Tokyo GraSPP

Institutional Structure: The University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Public Policy (GraSPP) was co-established by the Graduate Schools for Law and Politics and Graduate School of Economics.

Professional Program Features: The Faculty page (http://www.pp.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/mppip/?page_id=7#faculty) lists members with substantial practitioner experience. GraSPP provides advice and supports for international students (see http://www.pp.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/mppip/?page_id=1575) although career services are primarily provided in Japanese. The GraSPP Research Units are listed at http://www.pp.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/projects/index.htm and include ITPU - International Transport Policy Research Unit, SciTePP - Science, Technology and Public Policy (with several projects including SEPP Sustainable Energy/Environment and Public Policy,  SEPP Sustainable Energy/Environment and Public Policy, TECUSE Technology Transfer under Sustainable Economy, Space Policy Governance, and iJFF Integrating Joint Fact-Finding into Policy-Making Processes), Health Policy Unit, and STIG—Science, Technology and Innovation Governance Unit. 

Program Summary

Website: http://www.pp.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/mppip/ 

University: University of Tokyo

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Degree: MPP/IA (Master of Public Policy, International Program)

Marketing Approach: "Established in 2004, GraSPP seeks to provide student body, in preparation for careers spanning government, business, and the public sector, with a mission to bridge the gap between academic learning and public policy practices. In the modern globalized world, effective policymaking requires an international perspective. The 2-year English taught Master of Public Policy, International Program (MPP/IP) is offered through the Graduate School of Public Policy (GraSPP) at the University of Tokyo. An extensive and diverse menu of courses conducted in English are offered, giving international students without Japanese language skills the opportunity to learn cutting edge approaches to the public policy arena from internationally renowned faculty members at the University of Tokyo. All courses offered in the MPP/IP are also open to English-competent students in the Japanese MPP program. Additionally, student groups and school organized extracurricular activities are combined, allowing for increased social and scholarly exchange. Furthermore, MPP/IP students have access to courses in other graduate schools, both English and language competency permitting, Japanese based."

"Key Features of MPP/IP:

• Education in English - We seek to provide students interested in studying in Asia access to the global standard in public policy education. Courses, field studies, and case studies are all offered in English. Students interested in focusing on Asian affairs, without Japanese language ability, now have an avenue to do so at one of the world’s premier educational institutions.
• Curriculum with International Compatibility Course work at GraSPP is similar to that of other leading public policy schools, and is especially integrated and compatible with our Double Degree partner school network. While the range of courses available is wide, the curriculum as a whole focuses on issues concerning the Asian region. This reflects both the school’s commitment to the community in which it is located, as well as its faculty members’ expertise. GraSPP is official member of Global Public Policy Network (GPPN). http://www.gppn.net/Expanding
• International Reach Pursuing Double Degree is available with public policy schools in the U. S., Europe, and Asia: the School of International Public Affairs of the Columbia University in New York; Sciences Po in Paris; the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin; the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of the National University of Singapore; Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV)-EAESP in Brazil; the Graduate School of International Studies of Seoul National University; and the School of International Studies of Peking University. Student exchange is also available with School of International Relations and Pacific Studies of the University of California San Diego and Heidelberg University in Germany, in addition to institutions listed above.
• Attracting Young Professionals from Asia and the Rest of the World Several scholarships from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and other public and private institutions are available for young professionals in eligible countries." (At http://www.pp.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/mppip/?page_id=5#programDescription, accessed 14 March 2015.)

Degrees Awarded per Year: GraSPP admits approximately 110 students per academic year, including both Japanese and International (English instruction) Program.

Academic Unit within University: The University of Tokyo's Graduate Schools for Law and Politics and Graduate School of Economics have co-established the Graduate School of Public Policy (GraSPP), which offers a Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree. (http://www.pp.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/overview/index.htm, accessed 14 March 2015)

Related Academic Units and Degrees: GraSPP has six sub-specializations: Legal Policy, Public Management, International Public Policy, Economic Policy, Master of Public Policy, International Program (MPP/IP) and Campus Asia Course.

Posted Tuition: Admission Fee, 282,000 yen (US$2,312 at March 2015 exchange rate); Annual Tuition 535,800 yen (US$4,394 at March 2015 exchange rates), at http://www.pp.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/mppip/?page_id=9#tuitionFees, accessed 14 March 2015.

Concentration/Curriculum Overview: The 2-year English taught Master of Public Policy, International Program (MPP/IP) is offered through the Graduate School of Public Policy (GraSPP)* at the University of Tokyo. An extensive and diverse menu of courses conducted in English are offered, giving international students without Japanese language skills the opportunity to learn cutting edge approaches to the public policy arena from internationally renowned faculty members at the University of Tokyo.

MPP Degree Requirements

Summary: Total of at least 46 units including: A) A minimum of 6 units from the field of law and politics; B) Completion of economics courses (15 units); C) A minimum of 8 units of Case Studies; D) A minimum of 32 units of courses offered in English; E) A minimum of 4 units of courses marked as Practical Training (PT).

