In this issue of Oriental Studies Selection, Mr. Shen, who majored in materials science at Waseda University's Graduate School of Science and Engineering, would like to talk to you about the difficulty of studying chemistry in Japan and how to plan for admission to school. Taking several major chemistry majors at the University of Tokyo as an example, we will analyze the key points of the Japanese chemistry examination, and interested students should quickly read down~
1
Why do you recommend chemistry majors in Japan?
1. Not so rolly
As we all know, after the epidemic, Japan's entrance examinations have become more and more difficult, and the same is true for science and engineering majors such as intelligence. However, compared with other science and engineering majors, the Japanese chemistry major is much less competitive, and the overall pass rate is relatively high.
2. You can choose to specialize in more
In China, we often say "biochemical environmental materials", that is, biology, chemistry, environment, and materials, and the division between various disciplines is very clear, but in Japan, the boundary is relatively blurred, and many directions can be classified as chemistry, so students have a wide range of choices.
3. It's relatively easy to change majors
For example, in China, if you are studying pure metals as an undergraduate, it is very difficult to change your major to study semiconductors in the graduate level. However, in Japan, professors think that chemistry students who have taken general education courses at the undergraduate level can generally change majors as long as their research plans are substantial.
4. Good job prospects
After graduating from a chemistry diploma in Japan, in addition to applying for technical positions, some international consulting companies (such as Accenture) also welcome graduates with science and engineering backgrounds, especially multilingual science and engineering students. If you plan to return to China for development, the "overseas study background" still has a high gold content in the involuted domestic workplace environment.
If you plan to continue your doctoral studies after graduation, you can get a doctorate in three years in Japan, which is much shorter than in Japan.
2
Classification of the field of chemistry in Japan
There are subtle differences in the division of chemistry between Japanese universities, but there is not much difference in the overall field, so let's take the University of Tokyo as an example to introduce it to students.
At the University of Tokyo, the Department of Chemistry is divided into the Faculty of Dispersion Engineering, the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Faculty of Pharmacy, the Graduate School of Integrated Culture, and the Graduate School of New Fields and Innovation.
The first four of the six faculties are traditional majors in Japanese chemistry, while the Graduate School of Integrated Cultural Studies and the Graduate School of New Field Innovation and Frontier Studies place more emphasis on interdisciplinary research and the integration of various fields.
What are the differences in the focus of the traditional four majors?
Faculty of Engineering: In summary, we pay more attention to the "application value of chemistry".
Department of Science: More emphasis on theoretical research, suitable for students who devote themselves to academic research.
Agronomy Life Sciences: Focusing on food, the environment, and life.
Faculty of Pharmacy: With a primary focus on pharmaceuticals and human health.
As mentioned earlier, we recommend that you read the website of each graduate school and the introduction of professors at the stage of school selection.
3
How to choose a chemistry major?
Which one should I apply for with so many chemistry majors? If you look at the acceptance rate and employment prospects over the years, engineering majors are a good choice. For example, the engineering major at the University of Tokyo is the ace department of the University of Tokyo, and the number of students admitted each year is relatively large.
However, in fact, the chemistry under the engineering major is also subdivided into four directions: materials engineering, chemical system engineering, chemical life engineering, and applied chemistry. The following is a detailed explanation of the Department of Engineering at the University of Tokyo as an example.
● Entrance examination method for the Faculty of Engineering
There are generally two types of entrance examinations for the Faculty of Engineering: special entrance examinations for foreigners and general entrance examinations.
：
Based on the experience of the jukunai in previous years, the success rate of the entrance examination for foreigners is low and difficult, and the number of admission places is also small (1/10 of the general entrance examination). This method requires the applicant's undergraduate background to be 985 or above, and there are articles published at the undergraduate level, so it is recommended that non-985 students do not easily try to apply for foreign admission.
：
Generally, the entrance examination examines Japanese, English, basic subjects (easy), and specialized subjects (slightly more advanced), and there are many places to be admitted. Different majors have different requirements for examination subjects, so you can choose a major that is friendly to your own examination based on your own situation. In addition, TOEFL scores are required at the University of Tokyo, and other institutions generally accept TOEIC, so students are advised to prepare in advance.
● What is the study of each major and how to take the exam?
(1) Materials Science and Engineering
Materials engineering generally studies biomaterials, the environment, and basic materials (metals, ceramics, semiconductors, aircraft, fuel cells, high-strength materials development, and nanomaterials), with an emphasis on application value.
In terms of exam questions, [General Education Subjects] requires you to choose one of three questions from mathematics, physics, and chemistry. It is not recommended to choose mathematics, because the mathematics questions of the University of Tokyo are more difficult, such as function theory and other knowledge points are not much involved in domestic university teaching, so it is recommended to choose topics related to professional courses.
There are four questions in the Fundamentals of Materials Engineering, from which candidates can choose two questions to answer. This type of question examines the knowledge of physical chemistry learned at the undergraduate level, but due to. In addition, compared with the domestic postgraduate entrance examination, the Japanese master's examination is more in-depth, and it also pays more attention to students' understanding and integration ability.
(2) Applied Chemistry
Most of Japan's applied chemistry is based on organic materials experiments, and researchers generally focus on the integration of chemistry with other disciplines from a microscopic perspective.
It is recommended that you first find the direction you want to study, then find the relevant professors, and then finally decide on your own exam preparation subjects according to the recruitment requirements of the professor's discipline.
A total of 900 points (200 points for TOEFL + 600 points for professional courses + 100 points for interviews) in the Applied Chemistry test at the University of Tokyo mainly examines the basic knowledge of the major, the relevant content of the completion and the communication ability of the candidates.
If you want to pass the applied chemistry of the University of Tokyo, we recommend that you get at least 600 overall scores, and if one of the language and major courses is weak, you can use the other to make up for each other's shortcomings and balance.
(3) Chemical Systems Engineering
It is a more flexible discipline with a focus on the environment, energy, and healthcare. When looking at the websites of different specializations, if you find that Professor Zhiwang appears in different majors at the same time, don't worry about which of these majors has a high pass rate, just choose it directly.
(4) Chemical and Biotechnology
In fact, it is a more biological major, but there are still professors who study semiconductors and batteries under this major, so it is still the same sentence, don't worry too much about the specialization itself, and it is more important to choose a professor. In addition, because this subject emphasizes the integration of disciplines, you can choose to prepare for the exam with chemistry or biology.
4
Entrance requirements for chemistry majors in Japan
● Three major chemicals
It can be said that as long as you have a clear understanding of the three major chemistrys: physical chemistry, organic chemistry, and inorganic chemistry, you will not have to worry about the professional subject examination of Japanese chemistry. Moreover, in general, a major will only test one or two of the three major chemistry, for example, pharmacy only examines organic chemistry.
● Research proposal
Some students have misconceptions about the entrance examination for chemistry majors in Japan, and think that a research plan is very important. In fact. Some schools and majors do not require a research proposal, so it is not necessary to write a research proposal. That being said, it's a good idea to prepare a research proposal in advance so that you can talk to your professor.
● Japanese
Japanese is also a big misunderstanding, many students think that Japanese is a mandatory requirement for studying in Japan, but in fact, they do not need to submit Japanese language scores when they apply for chemistry-related majors. Of course, if you have good Japanese, it will be a plus and it will be very helpful for your future life and employment.
If you are interested in Japanese chemistry, please contact us, the teaching and research teachers of the Chemistry Group of Togaku Polytechnic will give you professional guidance on your professional application and further study planning, and help you get twice the result with half the effort and avoid detours!
I wish every student a smooth admission to their ideal college!
-END-