History of Yamagata University
Since its foundation as a normal school in 1878, Yamagata University has grown to become a doctoral-granting, comprehensive public institution through two stages before and after 1949 when new government regulation in higher education came into effect.
Before 1949
| 1878 | Yamagata Prefectural Normal School (YPNS) including its elementary school opened. |
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| 1886 | YPNS was renamed Yamagata Prefectural Junior Normal School (YPJNS). |
| 1898 | YPJNS was renamed Yamagata Prefectural Normal School (YPNS). |
| 1902 | Yamagata Prefectural Women's Normal School (YPWNS) opened. |
| 1910 | Yonezawa Higher Technical School (YHTS) opened. |
| 1920 | Yamagata High School (YHS) opened (and later became the Faculty of Literature and Science). |
| 1922 | Yamagata Prefectural Technical Continuation School Teacher Training Center (YPTCS- TTC) opened. |
| 1935 | YPTCS-TTC was renamed Teacher Training Center at Yamagata Prefectural Young Men's School (YPYMS-TTC). |
| 1943 | YPNS and YPWNS merged into Yamagata Normal School (YNS). |
| 1944 | YPYMS -TTC was renamed Yamagata Youth Normal School (YYNS). YHTS was renamed Yonezawa Engineering College. |
| 1947 | Yamagata Prefectural College of Agriculture and Forestry (YPCAF) and YNS junior high school opened. |
| 1949 | YHS, YNS, YYNS and YPAFC merged and became Yamagata University. |
After 1949
| 1949 | YU started with four Faculties: Faculty of Literature and Science, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Agriculture. |
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| 1954 | Junior College of Engineering established. |
| 1964 | Graduate School of Engineering established. |
| 1967 | Faculty of Literature & Social Sciences, Faculty of Science, and Division of General Education established. |
| 1970 | Graduate School of Agriculture established. |
| 1971 | Faculty of Literature and Science closed. |
| 1973 | Faculty of Medicine established. |
| 1975 | Special Needs School established. |
| 1979 | Graduate School of Science established. Graduate School of Medical Science established. |
| 1985 | Junior College of Engineering closed. |
| 1990 | United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences established. |
| 1993 | Graduate School of Education established. |
| 1996 | Division of General Education closed. |
| 1997 | Graduate School of Social & Cultural Systems established. |
| 1999 | Graduate School of Engineering and Graduate School of Science merged and was renamed Graduate School of Science and Engineering. |
| 2005 | Faculty of Education was renamed Faculty of Education, Art and Science. |
| 2009 | Professional School of Education and Graduate School of Regional Education and Culture established. |
| 2009 | Institute of Art and Sciences established. |
| 2015 |
Academic Assembly established. |
| 2016 |
Graduate School of Organic Materials Science established. |
| 2017 |
Faculty of Literature and Social Sciences closed. |