Chemistry Course
Features
In the Chemistry course, we aim to foster fundamental knowledge of chemistry, and skilled experimental technique. We nurture thinkers capable of succeeding not only in chemistry per se, but also in various other related fields, such as life sciences, the environment, equipment development, energy, and so on.
About Chemistry Course
From the dawn of history, human beings have sought answers to the question, "What is matter?", and this effort has driven the development of chemistry as a process of discovery. In recent years, as life phenomena, the terrestrial environment, and the essential mechanisms governing the constitution and circulation of cosmic materials, have been increasingly understood in chemical terms, the field of chemistry has been rapidly developing, in concert with related fields of inquiry. Because of this, chemistry is sometimes referred to as ‘the central science’, and is vital to applied fields of study such as medicine, the environment, natural resources, and energy. Our hopes rest on the young, who will contribute to a sustainable society with the knowledge and technology of chemistry. We school students in fundamental chemical knowledge and superior experimental techniques, while honors work and local internships encourage individual initiative and nurture the ability to utilize knowledge, problem-solving, and communication skills. Our goal is to develop minds that can excel not only in the field of chemistry, but also in a varied host of related fields such as life science, nanotechnology, the environment, equipment development, and energy. Those who undertake graduate study will acquire more advanced abilities and knowledge, enabling them to succeed in research and development activities.
Education
The field of chemistry encompasses a wide range of studies aimed at understanding and exploiting natural phenomena through materials such as atoms, molecules, and compounds. In this chemistry course, we follow a systematic curriculum (the chemistry core program) centering on organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, physical chemistry, and biochemistry; and integrate lectures, practicums, and experiments in such a way that students are assured to acquire a firm foundation in fundamental chemical knowledge and experimental technique. In the first year, students take classes in general courses and basic science. A distinctive feature of the course is its integration of several related pursuits, including calculus and chemistry, from the ground up. In the second and upper years, students take standard science classes in the chemistry core program, as well as general courses. There are numerous required subjects in the core program; however, extracurricular supplementary sessions are available to aid students in mastering the material. In the fourth year, under the supervision of their respective professor, students do honors work, their first original research work, originating in Mito. The study of chemistry demands a fine sense of the material world, based on empirical experience. Because lectures tend toward the abstract, we focus on experimentation, so that the content of a given lecture may be understood intuitively; and in addition, a host of class exercises are offered, to deepen and broaden students’ grasp of chemical knowledge and technique.