Laboratories, Experiments & Research at TDU

In the Life Science Division of the School of Science and Engineering and multiple departments of the School of Engineering in the 2026 academic year, course arrangements can be found that lead through experiments and exercises to graduation research in the fourth year. In the Life Science Division of the School of Science and Engineering, students take Life Science Exercises I and II and Basic Life Science Experiments I and II in the second year, proceed through experiments, seminar courses, and other courses in their primary course, and undertake Graduation Research in Life Science I and II in the fourth year. Requirements for advancement include earning credits in specified courses such as Basic Life Science Experiments, Life Science Exercises, experiments and seminars in the primary course, and the Life Science Career Development Seminar. The 2026 course allocation examples for the School of Engineering also place basic experiments, specialized experiments, comprehensive exercises, and similar courses in the second and third years in multiple departments, followed by full-year graduation research in the fourth year. Some examples place workshops in the first or second year. Because required courses, the timing of experiments, and advancement requirements differ by department and program, you need to check the current handbook corresponding to your year of admission. The timing and process for laboratory placement also need to be confirmed in the current information for each school and department. When comparing potential options, we recommend checking information from each division or department not only for research topics that interest you, but also for the supervision system, hours of activity in the laboratory, consultation and learning support for students, and how experiments and graduation research are conducted. The 2026 School of Engineering Handbook states that one credit is based on 15 hours of instruction for lectures and exercises and 30 hours of instruction for experiments, practical training, drafting, and practical skills, while the number of credits for graduation research and similar work is determined in consideration of learning outcomes. Do not apply these standards unchanged to other schools; check the current handbook corresponding to your school, department, and year of admission. When planning your course enrollment, it is also advisable to check the current syllabus and rules for each course to determine whether work outside class or submitted assignments are required.

The way experiments and practical training proceed at Tokyo Denki University differs by department and course. For example, in basic experiments in the robotics and mechatronics field, each topic is covered through a preparatory lecture and an experiment, followed by submission of a report. In the Department of Electronic Systems Engineering, the curriculum is structured to progress in stages from a first-year workshop to basic experiments, Electronic Systems Engineering Experiments, and comprehensive exercises. Check the current timetable and syllabus for the relevant course to confirm class hours and procedures. For attendance, lateness, absences or illness, the availability of make-up experiments, and assessment methods, check the current syllabus and course-specific instructions for the relevant course. Regarding safety, the 2026 School of Engineering Student Handbook provides information on special medical examinations for students who regularly conduct experiments using ionizing radiation, organic solvents, or specified chemical substances. For general safety procedures and what to do when results differ from expectations, check the current syllabus for the relevant course or consult the instructor. Check current information for your intended department to confirm the timing and process for laboratory placement and graduation research. Information from the Department of Electronic Systems Engineering states that laboratory placement begins in the second semester of the third year and that students make their selections based on their preferences, grades, and other factors. When comparing options, it is advisable to check not only the research topics but also the timing of placement, how topics are determined, the frequency of supervision, experimental facilities, and how reports and research time are handled.

When looking for a laboratory, it is easier to compare options by reviewing “Research Areas,” “Keywords,” and “Graduation Research Topics,” in that order. For example, the range extends from primarily theoretical research to research involving experiments and equipment development in areas such as image recognition and reinforcement learning, optical communications and lasers, integrated circuits, and medical and biotechnology applications. However, topics listed may not necessarily be available under the same conditions after you enroll. Confirm how students join laboratories, how topics are determined, how supervision and facilities are provided, activity hours, how students work together, and consultation and support systems through the latest information and briefing sessions offered by departments and laboratories.

When choosing a laboratory, check not only the research topic but also how easy it is to consult faculty members, how students interact with senior students, the frequency of meetings, and how research proceeds. For example, in one laboratory, students consult with a faculty member and determine their topic based on their interests after being placed in the laboratory in the second semester of their third year, and then begin graduation research in earnest in the fourth year. Weekly progress checks and presentation sessions with laboratories in related fields are also held. This is an example of activities in that particular laboratory and may not apply to all laboratories. Some laboratories hold individual interviews after placement, allowing students to discuss their research topics, future paths, and goals for the remainder of their student life. Some laboratories can also be visited by contacting a faculty member. Student accounts describe an atmosphere in which it is easy to consult faculty members and senior students, as well as a culture of students sharing their progress with one another. In addition to determining whether a topic interests you, it is advisable to use visits and information sessions to confirm the extent of supervision and presentation opportunities, laboratory activity hours, and ways of participating. Official rules on the timing and process of placement, capacity, and other matters must be checked for each department, division, or program. For example, in certain undergraduate programs associated with the Graduate School of Science and Engineering, participation requires students to select an affiliated laboratory, and the stated conditions include an enrollment capacity of approximately 20 students per program and GPA ranking. However, these are the application conditions for those programs and do not represent university-wide rules for laboratory placement.

Examples of research topics include AI and information processing, robotics and control, materials and energy, life sciences and medicine, and architecture and urban studies. The 2027 Laboratory Guide presents graduation research topics alongside master's thesis topics, allowing you to find examples of research in which issues addressed at the undergraduate level are explored in greater depth in a master's program. Meanwhile, the 2026 Graduate Student Handbook describes master's program research supervision as including reviews of domestic and international literature, appropriate experiments, analysis and interpretation, discussions with academic supervisors and others, conference presentations, and publication of academic papers. For students enrolled in the master's program of the Graduate School of Science and Engineering in the 2026 academic year, the same handbook sets the standard period of study at two years and establishes completion requirements including earning the prescribed credits, receiving the required research supervision, and passing the master's thesis review and final examination. If you are considering graduate study, check with each laboratory not only about its undergraduate research but also about the supervision system, methods of presentation and recordkeeping, approximate research hours, and possibilities for further development in a master's program.

If you have concerns about understanding classes or study methods, Learning Support Centers are available at both the Saitama Hatoyama Campus and the Tokyo Senju Campus. Dedicated faculty members and others respond to questions and provide learning consultations, as well as small-group lectures, individual instruction by appointment, and group consultations. Students with disabilities are informed of support that respects their wishes while taking the educational environment, educational effectiveness, and other considerations into account. Barrier-free maps for both campuses are also available. However, the information presented alone is not enough to determine how experiments are conducted or to assess laboratory placement, graduation research supervision systems, or workload. Ask your intended department or laboratory about how to consult the faculty member in charge, the time required for experiments and research, facility safety rules, and any necessary accommodations. Across the university, regulations and other frameworks are in place regarding research ethics education, research misconduct, public research funds, research data retention, research involving human participants, animal experiments, and recombinant DNA experiments. Initiatives concerning the protection of personal information are also described. For research activities in English, conference presentations, and the handling of intellectual property, you need to check the latest information individually with your intended department or laboratory.

Students in the Life Science Division study at the Saitama Hatoyama Campus. A 2024 student profile describes a progression in which students learn the fundamentals of biology in the first year, but this source alone does not provide confirmation of the detailed current rules for laboratory placement or graduation research. The 2027 Laboratory Guide lists a variety of research topics, including cellular biochemistry, environmental microbiology, synthetic biology, and life information analysis. In addition to topics that interest you, prepare questions about the frequency of experiments, whether work is conducted individually or in groups, methods of supervision and consultation, the time required, and how facilities are used. The 2026 open campus event at the Saitama Hatoyama Campus includes information on planned laboratory openings and opportunities to ask faculty members and students questions, but check official information before participating to confirm the dates, whether reservations are required, program details, and availability.