College of Policy and Planning Sciences, University of Tsukuba

(1) Pursuing social systems from three aspects

The College of Policy and Planning Sciences, which enjoys a long history since its foundation in 1977, recently reformed its curricula on a large scale in order to provide more meaningful educational services.

The College aims to develop students' abilities to learn from three major aspects of social systems that work ingeniously, to analyze, design, and plan social systems, and to identify and solve problems related to the systems. The three major aspects are social and economic system, management system and urban/environmental system, and correspond to the three major courses offered by the College. The importance of these three aspects has remained unchanged since the foundation of the College.

(2) Development of technical knowledge and comprehensive application abilities

Students in their sophomore year are required to choose their major from among the three major courses offered by the College. At the same time, there is a subject group called "interdisciplinary area" that deals with topics important to current and future social systems, where students approach the topics in a manner that integrates the three major courses. This approach is representative of an effective human resource development method called the "T-shaped education." The in-depth learning in a specific area of study is likened to the vertical line of the letter "T," whereas the wide-range learning in other areas of study is likened to the horizontal line of the letter.

(3) Specialized education provided from the early stage

In addition to substantial general education offered in the freshman year, specialized education is added in what is called the "wedge-shaped curriculum." Curricula and class schedules are designed in such a way that in addition to general subjects, introductory major subjects are offered in the freshman year so that students can learn more advanced major subjects from their sophomore year. This approach is effective when students find employment and consider entering graduate school.

(4) Enriched seminars and practical training

In order to help students devise learning plans and make the structure of specific areas of study easy to understand, major courses are divided into subject groups called "areas." Each area has seminars and practical training sessions that are designed to prevent overly theoretical learning and to promote study through students' active work.

(5) Internship, teaching, early graduation and studying abroad

Other opportunities are offered to students, although they do not apply to all of them. Nearly half of the students, mainly those who major in Urban and Regional Planning, participate in internship programs that involve actual work experience in the society. Students can obtain a teaching license in mathematics, social studies, civics or information. An early graduation system is also in place to allow outstanding students to graduate in three years or to take examinations for graduate school one year earlier if they wish to do so. The College of Policy and Planning Sciences sends several of its students abroad for study and receives several foreign students for study in Japan every year. The University of Tsukuba boasts of an International Student Center and has taken a number of measures for providing students with as many opportunities for studying abroad as possible. (For scholarships to foreign schools, however, the competition is stiff regardless of the field of study.)

(6) Emphasis on human resource development

Students who are trained under these curricula are expected to pursue further studies at graduate schools or play an active role in various industries or business organizations. First-rate faculty members from respective fields are proud to be part of the students' development. An advisor is assigned to the classes for each year to promote effective communication between students and faculty members in general.

The College of Policy and Planning Sciences introduced a new "area" system in FY 2004 to build an easy-to-understand curriculum tree. In particular, an interdisciplinary area was established in order to respond swiftly to the demands of the society and to promote joint research among faculty members. The distinctive feature of the subjects in this area is that they are revised from time to time in response to the demands of the society and its faculty consists of professors from specific areas of study. The subjects in this area are offered as part of the major subjects for sophomore to senior students.

The lectures and seminars in the interdisciplinary area are currently organized under the topic "Policy and Planning Sciences in the 21th century". The interdisciplinary area consists of professors from specific areas of study and represents a new attempt that is offered only by the College of Policy and Planning Sciences.