Duration: Two years full time.

Academic Prerequisite: To be eligible for admission to an MPP/IP program, applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. Adequate command of spoken and written English is required to follow lectures and receive academic guidance in English at the graduate level.

Number of One-Semester-Equivalent Courses Required for Completion: 18 (46 units - See Note 1 below)

Note 1: The normal GraSPP course has 2 credits and appears to constitute 2 hours instruction per week for 15-16 weeks. From the course descriptions, the content for a GraSPP 2-credit course appears to be more than 2/3 that of a North American 3-credit course. We have normalized the total course requirement for the GraSPP MPP degree to 18, which is the median of its collaborators in the Global Public Policy Network: Columbia SIPA MPA (18); SciencesPo MPP(18); Hertie MPP (20); LSE IPA MPA (16). The ratio (46/2)/18 produces the following equivalency:
 
                      1.28 two-credit course at the Graduate School of Public Policy (GraSPP) at the University of Tokyo = 1 one-semester course

Number of Required Courses: The equivalent of 6 one-semester courses.

Number of Electives Typically Taken (difference between above two entries): 12

Number of Courses Offered within Program: 85 (two-credit courses)

Comprehensive Examination: No

Thesis Required: Yes.

Internship Required: Elective

International Study Required: No

Co-curricular Activities Supportive to Degree

Professional Development and Career Support: No

Student-run Journal: No

Applied Projects: No

Pro Bono Consulting: No

Courses Offered: The full list of courses for 2015-16 is found at http://www.pp.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/courses/2015/index.html, accessed 21 May 2015.

Course Material Online: Many of course descriptions posted on the site above are quite detailed, including class-by-class topics, and major readings. 

Instructional Distribution (PEACO Profile): The table below indicates the distribution of instruction offered, based on the course assignments to subjects in the Course Map below, weighted by estimated enrolment determined by the PEACO Algorithm.   

		Tokyo
		MPP
I. Courses Required and Offered
	Number of one-semester courses required for degree	18
	Number of required courses	6
	Number of elective courses taken	12
	Number of elective courses offered	66
	Enrolment weight of elective courses	0.20
	Number of courses provided from within the program	85
II. Distribution of Courses (Enrolment-Adjusted) among Atlas
Domains and Subjects
	Tools and Skills	35.7%
	- Policy and Management Analysis	1.8%
	- Economic Analysis	13.9%
	- Quantitative  and Analytic Methods	15.7%
	- Leadership, Communication, Professional Practice	4.4%
	Institutions and Context	19.3%
	- Democratic Institutions and Policy Process	7.0%
	- Ethics, Rights and Accountability	0.9%
	- Socioeconomic, Political, and Global Contexts	11.4%
	Management Functions	1.8%
	- Public Financial Management	0.0%
	- Evaluation and Performance Measurement	0.9%
	- Other Management Functions	0.9%
	Policy Sectors	43.3%
	- Macroeconomic Policy	18.7%
	- International Development	5.3%
	- Health	0.9%
	- Other Policy Sectors	18.4%
	Total	100%
III. Distribution of Courses (Enrolment-Adjusted) among
Curricular Type Groupings of Subjects
	Policy-Oriented Subjects	87.3%
	Management-Oriented Subjects	12.7%
	Math-Economics Subjects (EA, QM, Macro, Fin Markets)	50.1%
	Archetypal Public Affairs Subjects  (P&MA, EA, QM, DI&PP)	38.4%
	Archetypal International Affairs Subjects  (I&GC, ID, DS&FR)	19.3%
IV. Number of Courses in "NASPAA-required Subjects" taken by
Typical Student in NASPAA Required Competency Domains
	Lead and Manage in Public Governance	0.51
	Participate and Contribute to the Policy Process	2.36
	Analyze, Synthesize, Solve Problems and Make Decisions	8.07
	Articulate and Apply Public Service Perspectives	1.64
	Communicate and Interact with Workforce and Citizenry	0.47
	Total Courses in "NASPAA-Required Subjects"	13.05
V. Ratio of Courses in "NASPAA-required Subjects" taken by
Typical Student to Estimated Requirement for Competency
	Lead and Manage in Public Governance	0.28
	Participate and Contribute to the Policy Process	1.09
	Analyze, Synthesize, Solve Problems and Make Decisions	2.15
	Articulate and Apply Public Service Perspectives	1.09
	Communicate and Interact with Workforce and Citizenry	0.60
	Ratio of Total Instruction in Competencies to Amount Needed	1.31

Source: At http://www.pp.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/mppip/ and related sites (accessed 15 March 2015).

Page Created By: Ian Clark on 15 March 2015. Updating and editing may consist of substantive and/or formatting changes. Unless otherwise noted, however, information regarding a program's structure, curricular offerings and PEACO score is based on the program as it was on the date of page creation. The content presented on this page, except for the assignments of courses to Atlas subjects, the Instructional Distribution analysis, and the Commentary is drawn directly from the source(s) cited above, and consists of direct quotations or close paraphrases.