Have fun with engineering and develop your skills!

Yuichi Sato, Dean, School of Engineering

Engineering is an applied science that involves the research and development of technologies that are helpful to humankind, based on the natural sciences. This field plays no small role in the maintenance and development of the prosperous society we enjoy today. Just as a solid foundation is essential for constructing a magnificent building, becoming an excellent engineer or researcher requires study of the humanities and social sciences as well as the natural sciences. Communication skills, both in Japanese and English, are also essential for ensuring that other people understand your ideas and that you understand the ideas of other people. We have prepared an educational program to help students who enroll in the School of Engineering develop these necessary skills.

The School of Engineering is comprised of seven departments. Five of these, (the Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Systems, Information and Computer Sciences, Applied Chemistry, and Civil and Environmental Engineering) teach the core disciplines, while the remaining two (the Departments of Functional Materials Science and Environmental Science) focus on new, interdisciplinary fields. After enrolling, students take general and specialized subjects based on the curriculum developed by their department. In their final year, students select a senior thesis topic based on the material they have studied up to that point and spend their time conducting research and writing their senior thesis on their chosen topic. The educational programs of most of the departments have been accredited by the Japan Accreditation Board for Engineering Education (JABEE). Upon completing an accredited program, students are exempt from taking the Professional Engineer Level 1 exam and are internationally recognized as having received the education necessary to work as engineers.

In addition, these programs take advantage of the university environment to enable students not only to bolster their education in their field of specialization, but also to adapt to a globalized world. The university has a system of early graduation for students with outstanding grades. Most of its graduates continue on to graduate school (master’s or doctoral programs in the Graduate School of Science and Engineering) to pursue more advanced research and educational opportunities. The graduate school strives to provide a high quality education that is closely linked to its undergraduate curriculum. There are as many as 150 international students enrolled in the graduate school, enabling students of different cultural backgrounds to interact with one another.

In your studies up to this point, when a question was presented to you, the answer was there, ready to be found. In the field of engineering, however, there often either is no specific answer to be found, or for various reasons, the answer found cannot be achieved. It is in these situations that students need to be able to tenaciously think through a problem and search for alternative answers through a process of trial and error. Using creative strategies to arrive at workable solutions is the truly fun part of engineering. Enroll in the Saitama University School of Engineering, have fun with engineering, and develop your skills!
April 2010
Yuichi Sato, Dean, School of Engineering