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Overview of the Department of Computer Science
Located in the main Hongo Campus, the Department of Computer Science at The University of Tokyo has earned itself a title of prestige in its field. In the 2020 QS Top Universities rankings, The University of Tokyo ranked the best in the nation, and 28th globally, in the field of Computer Science and Information Systems! Through both education of future professionals and advanced research, the Department of Computer Sciences continues to lead the world in areas regarding the fundamental theory of computation, programming languages, visual information, computer architecture, and bioinformatics.
English Program on Intelligent Information Processing
This program is designed for international students with interests in the topic of information processing, a strong suit of The University of Tokyo. All courses will be offered in English, so students can complete a master’s or doctoral program without having to know any Japanese! There are four main areas of research:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Science, and Big Data
- Cybersecurity, and Internet of Things (IoTs)
- Robotics, Cybernetics, and VR
- Theoretical Computer Science, Advanced Algorithms, and Supercomputing
In addition to its international applicants, this English program accepts regular Japanese students as well! By taking on such a challenge, Japanese students can become accustomed to using specialized English terms in information processing as well as interacting with international students!
There are two methods to apply for the English Program on Intelligent Information Processing: Special Admission and Regular Admission.
Special Admission for “English Program on Intelligent Information Processing”
The Special Admission for “English Program on Intelligent Information Processing” is an admission method open to prospective foreign graduate students.
This admission program aims to admit 10 to 15 students per year. Of these total enrollees, the MEXT Scholarship is offered to five students, three for master’s courses and two for doctorate! Candidates are chosen throughout the Special Admission process, which involves a document screening and an on-site interview. Primary priorities for this scholarship are given to applicants from South Asia, Thailand, and Vietnam. In addition to these five scholarships, it is possible that the admission office will award one extra MEXT Scholarship under the general division with priorities given to applicants from Thailand and Vietnam.
Regular Admission (in English)
For those who do not qualify for the Special Admission, they must first be accepted as a master’s or doctorate student into the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology at The University of Tokyo. Only then can they register to take the English Program on Intelligent Information Processing.
Admission Guidelines
The Department of Computer Science conducts a Summer Admission Cycle and a Winter Admission Cycle for both the Master’s and the Doctorate Programs. While the Summer Entrance Examinations can be taken in either Japanese or English, the Winter Entrance Examinations are only provided in English.
For the Master’s Program, applicants must fill out the “Preference Card (Master’s Program)” to submit with the Application form. Prior to the actual submission, they must also contact at least one of the faculty members of the selected Labs specified in their “Preference Card (Master’s Program)”.
For the Doctorate Program, applicants must contact their supervisor of choice and show their research proposals before sending an Application Form. For the screening process, applicants must fill out the “Preference Card (Doctoral Program)”, write “Research Results, Selected Publication List, and Research Plan” as instructed in “Preference Card (Doctoral Program)”, choose a prospective supervisor from the faculty members of Department of Computer Science, and submit all of the above documents with the Application Form.
Entrance Examinations
In addition to the document screening, applicants will be given two types of examinations.
The first is a written examination, where the students will be tested on mathematics and concepts from several specialized subjects. The topics included in the specialized subject will be from one of the following areas: Information Mathematics, Numerical Algorithms, Discrete Mathematics, Algorithms and Complexity, Formal Languages, Logic, Programming Languages, Computer Architecture, Operating Systems, Digital Circuits, and Machine Learning. Don’t worry! A list of literary references for each specialized area is provided in the section below!
The second is an oral examination, where applicants are asked to explain their research plan and answer some technical questions related to their topic. For those applying to the Doctorate Program, they must also present their Master’s thesis within 15 minutes.
In addition to these department-specific examinations, applicants must also submit their TOEFL scores to represent their English proficiency level.
Prepare for the Exams: A List of Relevant Books
The department’s admissions website has offered both English and Japanese books as references for the entrance examinations. Below is a list of all of the English books recommended by The University of Tokyo.
| SUBJECT | BOOK |
| Information Mathematics: | Rudolf Lidl, Gunter Pilz: Applied Abstract Algebra, Springer, 1998 |
| Numerical Algorithms: | Erwin Kreyszig: Advanced Engineering Mathematics (Part E: Numerical Methods), John Wiley & Sons, 2011 |
| Discrete Mathematics: | Jiri Matousek, Jaroslav Nesetril: Invitation to Discrete Mathematics, Oxford University Press, 2009 |
| Algorithms and Complexity: | Robert Wayne, Kevin Sedgewick: Algorithms, Addison-Wesley, 2011 |
| Formal Languages: | John E. Hopcroft, Rajeev Motwani, Jeffrey D. Ullman: Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages, and Computation (Chapters 1–7), Pearson, 2013 |
| Logic: | Dirk van Dalen: Logic and Structure (Chapters 1–3, 7), Springer-Verlag, 2011 |
| Programming Languages: | Andrew W. Appel: Modern Compiler Implementation in ML, Cambridge University Press, 2004 Benjamin C. Pierce: Types and Programming Languages (Chapters 1–5, 8–9 and 22), The MIT Press, 2002 |
| Computer Architecture: | David A. Patterson, John L. Hennessy: Computer Organization and Design MIPS Edition, Fifth Edition: The Hardware/Software Interface, Morgan Kaufmann, 2013 |
| Digital Circuit: | David Money Harris, Sarah L. Harris: Digital Design and Computer Architecture, Second Edition, Morgan Kaufmann, 2012 |
| Operating Systems: | Abraham Silberschatz, Peter B. Galvin, Greg Gagne: Operating System Concepts, 9th Edition, Wiley, 2013 |
| Machine Learning: | Trevor Hastie, Robert Tibshirani, Jerome H. Friedman: The Elements of Statistical Learning, Springer, 2009 |
| Graphics: | Peter Shirley, Steve Marschner: Fundamentals of Computer Graphics, A K Peters, 2015 |
| Natural Language Processing: | Dan Jurafsky and James H. Martin: Speech and Language Processing: International Edition, Pearson, 2008 |
| Bioinformatics: | Andrzej Polanski, Marek Kimmel: Bioinformatics, Springer, 2007 Neil C. Jones, Pavel A. Pevzner: An Introduction to Bioinformatics Algorithms, MIT Press, 2004 Uri Alon: An Introduction to Systems Biology: Design Principles of Biological Circuits, Chapman & Hall/Crc, 2006 Warren J. Ewens, Gregory R. Grant: Statistical Methods in Bioinformatics: An Introduction, Springer, 2010 |
| Computer Vision: | Richard Szeliski: Computer Vision: Algorithms and Applications, Springer, 2011 |
You’ve Got This!
The admission procedures and entrance examinations may seem intimidating, but grasping the opportunity to learn the Computer Sciences at the best Information Systems department in the nation will definitely make the struggles all worth it! Ganbatte! You can do this!
If you are interested to learn about the rankings of Computer Sciences at the University of Tokyo, check out this article!
References:
“Admissions: Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo.” Admissions | Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, www.i.u-tokyo.ac.jp/edu/entra/index_e.shtml.
“The University of Tokyo.” Top Universities, 30 Mar. 2020, www.topuniversities.com/universities/university-tokyo#sub.