Located in the heart of the fascinating city of Tokyo, The National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) is an international premier policy school with the aim of contributing to the betterment of democratic governance around the world. We excel at providing interdisciplinary education for future leaders in the public sector and conduct research on contemporary policy issues to generate innovative solutions.

Founded in 1997 as a stand-alone graduate institute, GRIPS is comprised of world-class academics and distinguished practitioners with expertise in public sector policy formulation and management. Around 20% of the faculty and 70% of students are recruited from outside Japan. Our vibrant, diverse student body consists of almost 400 members hailing from 63 countries and regions – all with the ambition to advance good governance across the globe or contribute to policy related research.

We offer a diverse array of Master’s and Doctoral Programs, from which students cultivate the ability to analyze issues and suggest solutions, develop interdisciplinary knowledge and skills that span related fields, and gain practical expertise. In addition to our degree programs, we also offer executive level short term training programs across a wide range of themes.

The Faculty of Engineering was reorganized in 1985, when the Division was established combining three existing departments, The Departments of (a) Civil Engineering, (b) Architecture and Building Science, and (c) Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, each of which had its own history, educational system and facilities. The Department of Civil Engineering was established in 1978 and has since awarded approximately 600 bachelor’s degrees. The Department of Architecture and Building Science was established in 1926 as a department of Yokohama Institute of Technology and has produced approximately 3,000 graduates. The Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering was founded in 1929, also as a department of Yokohama institute of Technology, and has more than 2,400 graduates.

The majority of the graduates have played leading roles in various fields of civil engineering, architecture, shipbuilding and aeronautical engineering. In addition to the above three departments, a new department, the Department of Regional, Urban and Environmental Planning, was created in 1985. The faculty members of the Division were officially reorganized into the four departments for research activities. The Division has currently forty faculty members in total. The teaching staff also includes research associates, technicians, practical engineers and architects. The Division provides three independent educational courses corresponding to the former three departments. A total of about 700 undergraduate students are enrolled in the Division: approximately 25 percent in civil Engineering, 50 percent in Architecture and Building Science and 25 percent in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering.

Tokyo Institute of Technology (“Tokyo Tech”) launched its International Graduate Program in October 2007 as an opportunity for qualified international students, who may have little or no knowledge of the Japanese language, to enroll in Tokyo Tech’s Master’s or Doctoral Programs and pursue an advanced degree in Japan. There are two periods of admission to this program: the Spring Program (admission in April) and the Fall Program (admission in September).

With a diverse group of academic departments participating in this program, students should be able to find a department in which to further their research, acquire broader knowledge and understanding, and conduct advanced long-term research in a field that best matches their interests and background.
There is no Japanese language requirement for this program as lectures and seminars are held in English. However, students are given opportunities to attend Japanese language classes on a regular basis in order to better adapt to daily life in Japan.