The University of Tokyo is set to introduce a novel five-year integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s degree initiative in autumn 2027, with approximately half of the anticipated 100-student cohort consisting of international students, as per university insiders on Monday.
The innovative college of design program, merging a four-year Bachelor’s degree with a one-year Master’s, is designed to cultivate adept individuals capable of spearheading initiatives to tackle global challenges like climate change, the insiders revealed.
Throughout their enrollment in this prospective program, students will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of courses already available at both the undergraduate and graduate levels at the university, spanning disciplines such as literature and medicine, the insiders disclosed.
Moreover, the classes for this pioneering program at the esteemed Japanese university will be accessible to students from other faculties within the institution, they added.
Over the course of the five years, students will be mandated to acquire practical experience from external programs for a duration of one year, which could involve engaging in corporate internships or pursuing studies overseas, the insiders highlighted.
Enrollment for this program is slated to commence in the autumn, with instruction conducted in English. Furthermore, the admissions process will deviate from the conventional examination system to facilitate the inclusion of individuals from diverse backgrounds.
This initiative aligns with the university’s objective to elevate the proportion of international students to 30 percent or more at the undergraduate level and 40 percent or more at the graduate level by 2049, a significant increase from the current figures of 4.6 percent and 33 percent, respectively, as of November 2023.
The establishment intends to enlist scholars from overseas universities and private enterprises to deliver the program’s curriculum, utilizing returns generated from investments by the university’s endowment, the insiders elaborated.
The university is expected to unveil the commencement of the new program by March 2025 subsequent to finalizing the specifics of the entrance examinations and the requisite credits for graduation, the insiders concluded.
© KYODO