PhD in Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

For PhD in Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, tuition costs 535,800 JPY per year.

The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Institute of Science Tokyo offers a doctoral program taught in English in Tokyo, with a standard duration of five years and entry points in April and October. Institute of Science Tokyo, known as Science Tokyo, was established on October 1, 2024, through the merger of Tokyo Institute of Technology, founded in 1881, and Tokyo Medical and Dental University, founded in 1928. The merged university operates under the mission of advancing science and human wellbeing to create value for and with society, and it frames graduate study around research training that pushes students to think and work independently, alongside broader liberal-arts and transferable-skills development that runs alongside specialized coursework. Within this setting, the Earth and Planetary Sciences PhD centers on the physical systems that shape the planet and its neighbors in the solar system. Doctoral study in this field typically draws on geology, geophysics, geochemistry, atmospheric and oceanic science, and planetary science, covering subjects such as plate tectonics, volcanic and seismic processes, climate and ocean dynamics, and the formation and evolution of planets and other solar-system bodies. Candidates work under an assigned academic supervisor and carry out original research culminating in a dissertation, often combining fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and computational modeling. Graduates in earth and planetary sciences commonly move into academic research, geological and environmental consulting, national space and earth-observation agencies, meteorological and disaster-prevention services, and the resource and energy sectors. The five-year program length allows for coursework, qualifying milestones, and sustained dissertation research, while the two intake points in April and October give applicants flexibility in timing their start around prior academic obligations or visa processing.