University

Faculty of Social Sciences

Department of Social Sciences

The Department of Social Sciences seeks to cultivate students who can understand the complex, changing organization of society and can act independently with a global perspective. Based on this objective, the curriculum has been organized into two programs, the Program in Social Sciences and the Program in Media Studies.

What are the mechanisms through which the world operates? How do various social systems and ways of living connect with the wider world? What kinds of contributions can students make? In the Program in Social Sciences, students study the structures and processes in which world phenomena occur and analyze contemporary society using a multidisciplinary approach that includes international relations, politics, and economics. As peace-loving global citizens, they explore methods for solving contemporary social problems. Through company internships and volunteer programs, they gain the opportunity not only to obtain academic knowledge but also to pursue their own goals in response to social needs.

We live in a society of multiple media, including newspapers, television, radio, magazines and the internet. In the Program in Media Studies, students are educated in the ability to understand the influences exerted by everyday media on society and the ways in which the goals and products of various media are structured. They analyze journalism media, entertainment media as culture, and new media, examining the mutual relationships in politics, economics and media that influence social patterns in Japan and overseas. They analyze media as tools of communication, studying psychology, linguistic expression, and nonverbal communication in order to gain a broad understanding of communication itself, from interpersonal to mass communication.
Through practical experiences in media internships, article writing, and news reading, they are encouraged to become effective communicators who produce as well as receive information.

All students in the Department of Social Sciences participate in small seminar classes from their first through their fourth year. Through intellectual exchanges with their seminar professors, students develop their capacity for problem-solving and logical thought. In their fourth year, they complete their university education by writing a graduation thesis.