Vision

The Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences has a vision of “providing in-depth, specialized, high quality education that meets the diverse needs of various applicants in order to nurture individuals who can deepen and expand their expertise and continue to learn, while maintaining a broad perspective that enables them to perform as highly skilled professionals for many years to come in a rapidly changing society.”

Organization (Fields and Courses)

This Graduate School offers two Fields and nine Courses.

The Field of Humanities

1. Course in Literary Arts and Thought
   This course offers literature (Japanese, Chinese, British and American), philosophy, thought (Japanese and Chinese), art, and linguistics (Japanese, English, and theoretical) as academic fields. Investigation in these fields enables students to gain an in-depth understanding of human beings, to develop their ability to think logically and critically, and to look at the present-day world in fresh perspectives. It also leads them to acquire proficiency in Japanese, Chinese, and English.
2. Course in History and Archaeology
   In this course, students develop a broad, long-term perspective that considers the connections between Japan and the world, and the present and the past, through the study of history and archaeology, and learn skills related to the interpretation, research, and handling techniques of historical materials on a daily basis. The course also trains students so that they have the research skills needed to continue to explore various issues identified from a historical or archaeological awareness of their circumstances up to the present, based on a high level of expertise that can reflect on historical phenomena independently and logically.
3. Course in Psychology and Human Sciences
   In this course, students develop the skills needed to analyze and solve various problems in local communities focusing on human activity, through the study of human sciences such as psychology and cultural anthropology in research, and by learning about a wide range of knowledge in these fields and their application. This course trains students so that they can become people who can empirically explore the mental process, society, and culture of people living in the present, based on findings from human science research.
4. Course for the Qualification of Certified Public Psychologist
   In this course, students develop the practical skills needed to deal accordingly with the issues that confront them as psychologists, by gaining specialized knowledge in psychological assessment, psychotherapy, consultation, and psychoeducation required of a licensed psychologist, through lectures, exercises, and practical psychological training. With these abilities, students are trained so that they can become Certified Psychologists who are highly skilled professionals in various fields such as healthcare, welfare, and education, and have well balanced research skills to accurately grasp the results and effects of their own practice and propose more appropriate clinical practices.

The Field of Social Sciences

1. Course in Media and Information Society
   In this course, students explore the ever-changing media environment and information society from an academic perspective, with media and information society as the subject of their research. Students develop practical skills in media criticism, reporting, article writing, content creation, and research through studying international comparisons of history and the current state of media such as newspapers, television, and the Internet, as well as media culture such as that of manga. Students also develop a broad understanding of the interactions between media and society, and develop scientific thinking skills for that purpose, by learning about the efforts of humans using media technology to design a society of co-creation. Through these efforts, students will be cultivated into people who can play an active and hands-on role in the development of new media environments such as Society 5.0, of new information technologies such as AI, and in the society and culture that will be transformed by these technologies.
2. Course in International and Local Development
   This course focuses on international, geographical, social, and political studies and combines knowledge from these disciplines to learn about issues faced by local and international societies, such as urban development and multicultural coexistence, and the transformation of local societies in Japan and around the world due to globalization, so that students can develop the skills needed to create a new society in collaboration with various people, working toward the achievement of SDGs. Moreover, students will obtain the skills needed to conduct professional and practical research, analysis, and proposals through fieldwork in domestic and international societies. Compared to other courses, this course focuses more on diverse and practical issues related to achieving SDGs, and cultivates students to become glocal experts who can contribute to the revitalization of local communities and sustainable development with a global perspective.
3. Course in Law and Public Management
   In this course, students develop legal or policy thinking abilities with law and public administration as the focus of their studies, by learning about the social issues we currently face, particularly in the field of public administration and business, where the relationship between rights and obligation is complex. In addition, students develop practical research, analysis, and planning skills through study of the development of laws in response to social changes caused by internationalization, declining birthrate and an aging population, and the development and spread of AI, as well as dispute resolution related to these fields. Through these studies, students are cultivated to become people capable of finding solutions to social issues.
4. Course in Economics and Business Management
   This course focuses on economics and business management. It covers contemporary and advanced topics such as the impact of big data collected through innovations (like the IoT) on business and policy-making, the changes in business models and management that accompany advances in AI, and the SDGs, which include an awareness of issues encompassing poverty, inequality, and gender. Throughout the cource, students develop market, institutional design skills and business design skills from an expanded perspective, as well as policy design skills through experience in policy formulation and evaluation. In doing so, students are expected to continue to take a highly specialized approach to the complexities of a society that is rapidly changing with the progress of globalization and information technology, and thus be able to lead local communities. International students not only learn about Japanese case studies and theories, but also become specialists who can examine the actual realities and various issues facing their home countries from a broader, global perspective while based in Japan.
5. Course in Studies of Regional Policy
   This course is designed for local government employees and local assembly members. It focuses on the study of regional policy, and students develop the perspective and practical thinking skills necessary for problem-solving by learning specialized and practical approaches not only from faculty members, but also from various parties involved in regional development, city center revitalization, tourism promotion, agriculture-commerce collaboration, and disaster prevention. In addition, students will gain specialized knowledge in law, economics, policy process theory, and statistics and social research methods, as well as acquire the skills needed to uncover local issues and formulate policies to solve problems through the utilization of local resources by conducting surveys and research to formulate practical policies that contribute to solving local problems. Through these systematic learning processes, students are cultivated as people who are capable of creating autonomous and sustainable local communities.

Courses Outline

The standard term of study is two years. The student is awarded a master's degree (Master of Arts: M.A.) when he/she completes the prescribed number of credits and compiles the results of research into a thesis or other document conducted under the supervision of a faculty advisor, which is examined and passes the final examination. In addition, students can take the "Graduate Program on Sustainability Science in Ibaraki University" as a minor.

Curriculum Overview

The core curriculum, which aims to deepen expertise, and the expanded curriculum, which aims to cultivate a broad perspective, collectively cultivate deep expertise and a wide range of perspectives. Aiming to nurture human resources capable of responding to the new era, courses require students to study the fundamentals of the impact of technology on human society.

Education by Course Type

Three types of courses, "General Specialized Education," "Recurrent Specialized Education," and "Specialized Education for International Students," are available to meet the respective characteristics of general students, working adults (re-studying), and international students. In "Specialized Education for International Students," career support courses such as internships are fearured.

Entrance Examination

We offer a special selection process (Specialized Education Selection for International Students) in order to actively accept international students. Entrance examinations are held twice a year, in fall (early October) and spring (early February). The application period is usually from late August for the fall entrance examination and from late November for the spring entrance examination. For more information, visit the Graduate School's website.

Qualifications for Applicants

Applicants for the Specialized Education Selection for International Students must have completed 16 years of formal education and have a bachelor's degree or equivalent and must have Japanese language proficiency of N2 or above or equivalent certified through the Japanese Language Proficiency Test conducted by the Japan Foundation and the Japan Educational Exchanges and Services. In addition to these certificates, applicants are required to submit a research plan and other documents that are relevant to the field of specialization they wish to pursue in their studies. For more information, visit the Graduate School's website.