The history of the School of Human Sciences began with the opening of the Shihan Gakko, Japan’s first normal school, in 1872. Since then, the Shihan Gakko has changed its name to the Tokyo Shihan Gakko, the Koto Shihan Gakko (higher normal school), and finally the Tokyo Koto Shihan Gakko. Many excellent human resources have been produced in the school for Japan’s educational circles. In 1929, the Tokyo Bunrika Daigaku (Tokyo University of Arts and Sciences) was inaugurated, based on the Koto Shihan Gakko; and the university’s Department of Education, with its two majors, education and psychology, was established. After World War II, the functions of the normal school were taken over by the Faculty of Education of the Tokyo University of Education. In 1951, Japan’s first specialized department for children with disabilities, the Special Education Department, was established in this Faculty. In the 1960s, when Japan’s society and economy began to rapidly expand, university reforms were introduced, to cultivate a broader range of human resources; and in 1973, the Tokyo University of Education was reborn as a comprehensive institution, Tsukuba University. In 1975, the Faculty of Education was also reborn, as the Second Cluster of Colleges, of the College of Human Sciences, at Tsukuba University. Then, in 2007, following the reorganization and restructuring of schools, the School of Human Sciences was established.

The School of Human Sciences comprises the College of Education, College of Psychology, and College of Disability Sciences. Its primary pedagogical goal is to foster human resources that can make significant contributions to society by proactively and creatively addressing various challenges faced by humanity. To this end, we ensure that our students acquire specialized knowledge and skills, as well as a disposition to scientifically analyze, understand, and support human development in current society, based on their wide range of interests and concerns regarding both people, and the society and environment in which people are involved. One of the notable features of the School of Human Sciences is that, to achieve its pedagogical goal, there is a common understanding among the three colleges, which enables students to actively study in the specialized academic fields of colleges other than the one to which they belong. In addition, the school has established the Schools Core Curriculum, a mandatory program for all its students. The curriculum includes subjects such as anthropology (to learn the basics of human science), introduction to career design (to prepare for work after graduation), and human fieldwork (to learn about human nature and society through social activities in local communities).

If you are interested in the School of Human Sciences, please visit the websites of all three colleges.