The Faculty of International Studies offers an extensive selection of classes in English and Japanese.
These lecture courses cover a range of academic disciplines and learning levels, and they are taught by professors from both of the Faculty’s departments.
Since English is the primary language of instruction in GTS, its curriculum is structured around courses in this language, but GTS students with sufficient skills have the opportunity to study in Japanese as well.

The GTS curriculum consists of two major areas of study.
GTS students are free to follow their interests and choose courses from both areas, and in keeping with the Faculty’s interdisciplinary approach to learning, we encourage them to explore and integrate knowledge from different fields of knowledge.

Culture & Society

One hallmark of globalization has been the dramatic increase in cultural exchange. These interactions continually foster new kinds of transcultural knowledge and experiences, but they also generate social tensions as once geographically separate cultures begin to overlap and integrate.
This area helps students to better understand the potentials and problems of globalization with courses based on the academic disciplines of sociology, anthropology, history, religious studies, media studies, and cultural studies.
The perspectives offered by these classes range from the great breath of global history to close studies of issues facing minorities who have long been pushed to margins of society.
The area also includes classes that give students research and language skills that they can use in their own research projects and post-college careers.

Economics & Politics

Globalization has an equally large impact on economic and political relationships between different regions of the world and on the relationships between individual countries.
Nation-states and national economic interests still influence political and economic activities, but the dominance of these systems is now being challenged by the rise of global corporations and non-government/non-profit organizations.
This area of study looks at these issues through classes that range from the study of political structures and economic activities in specific regions to thematic classes on topics such as international law, political economics, the principles of international relations, behavioral economics and entrepreneurship.
Courses in this area also provide instruction in technical and research skills such as statistical analysis.

Other Lecture Courses

These classes center on academic skills, and life and career development.

The educational process for any academic discipline begins with learning basic concepts, information and study methods and then advances to more sophisticated ideas and complex topics.
Therefore, the Faculty’s lecture classes are organized into two levels that guide students in their studies.
GTS separates its lecture classes into Lower and Upper Divisions. (In KS these are listed as 2000 and 3000 level classes.)

Lower Division Elective Classes

Open for enrollment from the 1st year.
A minimum of 16 credits required for graduation.

GTS students have many required courses in their first year, but they gradually have more opportunities to choose Lower Division electives.
As suggested by the many “Introduction to _______” titles, courses in this division are the gateway to studying economics, politics, cultural and society.
While the contents will vary by discipline, students will read fundamental texts, grapple with key concepts, and begin to gain basic research and analytic skills.
These courses help students to lay the foundation of their education at GTS.

Upper Division Elective Classes

Open for enrollment from the 2nd semester of the 2nd year.
A minimum of 24 credits required for graduation.

In contrast to the Lower Division choices, these courses examine specific themes and topics in greater detail.
The readings are at higher level, and the assignments will often include a research paper or activity.
In these classes, students enhance their knowledge in a particular discipline, and they acquire advanced skills for data analysis.
Whereas Lower Division classes start the educational process in GTS, Upper level courses give 3rd and 4th year the skills and intellectual background required for the Graduation Project. Furthermore, students from our world-wide network of exchange partnerships often enroll in our advanced English lecture classes.
As a result, they offer multicultural study experiences right here on the Yokohama campus.

Suggested classes

Although some Upper Division electives have no requirements, students should gain Lower level knowledge and skill before they attempt to take a number of important Upper Division classes.
Therefore, the GTS faculty strongly urges students to enroll in certain “prerequisites” in order to prepare for specific Upper Division electives.
In some courses, professors may not accept students if they feel the student does not have sufficient background preparation.

Lecture Electives in Japanese

Up to 14 credits of courses in Japanese will count toward graduation requirements

GTS students with sufficient Japanese language skills are encouraged to enroll in the Faculty’s Japanese lecture courses.
These classes are primarily taught by professors in the Department of International Studies, but some GTS faculty also offer courses in Japanese.

Market Failure: Externalities 外部性と市場の非効率性

The following video introduces you to the experience of taking a GTS class taught in English. The teacher is Prof. Prajakta Khare and the topic of her lecture is “Market Failure: Externalities.”