CLOSE

School Features

What kind of place is the Osaka University School of Engineering?

How do you picture the Osaka University School of Engineering? Is it different from other universities? One large feature of this school is its focus on practical learning which has seen the results from cutting-edge research put to use in the real world. At present, the need for collaboration between universities and businesses is being described as essential for boosting the economy and industry of Japan. Since its founding, the Osaka University School of Engineering has been ahead of other universities in focusing its efforts on the advancement of this practical learning. It was this kind of academic climate that helped the Osaka University School of Engineering produce the first university venture business in Japan that was created by a professor.

In the early 21st century, we have reached a time when industries must be reconstructed, new industries built, and new social systems created. As institutions whose mission it is to pioneer the frontiers of knowledge, universities must also search for a new style that is different from the past. The Osaka University School of Engineering established the first such organization in Japan for creating a new style of university as a frontier research institution.

In this way, the Osaka University School of Engineering can be described as one of the most advanced in the world, as it is continually searching for new directions in which to take the university. The School of Engineering is composed of the five divisions listed below: Division of Applied Science; Division of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Science; Division of Electronic and Information Engineering; Division of Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering; and Division of Global Architecture.

read more

Features of the 5 division system

One of the distinctive features of the Osaka University School of Engineering is its system of 5 divisions. Students hoping to enter the school will select and attend the test for one of the five divisions.

Each of these divisions contains from one to four departments (similar to conventional university departments). After enrolling in the School of Engineering, students first attend basic courses that are common to all departments in order to acquire the fundamental knowledge which is needed in these fields. Subsequently the students are divided by department within the division and attend specialized courses unique to each department.

With the conventional system of small academic departments, a student had to determine an academic route on the department level at the time when he or she attended the entrance examination. While this system was exceedingly easy to understand for persons who were already certain of the paths they wished to take, this decision was rather difficult for those who were just beginning to learn about a specialized academic field.

The system employed by some universities of having students attend an entrance examination for the department of engineering as a whole, or for one or two broad categories, has the advantage of allowing the students to determine only a general route at the time of the examination. However because engineering contains an exceedingly broad range of fields, it may be difficult for students to find the path that they will take after entering the university, and some students appear to be uncertain about their futures.

At the Osaka University School of Engineering, the curriculum is divided into five divisions, with an entrance examination conducted for a fixed number of places in each division. As a result, although the engineering field of study is determined to some degree upon entrance to the school, the students can decide which actual department to join after progressing through the curriculum to some extent, based on actual courses taken and advice and opinions from senior students. This is a great advantage for our students.

read more