This is required for all first year students.
Three full-time faculty members from different disciplines team-teach the course to give students a foundational knowledge in global and transcultural studies. It is designed to excite interest in the department’s interdisciplinary approach to global issues, and to introduce you to different fields of study.
You also work to strengthen your critical reading and writing skills, study methods, and discussion techniques.
Field Study Seminar
In this one-semester class, students and the instructor study the history, culture, social problems, etc. of a particular area, or they focus on a particular theme. In order to deepen their knowledge of these topics, the seminar will then go off-campus or leave Japan to conduct a one or two week Field Study.
The location of these activities varies with the professor, but follow this link for past examples of these trips.
Research Project Seminar
Students in their third year begin to prepare their Graduation Projects in this class. While studying research methods, they develop their project topics and plans. Students are able to choose seminars offered by professors whose research field is close to their own areas of interest. At the end of the course, students submit a Project Proposal. Students who go on study abroad programs from the fall term receive distance guidance from a department assigned Project Advisor.
Project Seminar
Based on their Project Proposals, students are assigned to a Project Seminar conducted by a professor with expertise in cultural studies, sociology, politics or economics. Students continue their project research under the guidance of this faculty member. Depending on the field, students might do statistical analyses of data from questionnaires, conduct interviews, gather data from written sources, or create media presentations.
Graduation Project Seminar
Students take this in their last semester. Building upon work done in previous seminars, they complete their individual Graduation Projects. Towards the end of semester, they present their research with a public poster session. The Graduation Project description and examples of past theses are here.
