Diploma Policy

Acquired Aptitudes and Abilities

Waseda University cultivates capable individuals who internalize three missions: the independence of scholarship, the promotion of the practical application of scholarship, and the fostering of good citizens.

Our aim is to foster intellectual resilience and flexible sensitivity; the ability to make meaningful use of expertise; and the commitment to treat others with dignity regardless of nationality, ethnicity, language, faith, or diverse values and ways of life. With these qualities, Waseda graduates will be able to build a better world that is more tolerant and inclusive.

Degree Conferral Policy

Students will acquire the following six abilities and foundational perspectives through their studies at Waseda.

1. Creativity and constructive thinking:

an enterprising spirit and ability to construct new concepts that break with tradition.

2. The ability to identify problems and their solutions:

the capacity to articulate or simulate new problems and to propose as well as logically explain solutions to these problems.

3. Effective communication skills:

the ability to create mutual understanding with others in order to make the most of one’s proficiencies and training.

4. Spirit of inquiry:

a willingness to examine social and natural phenomena in a multifaceted way; to think critically about the framing of and solutions to existing problems; and make constructive proposals in response to these problems.

5. A spirit of autonomy and tolerance:

a fair and receptive attitude toward diversity as well as an ethos of independence and acceptance of the individuality of both oneself and others.

6. International character:

putting intellectual resilience and flexible sensitivity in service of working with others to solve global challenges.

Curriculum Policy

Constructing a systematic curriculum that fulfills graduation requirements

Waseda University’s curriculum is designed to help students acquire expertise in their chosen academic discipline while also developing the broad abilities and foundational perspectives outlined in the Diploma Policy, above. The University continually enhances academic-skills-building courses and approaches to help students master evidence-based thinking. Waseda offers a variety of subjects by academic field, level, and class style, to facilitate students’ own independent learning.

Waseda University has adopted a style of education focused on student engagement, anchored principally in seminar-style and active learning-style classes, as well as project-oriented fieldwork and experiments, to promote self-directed learning. Waseda also offers regular extracurricular programs to raise students’ human competencies including wisdom, ambition, and action. By creating an environment in which students interact with one another and with society at large, Waseda encourages a variety of ways to achieve personal growth.

The subjects and programs offered to students fall into the following three broad categories.

1. Major Subjects

• The curriculum aims to raise students’ level of expertise in their own fields of specialization and expertise in both academic and practical ways.

2. Academic Skills and Liberal Arts

• Waseda offers opportunities to build academic skills and to acquire a broad liberal arts education. Academic skills and tools are necessary to receive higher education at a university as well as to pursue intellectual careers in the information economy, while a liberal arts education fosters students’ capacity for insight and discernment by exposing them to ways of thinking from outside their major field of study.

3. Experience-based/Practical Subjects and Programs

• Waseda offers all students practical opportunities to learn while also contributing to their communities. These include studying abroad, volunteering, internships, and leadership education.

Admissions Policy

Skills and Abilities We Look for in Applicants

We seek prospective students who have the following abilities and foundational perspectives:

• A standard level of knowledge and set of skills that are the foundation for education in the liberal arts and in the student’s chosen field of study.
• Logical reasoning, judgement, and communications skills.
• The ability to work well with others, and the self-motivation necessary to invest in knowledge and skills-building.

The following qualities align with the philosophy of Waseda University:

• An avid intellectual curiosity and strong spirit of enterprise.
• A spirit of autonomy and independence along with sensitivity and empathy for others.
• A strong desire to learn that will buttress the student’s determination to contribute to society.

Before Coming to Waseda

Waseda students must seek an in-depth understanding of the liberal arts, not only during years at Waseda but also throughout life. We seek students who are eager to study a wide range of  subjects across academic disciplines, and who desire to accumulate a breadth and depth of academic experiences. We expect that before enrolling at Waseda, prospective students will develop a foundation for the abilities and perspectives that will allow them to contribute to society and communities around the world.

Acceptance Policy

Waseda University welcomes students from across Japan and around the world. When accepting new students, we determine if applicants have intellectual curiosity as well as a necessary basis of knowledge and skills at the time of admission. We seek students with the capacity for logical reasoning, who possess good judgment, who can express themselves, who can work well with others, and who are self-motivated to succeed in a rigorous program of study at Waseda.

Types of Evaluation Methods

Waseda University’s admissions process combines an assessment of a student’s ability to succeed in her or his chosen program of study, as well as in broader fields of knowledge. With this in mind, Waseda University has a number of different entrance exams in order to assemble a diverse set of students. One entrance exam is offered to those applicants who have exceptional aptitude in several of the following categories: knowledge/abilities, logical reasoning/judgment/verbal expression, self-motivation/ability to work well with others. Another exam is offered to applicants who meet a certain level in these categories and also possess outstanding aptitude and originality in literature, art, sports, or other areas.