In addition to conventional mass media, including TV, people throughout the world now send and receive information over the Internet. Many nations have joined forces to establish and enhance global information networks. This department aims to produce future-oriented IT professionals who can contribute to the advancement of information networked societies in the coming decades by offering opportunities to learn how to create state-of-the-art network systems, develop new Web systems and aid communications using information-communication technologies.

The Department of Information and Network Science was established in 1997 as Japan’s first academic department of its academic field and has produced many information network engineers, accumulating substantial educational experience in this field. The curriculum of this department consists of the three core categories.application systems, network engineering and digital communications.and is being revised continually to accommodate the latest technical innovations. The well-organized curriculum offers subjects that cover an extensive range of basic knowledge on computers and networks to applied psychology, before proceeding to the study of advanced technologies on Web sites, advanced network systems, distributed software development and multimedia. According to what they want to learn, students choose one of two courses: the Network Course, which is designed to produce networking engineers who underpin the growth of the information and communication society, and the Media Information Course, which is designed to produce media information specialists equipped with extensive networking technologies. Either course offers abundant opportunities for practical training and experiments at state-of-the-art computer rooms with a virtual machine facility to ensure the effective acquisition of knowledge and techniques. Students will be able to do higher levels of system development as they follow the coursework. To help students acquire practical knowledge and skills on networking, the well-equipped computer rooms are also available for lectures other than practical training and experiments, and instruction on how to use e-Learning systems is offered.

Web application programs are indispensable for today’s business activities and daily lives.
Understanding the structure of the Web and how to create advanced Web pages is a basic requirement for information network engineers. Web application programs are combined with database and server technologies to form application systems. Students learn about these basic technologies through lectures and acquire future-oriented Web page creation techniques through practical training.

The underlying technologies of the information network society include optical communications, wireless LAN and broadband Internet technologies. Demand is on the rise for engineers that have a good command of these technologies to design and operate networks for business and governmental entities. Students learn how to design, develop and operate advanced network systems through hands-on experience.

An information network should be a tool for person-to-person or person-to-machine communications. This requires the development of user-friendly interfaces for all age groups from children to senior citizens based on advanced computer graphic and acoustic technologies and knowledge of cognitive psychology. In addition to the PC interface, students learn about interfaces for cell phones and intelligent home appliances