Tama Art University

The Department of Design is the first of its kind at a Japanese art university to provide extensive night courses in design for both full-time students and working adults. Night programs enable the department to appoint many outstanding instructors who are influential practitioners at the forefront of the design scene. These instructors can share their extensive real-world experience with their students and bring an awareness of the latest design trends into their classes.

The main characteristic of the department is that it covers a wide range of design genres in order to understand the diverse possibilities of design. The curriculum is composed of five areas: visual design, digital design, product design, spatial design and image design. The department is at the forefront of developments in the use of computer technology in design education and the Kaminoge campus boasts state-of-the-art computer facilities. Today many working people enter the department to enhance their computer-based design skills, and these mature students exert a positive influence on their younger counterparts. The Kaminoge campus is conveniently situated near to the center of Tokyo, facilitating collaborative research projects which respond to the needs of society. In the basic curriculum students learn basic knowledge and techniques and in the special curriculum they concentrate on their chosen special area and acquire expertise, planning abilities and special techniques.

The fundamental concept underlying the department's approach to education and research is “communication design”, encompassing not only interpersonal relations, but communication between people and objects, situations, information, and the environment. In order to explore the rich possibilities of this broad field, the department provides an extremely flexible curriculum which enables students to enroll in the third year and pursue a personalized curriculum.

Educational field

Five special areas (visual design, digital design, product design, spatial design and image design); continuing education for working people.

Introductory education

• Students acquire basic design ability by examining various design genres and understanding their social relevance.
• Students practice computer-based skills necessary for design.
• Recognizing the importance of presentation skills, the department provides many opportunities for students to exhibit their works and respond to comments from faculty members.
• The program covers a wide range of design fields.

Basic curriculum

• After selecting a special area in the second semester of the second year, students acquire basic knowledge and practice basic techniques in their chosen area.
• The curriculum offers computer brush-up lessons, through which students acquire the latest techniques in a specialized area.
• Students are expected to improve their presentation skills and prepare portfolios.
• As leading specialists in their respective design fields, course instructors can help students to develop their professional expertise and heighten their awareness of current design trends.

Special curriculum

• Students acquire special knowledge and practice advanced techniques in a specialized area; at the same time, they can attend seminars in other genres.
• Students learn expertise and acquire planning skills and techniques through making works based on given themes.
• Third-year students exhibit their works at the Kaminoge Design Exhibition held at the end of the academic year.
• Graduation works are presented to the public at the Kaminoge Design Exhibition.

Graduate school

• Students work on projects in their chosen field of communication design, combining practical work with advanced research.
• Under the guidance of a mentor, students take part in joint industrial-academic research projects.
• After completing their socially-based projects, students present their study results for public evaluation.
• The graduate school is the only one of its kind in Japan to offer a full-fledged night program in design, and is ideally suited to the needs of working students.