Civil Engineering Undergraduate Education in Japan: System Overview

Abstract

This paper describes some of the fundamental aspects related to civil engineering undergraduate education in Japan. It focuses on the overall educational system and how civil engineering fits into this context. The topics addressed include the educational system (compulsory education, high school, and university), university ranking (public and private), university entrance examination (difficulty and types), university admission, curricula (university requirements, engineering, and civil engineering), faculty (rank and duties), and job perspective (government and private industry). The fundamental differences between U.S. and Japanese systems are the result of different values and traditions, rather than differences in university organization.