Admission Policy
Admissions, curriculum and degrees awarded at the Okayama University Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences
The Okayama University Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences is an interdisciplinary graduate school consisting of master’s and doctoral courses, which is based on our undergraduate schools; Faculty of Letters, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Economics . The master’s course offers four majors: Socio-Cultural Sciences, Comparative Socio-Cultural Sciences, Public Policy Sciences, and Organizational Management Sciences. These programs cover the whole field of the humanities and social sciences. The Doctoral course offers three socio-cultural science courses: Cultural Symbiotics, Human Social Sciences, and Socio-Economic Planning and Policy Science.
The Okayama University Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, one of Western Japan’s leading research institutions, conducts academic research and education in accordance with international standards. Our goal is to foster capable and talented people with a high degree of specialization, a broad view, and a profound sense of humanity. In addition, through links with various regional entities including local governments and corporations, our institution serves as a graduate school contributing to the region in the aspects of its culture, society and economy.
(1) Admissions
In the Master’s course, we provide interdisciplinary education covering a variety of fields through a program of advanced research. The goal is to train professional people and researchers to have extensive knowledge in the fields of literature, law, and economics, who have excellent thoughts. Our graduates can develop their observation and insight skills, understand diversity and global culture, and respond flexibly to social change.
The Doctoral course is based upon the idea of “the creation of a symbiotic society” and aims at the achievement of the research from various and interdisciplinary approaches.
We welcome individuals, both from Japan and other countries, who have basic knowledge and flexible thoughts, and actively intend to do academic researches with strong senses of purpose and spirits of inquiry in order to tackle the unknown with full intelligence and sensitivity.
In the Master’s-level Organizational Management Sciences and Regional Public Policy Management courses, we particularly welcome individuals who strive to acquire more advanced management skills to benefit organizations, as appropriate to specific organizations such as enterprises and government and municipal offices.
(2) Curriculum
The Master’s course has been organized and developed to offer a multidisciplinary, comprehensive and interdisciplinary educational system which has continuity with the basic education provided at undergraduate schools such as the Faculty of Letters, Law , and Economics. In particular, the Organizational Management Sciences and Regional Public Policy Management courses have been structured to include field experience in the public sector and in local business.
In the Doctoral course, according to the idea of “the creation of a symbiotic society”, we offer a variety of graduate education programs and also support research taking a multidisciplinary approach targeting culture, organizations, the individual, communities, etc.
(3) Academic Degrees
The Master’s degree is awarded to candidates who have conducted research in the fields of culture, science, literature, law, economics, public policy studies and business administration, meeting quality standards established by the Graduate School. By the time they graduate, students must have acquired advanced academic knowledge, the ability to carry out research on specific issues at an advanced level, and the ability to consider and conduct to cope with various problems.
The Doctoral degree is awarded to candidates who have conducted research in the fields of culture, science, literature, law, economics, business administration and arts, meeting quality standards established by the Graduate School. Doctoral candidates must conduct doctoral-level research themselves, successfully demonstrating extensive academic creativity. Successful doctoral candidates must also acquire their independent research ability and exhibit broad academic knowledge.
