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Humanities

European and American Studies Major / Japanese Studies Major / Sociology Major

Graduate School of Humanities consists of three majors: European and American Studies Major, Japanese Studies Major, and Sociology Major, and allows students to take a wide range of Specialized Courses and then conduct research tailored to their own interests. Each major offers a wide variety of courses, and a curriculum that allows for interdisciplinary or cross-disciplinary research is another major feature of the Graduate School.
Our graduate school has a research lab exclusively for graduate students in each major, which not only allows each student to enrich their own research, but also provides a place where students can consult and discuss each other's research, regardless of course or major.

degree

European and American Studies Major

Master's Program (Humanities)
Doctral Program Doctorate (Humanities)

Japanese Studies Major

Master's Program (Humanities)
Doctral Program Doctorate (Humanities)

Sociology Major

Master's Program (Sociology)
Doctral Program Doctorate (Sociology)

European and American Studies Major

While focusing on specialized research on Anglo-American culture, European culture (particularly German and French), and comparative culture, the program is structured to enable students to pursue multifaceted interdisciplinary research that transcends existing disciplinary frameworks.
  1. You can carry out specialized research on a wide range of topics related to the English-speaking, German-speaking and French-speaking regions.
  2. It is a place where students can learn and think more deeply about the historical, social, and cultural affinities within the European and American cultural sphere.
  3. The courses are based on three core fields: "Language and Literature," "Thought and History," and "Comparative Literature and Culture," allowing students to study and research in relation to each other.

Japanese Studies Major

The course is designed to enable students to acquire research methods and Specialized Knowledge that are suited to the diversity of Japanese and East Asian cultures.
  1. Students can conduct interdisciplinary and specialized research on Japanese linguistics, the history of Japanese thought, classical Japanese literature, modern Japanese literature, the history of Japanese society and culture, Japanese folk history, Japanese lifestyles and culture, the history of Japanese performing arts, and East Asian culture.
  2. Upon completing the Japanese language teaching program, you will become a highly specialized Japanese language teacher.
  3. We have a diverse student body, including Exchange Students from Korea University and Xi'an International Studies University in China, and students from various countries. You can also study abroad at these overseas Partner institutions.

Sociology Major

The course is designed to provide a historical and cross-disciplinary perspective on society as a whole woven together by communication between people, from macro-structure to micro-interaction, based on Specialized Knowledge cultivated by sociology.
  1. We have set "systems," "media," and "culture" as key concepts in modern sociology, and have specialized fields corresponding to each of these. Furthermore, it is possible to conduct research in interdisciplinary areas such as "gender."
  2. Since its inception, Entrance examination for non-traditional learners, and has focused on training not only researchers but also professional workers.
  3. We place emphasis on practical social research that goes beyond classroom learning, and students can learn research methods that incorporate sociological research methods such as questionnaire surveys, fieldwork, interviews, and media research.

Master's Program

There are three types of courses offered in each of the three majors: European and American Studies Major, Japanese Studies Major, and Sociology Major.

Specialized Research Course

This course involves taking 30 or more credits from a wide range of subjects according to certain conditions in line with the student's desired research theme, and also writing a master's thesis. At the time of enrollment, each student's supervisor is selected based on the research plan submitted by Applicant and the results of the entrance examination. From the selection of subjects to the writing of the master's thesis, students can receive research guidance from their supervisor at various stages. In this course, students are required to take seminars taught by their supervisor to help them write their master's thesis, and they can receive detailed guidance.

Career Up Course

This is a course that equips students with the skills necessary to work in specialized professions such as teaching, curating, and specialized social research, cultivates the ability to express one's own knowledge, and engages in specific research instead of a master's thesis. There are three programs available:
  1. Teacher Development Programs
  2. Curator Research Skills Development Program
  3. Professional Social Researcher Certification Program

About interdisciplinary courses

This is a group of subjects prepared for the "Teacher Skills Development Program" and "Curatorial Research Skills Development Program," and is offered across three majors. Students from other courses and programs can also take this course within the scope of their course requirements.

(1) Subjects eligible for the Teacher Development Program

Educational Practice Research
Specialized Seminar on Educational Practice

(2) Courses covered in the Program for Developing Research Skills for Curators

Museum cultural resources research
Museum Cultural Resources Studies Training Course
Cultural property scientific research

Lifelong Learning Course

This course is primarily aimed at working adults, and students will take courses based on their own research themes. They will create a course plan in consultation with their academic advisor, aiming to achieve their individual goals, such as acquiring advanced liberal arts and specialized knowledge, or improving their language skills.

