List of Departments - Social Sciences
Foreign LanguagesSocial SciencesHumanitiesNatural Sciences
Social Sciences
｜ Law and Political Science ｜ Economics and Statistics ｜ Sociology and Social Thought ｜
｜ International Relations ｜
Law and Political Science
Whilst it goes without saying that law and politics are integral parts of our lives, we do not ordinarily appreciate their full significance in our everyday lives. One might perhaps consider it like the air we breathe: we do not pay conscious attention to it, but nor can we live without it. Of course, as you may have already learnt in high school, law and politics are not one and the same.
At the Komaba campus, the following courses provide the opportunity to learn in depth the systems and issues of law and politics: Foundation Courses (Law I, Law II, Political Science I, Political Science II), and Integrative Courses (Modern Law, Law and Society, Law and the Global Society, Law and the State, Japanese Constitutional Law, Japanese Politics, Modern Political Theory).
Through these courses, it is hoped that students will come to appreciate the true appeal of studying law and political science.
Economics and Statistics
The Department of Economics and Statistics offers both Foundation and Integrative Courses in Economics and Statistics for the Junior Division at the College of Arts and Sciences. The Foundation Courses (Economics I, II etc.) equip students with the fundamental knowledge and skills required to understand the subject, building a solid base for future specialist study. The Integrative Courses include diverse topics in Economics such as History of Economic Thought, Modern Economic Theory, and Economic Anthropology. At the same time, the Department also offers a broad range of courses in Statistics such as Basic Statistics, Statistical Analysis, and Quantitative Social Sciences for teaching the fundamentals of statistics - an indispensable methodology for scientific analysis including the social sciences. Although naturally essential for students wishing to major in Economics and Statistics, it is hoped that students, regardless of their future field of study, will gain a strong grasp of economic theory and statistical methods through these courses, and put them to good use in their future studies at the University.
Sociology and Social Thought
The Department consists of two interrelated disciplines: Sociology and Social Thought. In Sociology, the aim is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted nature of modern society across economics, culture, family, religion, and to elucidate its structure, attitudes, and behaviour. In Social Thought, the objective is to examine the historical development of ideas about society, and to explore the philosophical visions of what makes a good society.
At the Junior Division of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department provides Foundation Courses for both Sociology (Social Sciences I) and Social Thought (Social Sciences II), which teach the fundamental principles and methodologies of each discipline. In addition, the Department offers a variety of Integrative Courses, such as thematic courses in Comparative Social Theory, Modern Social Theory, and History of Social Thought, as well as Data Analysis for building skills for social research and analysis, and a relay-style course in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences.
International Relations
We are now living in an age of unprecedented globalisation. News from every corner of the world reaches our ears daily. Furthermore, with ever-growing global interdependence, events in distant countries have immediate repercussions on our lives. Opportunities for Japanese people to travel abroad will also continue to rise in the years to come. At the same time, it is now more difficult than ever to orient ourselves amidst this overwhelming surge of global information. What are the cultures and historical backgrounds of each country? What about the relationships between nations? Our goal as humanity lies in building a peaceful and prosperous global society, fostered through mutual understanding and cross-cultural interaction. The Department of International Relations provides introductory course to nurture cosmopolitan individuals with broad perspectives and knowledge. These course fall under Integrative Courses, and include International Relations Theory, History of International Relations, International Communications, Modern International Society, and International Environment. We hope that you will choose some or all of the courses that pique your interest, which may then become a foundation for you to live through this rapidly evolving age of globalisation.
Foreign LanguagesSocial SciencesHistorical ScienceNatural Sciences
