Address: 7-1 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku, 102-8554 Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Science & Technology (Mechanical Engineering; Electrical & Electronics; Information Science; Green Science & Engineering)
Sophia University was founded by Jesuits in Tokyo in 1913 and received full university status in 1928. It describes itself as the oldest Catholic university in Japan, and its main Yotsuya campus lies in the Chiyoda ward of central Tokyo.
Today it has nine faculties: theology, humanities, human sciences, law, economics, foreign studies, global studies, liberal arts, and science and technology. Alongside them it runs graduate schools, including one in science and technology.
The Faculty of Science and Technology was created in 1962 with departments of mechanical engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, physics and chemistry. It now has departments in materials and life sciences, engineering and applied sciences, and information and communication sciences. Student numbers have been in the range of 13,000 to 14,000 in recent years: 13,437 in 2022/23, and about 14,000 in the university’s latest figures.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Private
Partnerships:
Numerous international partnerships, strong emphasis on global education, located in central Tokyo.
Research:
Nanotechnology and materials science, AI and data science, Environmental science and sustainable technology, Robotics and human-machine interface.
Famous Alumnis:
Morihiro Hosokawa
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
800
Current students***:
14000
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Highly international environment, strong liberal arts tradition with a solid science and technology faculty, central Tokyo location.
Cons
Private university with tuition fees, smaller science/engineering faculty compared to specialized tech universities.
Best For
International private university with a strong Faculty of Science and Technology.
Rikkyo University is a private Tokyo university with science, including physics, chemistry and mathematics, alongside information fields.
Aoyama Gakuin University, private and in Tokyo, offers a science and engineering faculty with mechanical, electrical and information subjects.
Chuo University, another private Tokyo institution, is listed for science and engineering with mechanical, electrical and information strands.
Hosei University shares the Tokyo private university profile and pairs science and engineering with computer science.
Doshisha University is a private university in Kyoto with science and engineering in mechanical, electrical, chemical and information fields.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Constructor University in Germany is a private institution in Bremen with computer science, software engineering and electrical engineering.
Westlake University in China is a private university that lists life sciences, science, engineering and medicine.
EPITECH in France is a private school in the Paris region for software engineering, artificial intelligence and data science.
ESTP Paris is a private French school of civil engineering and construction, so a private technical counterpart abroad.
Universität Mannheim, a public German university, pairs computer science and data science with business informatics.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Who founded Sophia University and when?
It was founded by Jesuits in 1913 and obtained full university status in 1928. It presents itself as the oldest Catholic university in Japan.
Where does teaching take place?
The main campus is at Yotsuya in the Chiyoda ward of central Tokyo. The official website gives access details and a campus map.
How many faculties are there?
There are nine, covering theology, humanities, human sciences, law, economics, foreign studies, global studies, liberal arts, and science and technology.
When was the science faculty created?
The Faculty of Science and Technology was established in 1962. It began with mechanical engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, physics and chemistry and has since been reorganised into three departments.
What does the science faculty teach today?
Its departments cover materials and life sciences, engineering and applied sciences, and information and communication sciences. The official faculty pages describe each department and its courses.
How big is the student population?
Figures given are 13,437 students in 2022/23 and about 14,000 in the most recent university data. These numbers can change each year.
Where can applicants check fees?
Sophia is a private university, so fees differ by faculty and programme. The official admissions pages publish the current tuition tables and application calendars.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), Environmental Engineering, Information Technology (IT), Mechanical Engineer, Robotics, Sustainable Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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