Why is Temple University so bad?

16 comments

1. I honestly think it’s fine. I went there for a master’s and it doesn’t seem any worse than any other college (except for the campus size/aesthetic). Also, if you want to live abroad, a degree from an American university will take you farther than a Japanese one (but the opposite is true if you want to stay in Japan, even though Japanese universities are easy mode).

2. I heard it’s like going to a mediocre community college back in the states. There’s no community, people only do the bare minimum in class, etc.

3. You can go to waseda if you want to live in japan. But temple did help when applying for masters (GMAT waiver, TOEFL/IELTS waiver) good luck!

4. -> I heard temple Uni graduates in Japanese Universities tend to favor other graduates, so there is a bit of a network that will get you certain post-graduate jobs in academia.
   -> I guess it is a decent University, but nothing spectacular. Since it is a religious Uni it is easy to get a “bad” name?
   -> It offers courses in English, which is why I guess it is an alternative to Waseda. Anywhere else is mostly Japanese.
   -> I went there for a conference once. The campus is a bit out of the way, so this may be a disadvantage. Although it will be nicer to live there I guess.

5. I did a semester at Temple ages ago. It was fine for study abroad, as the semester aligned with my school back home, credits were all easily transferred back as well. But Temple was basically trying to cater to Japanese students wanting to study in English, while trying to educate native speakers. Most subjects were dumbed down and grading was a joke. It felt like a vacation from my studies back home to go party in Tokyo, and I think a lot of people used it as that.

6. Can’t speak on the current state of it much with the new campus and professor requirements. It definitely has issues but also some good points. Quality will vary by program of study. Don’t go into communication studies if you aren’t interested in film, it’s misleading. Also, the art department is a joke, they don’t require portfolios and much of what I saw looked like elementary school attempts.

7. i think it’s overblown, temple is as a “bad” as the next university/college, the whole thing about higher education is busted anyway when you can learn all you need online for free or a nano-sized fraction of what you’d pay per semester in tuition anywhere (unless we talking some european institutions)

   ofc the above doesn’t apply if you’re going into med/law/engineering, etc. but i’m guessing that’s not the case.

8. Purely my opinion: I think this largely depends on your future goals. If you know you’ll stay in Japan 10 years+ then go to a high ranking Japanese university. However, if you plan to move anywhere outside of Japan within that timeframe, then go to Temple. I didn’t go (did exchange at Sophia instead), but had friends that did and they really didn’t like the school for various reasons that were very valid I think. I still suggest this though because the friends that did go, after they graduated they worked in Japan for awhile (about 5 years or less) and then went back to their home country (US) or other countries (various European countries) and that translated very well for them career wise and the American degree helped a lot. I know a few Japanese people who went there and they also all live and work abroad now. Hegemony is a bitch, but that’s the world we live in unfortunately 🫠.

9. Just from what I heard from people: the problem is that it’s not quite like attending a Japanese university, but not quite like attending an American university either, and you end up not getting the real benefits of either.

   While the education likely won’t be as rigorous as at a decent US university, at a prestigious university like Waseda or Sophia, you at least get the brand value and proper campus life. TUJ as I understand it is often seen more as a satellite campus for students studying abroad, so many don’t like the idea of doing an entire undergraduate degree there.

   Some of the professional programs I heard can be good if they fit match your exact needs though, like coming to Japan from abroad in a specific field, etc. Here reputation and campus life plays less of a role.

10. I went there from 2016 – 2018 then transferred to the main Campus in Philly. After moving back to Japan I worked there from 2021 – to earlier this year.

    TUJ has a bad rep because it accepts 100% of the students who apply. As well as it had some issues I believe in the 80s and 90s but those have been fixed. It does have its issues but so do other universities but the 100% enrollment is the biggest. In Japan you have to take an entrance exam to get in, the better the university the harder the entrance exam. So if you’re school has a 100% enrollment it’s viewed as a poor quality school.

    They built and moved into a new campus in 2020, and with the current Dean, they have been growing a lot. They now have higher-quality professors than in 2016 – 2018, and a lot of the programs have been upgraded in quality as well. The current biggest issue is, that even though they are rapidly expanding the campus they’re struggling to provide enough space for all the students. It’s also in San-genjaya in Setagawa ward, so it’s difficult for students to find nearby affordable apartments.

    If you want to get a job outside of Japan I recommend TUJ, it’s more expensive than a Japanese Uni but cheaper than a US one, while getting a US degree. If you’re planning to stay in Japan go to a Japanese University. They also have a new program “fly to Philly” that allows you to study at the main campus in Philly while paying the Japanese price for up to one year. So you can spend your last year in Philly looking for jobs if you want to work in the US.

11. I applied there twice to be an Associate Professor. I guess I got lucky that they never wanted me. Landed a better role anyway.

12. some how it remind me a guy who is a lecturer in a local uni but he was arrogant and look down at others uni,

    I was wondering how a person who is smart like him live a life beings an asshole jerk and everyday condemn others

    Must be holy sHit annoying to be working with guy like that

13. Temple isn’t a bad option if you can’t get into SILS…

    Besides SILS doesn’t seem to be all that either recently

    Honestly, your best option would be to go abroad for university – there are plenty of affordable options in the Times Top 100 University rankings that you could aim for

14. Graduated there in 2016. There were a lot of students there who thought that you could major in Super Smash and spent all their time in the lounge, and there was a pretty good-sized bunch of weebs who thought that cosplay is a growing career field, and there were a fair few former military guys who REALLY NEEDED YOU TO KNOW THAT THEY WERE VETERANS DUDE.

    But apart from that, most of the students there were pretty chill and just working hard to get to the next step. I have quite a few friends who have gone on to get their graduate degrees since TUJ.

    Also, anyone who says that TUJ is an “easy” school has obviously never taken a Kingston course, lol.

15. Tuition in Japan comparatively to the USA, is dirt cheap. Especially with the USDJPY exchange rate as of late.

16. As someone associated with TUJ I don’t understand the criticism. What I see on a daily basis are faculty and staff committed to student success. There is a wonderful campus community with lots of clubs and activities for students that builds that community spirit. Also, Temple just received its highest ranking ever from US News and World Report landing at number 89 and cracking the top 100 for the first time. Too many people associate TUJ with the old shabby campus, but with a new building, higher enrollments now topping 2,000 students, and more faculty hires the school is booming. It’s a great option for people wanting an American degree in English that’s more affordable than going overseas. It’s not your grandma’s Temple anymore.