Information Education at the University of Tsukuba

Since its opening in 1973, the University of Tsukuba has offered two credits for Information subjects as a common subject for all undergraduate students, with the aim of acquiring basic information literacy and computer skills. Furthermore, considering that the need for objective judgment and decision-making based on data is strongly recognized in society, for students entering in 2019 and onward, the existing 2 credits of the common subject Information was changed to 1 credit of Information Literacy (lecture) and 1 credit of Information Literacy (practical) with 2 credits of Data Science being newly established as a required subject for all undergraduate students, for a total of 4 credits.

At the time, this was the first initiative in Japan and one of the first in the world to require all students at a large university offering education in a wide range of fields, including humanities, life sciences, science and engineering, information science, medicine, physical education, and the arts, to take a compulsory subject of advanced information education, including lectures and computer-based practical exercises.

University-wide Education System for Mathematics, Data Science, and AI from Undergraduate to Doctoral Programs

In terms of information education, the University of Tsukuba focuses on developing information technology experts and professionals capable of applying information and data sciences across various fields. Emphasizing the integration of mathematics, data science, and AI (MDA) to address interdisciplinary challenges, the University of Tsukuba has strengths in both research and education.
Building on its accomplishments, the University established the Headquarters for Interdisciplinary Education on Mathematics-Data Science-AI in 2021, led by the Vice President and Executive Director for Education, to develop a comprehensive MDA educational framework from the undergraduate to doctoral levels, enhancing MDA education across the University of Tsukuba as shown in the figure.

＞ Click here to see the organizational structure and members that manage these activities (Japanese)

Features of Each Program

Undergraduate Education

We offer a Data Science Literacy Program and a Data Science Advanced Literacy Program.
In the Data Science Literacy Program, students take 1 credit of Information Literacy (lecture) and 2 credits of Data Science as university-wide required subjects. The program is designed to ensure professionalism and interdisciplinarity while enhancing the motivation to learn MDA through efforts such as a curriculum that emphasizes practical skills, the design of teaching materials that incorporate the results of educational effectiveness measurements, and examples of data applications in various academic fields.

The program has been selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) for the Approved Program for Mathematics, Data science and AI Smart Higher Education/Literacy Plus. The Data Science Advanced Literacy Program is a program with the objective of learning basic concepts, methods, and applications related to mathematics, data science, and AI based on the knowledge of the Literacy Program, as well as acquiring practical skills through exercises and project-based learning. The program aims to help students acquire the ability to extract meaning from data and make effective use of it, as well as the ability to use data science and AI to solve problems. Programs in the School of Science and Engineering and the School of Informatics that were implemented in advance over the entire university have been approved by MEXT as the Approved Program for Mathematics, Data science and AI Smart Higher Education/Advanced Literacy Plus and Approved Program for Mathematics, Data science and AI Smart Higher Education/Advanced Literacy. In addition, an open badge will be issued to those who have completed these Advanced Literacy programs as a certificate of completion starting in 2025.
＞ Click here for the Undergraduate Page

Graduate Education

The University of Tsukuba aims to nurture professionals who understand systems, information, and society from a cross-sectional perspective and have both a global perspective and local practical skills. In order to do so, through dialogue with society, we strive to foster innovators who have the exceptional ability to transform society, using data-based solutions to address complex problems in the real world and have established the Data Science Expert Program (DSEP) and Data Science Expert Program Plus (DSEP+) in our doctoral courses.
＞ Click here for the Graduate Page

Data Science Casebank

In order to support the cross-disciplinary learning of students and promote collaboration with companies, local governments, and other organizations by opening up content, the Data Science Casebank, which compiles and accumulates intellectual results (cases) created to solve social and practical issues on a variety of topics in an easy-to-understand manner, and the Data Bank, which organizes data used in classes, research, and other activities that can be utilized for secondary purposes, along with metadata, are now available to the public.
＞ Click here for the Data Science Casebank Page

External Collaboration

To promote MDA education, we conduct various collaborative activities with companies as well as government, research, and educational institutions. Major collaborative activities include industry research seminars, company questionnaires, matching (dialogue) seminars, and the planning, operation, adjustments, and PR of the MDA Talent Development Strategy Partnership Agreement.
＞ Click here for the External Collaboration Page

MDA教育活動概要に関する過去の広報