Examples of research themes

  • Language skills improvement
  • Cultural exchange research
  • Medieval European Studies
  • Japanese Traditional Culture Studies
  • Comprehensive Gender Studies
  • Regional and Citizen Media Research
*All three of the above courses have an "Early Completion System" that allows students to complete the course in one year if they meet certain conditions. There is also a "Long-Term Study System" that allows students with jobs to complete the course in three or four years.
*Career Advancement and Lifelong Learning courses require the submission of a "specific topic research (research paper or survey report)" instead of a master's thesis.

Doctoral Program

Doctral Program is open to those who wish to further their research in Master's Program, and students must be enrolled for more than three years, complete 12 or more credits in "special seminars" taught by their supervisor, submit a doctoral thesis under the supervision of their supervisor, and pass the examination to receive a doctoral degree. As with Master's Program, the European and American Studies Major, Japanese Studies Major, and Sociology Major, and entrance exams are held separately for each major.

Qualifications and licenses that can be acquired

European and American Studies Major

  • Junior High School teacher's license "English" and "Social Studies"
  • High School teaching license "English" "Geography and History"
  • Curatorial Research Skills Development Program Completion Certificate

Japanese Studies Major

  • Junior High School teacher's license "Japanese language" and "social studies"
  • High School teaching license "Japanese language" "geography and history"
  • Curatorial Research Skills Development Program Completion Certificate
  • Japanese Language Teacher Program Completion Certificate

Sociology Major

  • Junior High School teacher's license "social studies"
  • High School Teacher Specialized License "Civics"
  • Curatorial Research Skills Development Program Completion Certificate
  • Specialist Social Researcher (Master's Program only)

Various systems

Early Completion System (Master's Program only)

This system allows outstanding students who meet the following conditions to complete the Master's Program in one year.

conditions

  1. Students must have 10 or more credits recognized as having been earned prior to enrollment (including 4 credits for seminar courses in Graduate School of Economics).
    • *This is not a requirement for Graduate School of Humanities Career Advancement Course and Lifelong Learning Course. However, credits already earned before enrollment can be recognized.
  2. Students must have completed 30 or more credits in courses designated by each graduate school, with at least two-thirds of those credits receiving an A grade (including approved credits already acquired before enrollment).
  3. The master's thesis, research paper or specific research topic must be graded as A.

Graduate School Entrance Incentive Program (for current students at Musashi University)

This allows students to take graduate school courses starting from their fourth year of undergraduate studies, and is effective when combined with the "Early Completion System."

Application Qualifications and Conditions

  1. Third-year students in Faculty of Humanities and Faculty of Sociology. However, fourth-year students who have one year of undergraduate study remaining in the next academic year due to circumstances such as studying abroad can also apply.
  2. Those who wish to go on to graduate school.
  3. Students must have acquired 100 or more credits required for graduation at the end of their third year of undergraduate studies and have a cumulative GPA of 2.60 or higher.
    • *The condition in 3 is a forecast because grades have not been released at the time of application. Please apply after assessing your own grades and course status.
If you pass the selection process, you will be able to take Master's Program Credited Auditor in your fourth year of undergraduate Graduate School of Humanities, if your grades and credits meet certain conditions, you will be exempt from the written examination for Second Round Entrance Examination (general entrance examination).
After proceeding to Master's Program completion system) by completing 30 or more credits in courses set by each graduate school, including credits already acquired before enrollment in each graduate school during their fourth year of undergraduate studies, and if they receive an A in at least two-thirds of those credits, and also receive an A in their master's thesis, research paper, or specific research project. This is a system that aims to provide integrated education between the undergraduate and graduate schools at our university, and allows students to obtain a bachelor's or master's degree in a total of five years, consisting of four years of undergraduate studies and one year of graduate studies.

Important points to note when applying

  1. Applications can only be made in the year prior to the planned graduation year.
  2. Applications accepted during leave of absence
  3. Applications are accepted during Study Abroad through University Agreement
  4. Enrollment and class enrollment as a student encouraged to continue to higher education will commence only from the spring semester.
  5. The period of enrollment as a student encouraged to continue to higher education is basically two consecutive semesters, the spring and fall semesters.
  6. Students are required to take Graduate School of Graduate School of Humanities in both the spring and fall semesters of the year they plan to graduate.
*If you have been accepted as a student with encouragement to continue to higher education but wish to withdraw for any reason, please contact Academic Affairs Division.

