Daigakkō


Daigakkō is a word used in names of some post-secondary educational institutions in Japan. The National Defense Academy of Japan was established with École Polytechnique as its model. Most institutions in Japan that use "daigakkō" as part of their name are not certified as degree-issuing secondary schools by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology or National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation, an independent organization.

Etymology

Daigakkō has a literal meaning of "grand school" or "great school". It comes from a literal translation of the French "grandes écoles". Common English translations include "academy", "college", or "university".

Usage

Japan

In Japan, use of the word "daigakkō" is not regulated by laws or ordinances, so many educational or training facilities are named as "daigakko". Those are categorized as follows:
  1. The training facilities operated by the governmental offices such as ministries and agencies.
  2. The lectures as lifelong learning for the citizens provided by local governments.
  3. The educational facilities which are certified as they can provide education as same as Universities and Graduate schools, and which can provide academic degrees.
  4. The educational facilities which provide higher education, but can't provide academic degrees.
  5. The special schools named "daigakkō" before School Education Act in enforce in 1947.

    Korea

In Korea, four-year universities and colleges are referred to as "大學校". Korea University in Japan, which has a relationship with the North Korean government, but it can not provide any academic degrees recognized in Japan because it is not certified by the Japanese Ministry of Education.

Daigakkō and other post-secondary institutions

Because usage of "daigakkō" in the title of an institution is not regulated by laws or ordinances, they offer a wide range of courses and degrees. These can include accredited, full-time, six-year courses, or single-day training courses. The institutions can be established by national or local governments, or by private organizations. Some are recognised as "specialized training colleges" by the MEXT or
"miscellaneous schools" by the local boards of education or the governors of the prefectures.
In the early Meiji era, the Imperial College of Engineering was a mainstream higher education institution established by Monbushō. Current institutions certified by MEXT are either "daigaku" or "tanki daigaku".

NIAD-QE accredited

Some daigakkō's mainstream courses are accredited by the National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation, an independent administrative institution affiliated with MEXT. The graduates can obtain academic degrees awarded by the NIAD-UE by application.

National institutions

The following daigakkō are administered by the national government, and the tuition-fee is for free and the students are paid salary. In addition, these daigakkō are specially called "Shō-Chō-Daigakkō" which are regulated to be founded by laws. The students in the following schools are appointed as government officials automatically when they entered, and they are paid salary every month, and they are exempted from paying tuition-fee. National Defense Medical College graduates who retire before serving nine years for the Japan Self-Defense Forces must repay their training costs. The following schools are the only daigakkō which are certified by NIAD-UE.
English NameJapanese orthographyPronunciationAbbreviationProvider FoundationDegrees
Japan Coast Guard Academy:ja:海上保安大学校|海上保安大学校Kaijō Hoan DaigakkōJCGAJapan Coast Guard1951B
National College of Nursing :ja:国立看護大学校|国立看護大学校Kokuritsu Kango DaigakkōNCNNational Center for Global Health and Medicine2001B,M
National Defense Academy of Japan:ja:防衛大学校|防衛大学校Bōei DaigakkōNDA
Bōei-Dai		Ministry of Defense1952B,M,D
National Defense Medical College:ja:防衛医科大学校|防衛医科大学校Bōei Ika DaigakkōNDMCMinistry of Defense1973B,D
Meteorological College:ja:気象大学校|気象大学校Kishō DaigakkōMC
Ki-Dai, Kidaikō		Japan Meteorological Agency1922B

Independent institutions

The mainstream students of these institutions must pay tuition fees similar to those at Japanese national universities.

Government administered

The run training courses for public servants. Note institutions whose objectives and functions are similar but names are not daigakkō, say gakkō are not included in this list. These schools are not certified by NIAD-UE, so they can not give any academic degrees.
English NameJapanese orthographyPronouciationabbreviationProviderFoundation
Aeronautical Safety College :ja:航空保安大学校|航空保安大学校Kōkū Hoan DaigakkōASCMinistry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport1959
National Police Academy :ja:警察大学校|警察大学校Keisatsu DaigakkōNPA
Kei-dai		National Police Agency1885
Local Autonomy College:ja:自治大学校|自治大学校Jichi DaigakkōLACMinistry of Internal Affairs and Communications1953
Fire and Disaster Management College:ja:消防大学校|消防大学校Shōbō DaigakkōFDMCFire and Disaster Management Agency1959
National Tax College:ja:税務大学校|税務大学校Zeimu DaigakkōNTANational Tax Agency1964
Social Insurance College:ja:社会保険大学校|社会保険大学校Shakai Hoken DaigakkōSICMinistry of Health, Labour and Welfare1971
College of Land, Infrastructure and Transport:ja:国土交通大学校|国土交通大学校Kokudo Kōtsū DaigakkōCLITMinistry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport2001

NGO-administered

Postal College runs training courses for the employees of Japan Post.
All of the providers of the following daigakkō are Independent Administrative Institutions.
English NameJapanese orthographyPronouciationabbreviationProviderFoundation
National College of Nursing:ja:国立看護大学校|国立看護大学校Kokuritsu Kango DaigakkōNCNNCGM 2001
National Fisheries University:ja:水産大学校|水産大学校Suisan DaigakkōNFU
Sui-dai-ko		National Fisheries University1885
Polytechnic University :ja:職業能力開発総合大学校|職業能力開発総合大学校Shokugyo Noryoku Kaihatsu DaigakkōPUEHRDOJ 1961
Marine Technical College:ja:海技大学校|海技大学校Kaigi DaigakkōMTCMarine Technical Education Agency 2001
Civil Aviation College:ja:航空大学校|航空大学校Kōkū DaigakkōCACCivil Aviation College1964
National Farmers Academy:ja:農業者大学校|農業者大学校Nōgyōsha DaigakkōNFANARO 1968
Labour College:ja:労働大学校|労働大学校Rōdō DaigakkōLCJILPT 2003
SME University:ja:中小企業大学校|中小企業大学校Chūshō Kigyō DaigakkōSMEUSMRJ 2002

Before 1947