existing five doctoral programs in the areas of humanities and social sciences and adding a newly-organized program, the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences was inaugurated in AY 2001, and reformed in AY 2008 and AY 2015. The integration of a wide range of fields in the humanities and social sciences was one of the notable characteristics of our Graduate School. Through such reformation, we have renewed and substantiated the former systems in order to meet the needs of social changes and academic development.
Our university has decided to fully convert the whole master’s and doctoral courses to degree programs. Our new degree programs, different from existing master's and doctoral courses, are competency-based education programs. They are designed to guarantee that the students have gained sufficient competencies as holders of graduate degrees at the time of the endowment. Each degree programs has its diploma policy, curriculum policy, and admission policy, and specifies the competencies the students are required to attain. The competences are grouped into two areas: generic competences and specific competences.
Graduate students belong to educational organizations, the Graduate School and the Degree Program, while professors, etc. belong to research organizations called “faculties” and are in charge of educational organizations. Graduate students will be able to acquire a wide range of knowledge through the classes taught by various faculty members belonging to the research organizations. The cooperation between educational and research organizations extends the possibilities of learning.
The Graduate School of Business Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences integrates both of the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Graduate School of Business Sciences in AY 2020. It is comprised of the Degree Programs in Humanities and Social Sciences in Tsukuba Campus and the Degree Programs in Business Sciences in the Tokyo Satellite Campus.
The Degree Programs in Humanities and Social Sciences offer the following three programs: Master’s and Doctoral Programs (2 years and 3 years) in Humanities, International Public Policy, and International and Advanced Japanese Studies. Each program offers a Master of Arts or a Doctor of Philosophy in Humanities, International Public Policy, and International and Advanced Japanese Studies.
The new Degree Programs in Humanities and Social Sciences aim to produce researchers, educators, and highly-skilled professionals with excellent research abilities in the humanities and social sciences who are also creative and flexible enough to cope with academic developments and changing social demands.
2. International Exchange and International Students
Many overseas researchers reside in Tsukuba Science City and conduct exchange research programs while engaging in active exchanges. International conferences are held in various fields in the city every year. International exchange being of great help to grasp the most up-to-date research information is a sort of everyday experience in this city.
The University of Tsukuba actively accepts students from overseas as Japanese government (MEXT) scholarship students and privately-financed international students. The total number amounts to 2,300 including undergraduate students and non-degree research students. The number of international students who complete the doctoral degree increases every year. Some welfare services are provided to meet the needs of international students. Japanese classes are available for international students, and a tutor is assigned to every international student on demand.