Long-term student system (Master's Program only)

This system allows students who are deemed unable to complete Master's Program in two years due to employment or other circumstances to continue their studies at their own leisure. The period of study is "3 years" or "4 years." The maximum period of study is the selected period of study plus one year. Annual tuition fees are 2/3 (for 3 years) or 1/2 (for 4 years) of the standard annual tuition fees. Therefore, the amount of tuition fees paid within the permitted period of study is the same as if the student completed the program in the standard period of study (2 years). Students who wish to study can apply at the time of application.

*If you repeat a year, you will be required to pay tuition fees again.

Special Audit Student System

This is a system that allows students enrolled in the Graduate School of our university to audit classes at other graduate schools with which we have concluded Partnership. If approved by the Graduate School Committee, up to 10 credits earned at Partner institutions can be included in the course completion requirements.

* Partner institutions may differ depending on the academic year. Also, audit fees may be charged depending on Partner institutions.
*If you are a student at Partner institutions and would like to check our syllabus, please open our learning support portal site (3S) from the link below and log in as a guest user to view it.
3s.musashi.ac.jp/uprx/up/pk/pky001/Pky00101.xhtml

Graduate Graduate School of Humanities Credit Transfer System

Musashi University Graduate School of Humanities has concluded a credit transfer Partnership to facilitate the research of graduate school students.

[Partner institutions] As of March 2025
Seikei UniversityGraduate School of Letters
Seijo UniversityGraduate School of Letters

Credit transfer system for the Sociology field (Sociology Major only)

Musashi University Graduate School of Humanities Sociology Major has concluded a credit transfer Partnership with national, public, and private university graduate schools in the Kanto region that have graduate schools in the field of sociology.

【Partner institutions】As of March 2025
Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ibaraki University
Otsuma Women's University Graduate School of Human Culture, Department of Contemporary Social Studies
Komazawa University Graduate School of Humanities Sociology Major
Department of Global Media, Graduate School of Global Media, Komazawa University
Department of Culture and Environment, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Saitama University
Saitama Prefectural University Graduate School of Health and Medical Welfare
Department of Social and Cultural Studies, Graduate School of Letters, Seikei University
Senshu University Graduate School of Letters Sociology Major
Soka University Graduate School of Letters Sociology Major
Department of Human Sciences, Graduate School of Anthropology, Taisho University
Department of Humanities, Graduate School of Humanities and Public Studies, Chiba University
Chuo University Graduate School of Letters Sociology Major ・Department of Social Informatics
Tsuru University of Liberal Arts, Graduate School of Letters, Department of Sociology and Community Studies
Graduate School of Sociology, Toyo University
Joban University Graduate School of Human Sciences
Graduate School of Journalism, Japan University
Department of Contemporary Sociology, Graduate School of Human and Social Sciences, Japan Women's University
Hosei University Graduate School of Sociology Sociology Major
Meiji University Graduate School of Political Science Graduate School of Economics Department of Political Science
Department of Clinical Anthropology, Graduate School of Letters, Meiji University
Meiji Gakuin University Graduate School of Sociology Sociology Major
Rikkyo University Graduate School of Sociology Sociology Major
Rissho University Graduate School of Letters Sociology Major
Ryutsu Keizai University Graduate School of Sociology Sociology Major

Credit transfer system for French language and literature majors (European and American Studies Major only)

Musashi University Graduate School of Humanities, European and American Studies Major, offers credit transfer with Partnership graduate programs in French and French Literature that are members of the Graduate School French Language and Literature Program Council.

[Partner institutions] As of March 2025
Aoyama Gakuin University Graduate School of Letters, Department of French Literature and Language
Gakushuin Graduate School of Humanities Department of French Literature
Sophia University Graduate School of Letters, Department of French Literature
Shirayuri Women's University Graduate School of Literature, Department of French Language and Literature
Dokkyo University Graduate School of Foreign Languages, French Language Department
Meiji University Graduate School of Letters, French Literature Department
Meiji Gakuin University Graduate School of Letters, French Literature Department

Others

Graduates