School Education
In the School Education Major, the primary goal is to conduct studies which enable teachers to teach children or administrate schools from the perspectives of educational sciences and human sciences, and also to promote advanced research on educational sciences. This major is divided into 4 courses: pedagogy, psychology, ethical pedagogy and early childhood pedagogy. Students are encouraged to acquire deep knowledge and superior practical skills in their specialty, and develop a broad range of interests for society, including the teaching profession.
Special Needs Education
In the Special Needs Education Major, interdisciplinary research and education unfold in a framework of 3 courses − special needs pedagogy, special needs psychology and special needs clinical practice − and we train educators and researchers to be leaders in special needs education. The problems on the front lines of special needs education are many and varied. Children have increasingly diverse and severe disabilities, and combinations of disabilities. This major aims to develop educators and researchers who will pursue specialized educational support suited to the ability and individuality of each child. Students also develop knowledge and skills relating to school safety and crisis response.
Japanese Language Education
In the Japanese Language Education Major, students start from a basis of fundamental knowledge and learning regarding education in general. Then they deepen their understanding of the latest knowledge and research results in fields relating to Japanese language education, and master high-level knowledge and research methods relating to Japanese language education and curriculum content. In this way, we develop Japanese language teachers with practical skills who can play a leading role in the classroom. We actively recruit currently employed teachers, work to improve their qualifications, and develop their ability to follow-up and resolve contemporary issues on the front lines of Japanese language education.
English Education
In the English Education Major, we train teachers with advanced specialized knowledge of English education and curriculum content, and the ability to use English. Our goal is to develop leaders with a global vision by having students study with an international perspective, while integrating English capabilities with information skills. We also provide additional education for currently employed teachers so they can play a stronger leading role in the classroom.
Social Studies Education
In the Social Studies Education Major, we develop people with broad general learning and high-level specialized knowledge relating to the specialized sciences of social studies pedagogy, social sciences and the humanities. This is how we train social studies teachers with practical instructional capabilities. Students also develop the ability to actively tackle and solve issues relating to social studies education in today's classroom.
Mathematics Education
In the Mathematics Education Major, we aim to develop people who in the future will be able to play a central role in the classroom, particularly relating to mathematics. To achieve that, we focus on further improving previously developed basic abilities.
Science Education
In the Science Education Major, we aim to develop people with broad general education and a high degree of specialization in natural science (physics, chemistry, biology, earth science) and science pedagogy. This is how we train science teachers with practical instruction capabilities. Students also develop the ability to actively tackle and find solutions to issues which arise in science education in today's classrooms.
Home Economics Education
In the Home Economics Education Major, our goals are to provide deeper practical education in home economics education, endow students with specialized knowledge and techniques, and train teachers who can play a leading role in education in the schools. We also develop people with the problem-solving skills to enable response to a diverse range of contemporary problems. This is done through research techniques, based on home economics science, which make the most of the latest specialized knowledge on the best approaches to home economics education and curriculum content for home economics education.
Technology Education
In the Technology Education Major, our goal is to develop teachers with high-level specialization to teach technology and home economics technology in junior high schools and vocational high schools. These teachers should be able to nurture the creativity of their students by using the specialized knowledge, techniques and skills of manufacturing technology. To achieve this goal, the Engineering and Technology Education Major is divided into two courses: ""Manufacturing Technology"" and ""Engineering and Technology Pedagogy."" In the Manufacturing Technology Course, we provide cross-disciplinary education in the basic theory of the fields which comprise manufacturing technology − mechanics, electricity, information, woodworking, metalworking etc. − and students conduct research on applied problems. The Engineering and Technology Pedagogy Course focuses on education and research for more practical engineering and technology education, through collaboration with real-world classrooms.
Music Education
In the Music Education Major, we provide a curriculum where people − who have studied music or music education at university, or gone out into the working world and built up experience in music education − can further their studies and research, and explore music from a new vantage point. Through research, students develop a good balance of stronger general education, character and practical skills, which allows them to be more deeply involved in music education. We train people who can be leaders in music education and all areas relating to music education.
Art Education
In the Art Education Major, we develop people with high-level knowledge, technique, thinking skills and practical skills who − through art and calligraphy − can cultivate the feeling, imagination and creativity which are essential in forming the character of children. From the specialized perspectives of two courses, art and calligraphy, we develop the ability to explore, both practically and empirically, how artistic expression relates to the essential problems of being human.
Health and Physical Education
In the Health and Physical Education Major, we aim to deepen understanding of the latest knowledge and research results on curriculum content for health and physical education, and train teachers who can play a leading role in the classroom through their mastery of research techniques relating to health and physical education and curriculum content.
School Nursing and Health Education
In the School Nursing and Health Education Major, studies are based on a foundation of education in school nursing and education health management. We train specialists with more advanced knowledge and techniques, through lectures and exercises in the philosophy of health promotion and other sciences relating to school nursing. Our focus is education and research so that students can exhibit practical problem-solving abilities and leadership skills suited to their educational role, as they deal with the various student health issues which confront today's schools.
International Culture Studies
In the International Culture Studies Major, students master specialized, systematic knowledge relating to the languages, societies, cultures and interactions of Japan, Asia, Europe and America. Our goal is to develop people with a highly international perspective who can understand diverse cultures.
Pure and Applied Sciences
In the Pure and Applied Sciences Major, we cultivate highly creative people with advanced education in mathematical and information sciences, and a broad knowledge of natural science, who can work on the vanguard of 21st century science and technology while maintaining the perspective of a generalist. Our goal is education and research so students can put their specialized knowledge and strong leadership skills to work in the community, in the fields of mathematical science, information science and natural science.
Music and Fine Arts Studies
In the Music and Fine Arts Studies Major, students pursue both practical and theoretical research in various fields of the arts, particularly the two major areas of music and art (including calligraphy). In this major, the ""Music Research Course"" is divided into 4 fields of education and research − instrumental music, voice, composition and musicology − and the ""Art Research Course"" is divided into 3 fields of education and research − figurative arts, calligraphy and art studies. We train leaders who can work on the front lines of artistic culture − performers, painters, sculptors and researchers with high-level specialized education in each of the above fields.
Practical School Education Major
The aim of the Practical School Education program is to equip the next generation of teachers with advanced educational skills so that they can play a central role in addressing the various issues classrooms will face in the near future as generational transition takes place at a rapid pace among local school teachers. For that reason, we have a School Leader Course (SLC), a Mentor Teacher Course (MTC) and a Fresh Teacher Course (FTC) in which students can choose to major. The program is designed primarily for professional teachers and new teachers to help them develop teaching skills through research of topics such as school leadership theory and practical application, theory and techniques to analyze and critique lessons, and basic theory and practical instruction skills for lesson practice so that they can become human resources capable of playing leadership roles in the classroom.
Health Sciences Major
The purpose of the Health Sciences program is to equip professionals with advanced specialist knowledge and skills related to health problems so that they can work on new challenges in a variety of areas, including maintenance and promotion of mental and physical health, lifelong learning, elderly lifestyles and sports practice. For that reason, we have three courses, namely Human Science, Healthy Lifestyle and Sports, from which students can choose a major. The program is designed primarily for working people to promote general research on theoretical and practical issues related to healthy cultural lifestyles on the individual and family level as well as on the community and society level and equip them with the advanced professional knowledge and skills required of leaders.
*The Practical School Education Major or the Health Sciences Major are not offered to international students.