Go Forward

Today, world is facing numerous political and economic difficulties, and the situation grows increasingly grave. Unforeseen events arise and push the world further into the political and economic mire, leading to long-term recession and political instability.

Given this situation, surely the keys to resolving those issues are to invigorate groundbreaking scientific research backed by solid creativity, and to send out to the frontline of the world a large number of people with a wealth of expert knowledge. Accordingly, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport, Science and Technology is undertaking a fundamental revision of its education policies in order that Japan can keep abreast of the globalization of world economies, and one major pillar of that change is new emphasis on post-graduate education.

The Graduate School of Political Science and Economics has developed an integrated and inter-disciplinary system of education and research for people who have graduated from university and wish to study political economics again to improve their knowledge. The study of political science and economics must therefore in essence be the fundamental study of national government policy objectives, which are, in themselves, a nation’s value-producing actions, as well as the verification of their objectiveness and validity from a historical perspective. In that sense, the academic structure of political economics should be an inclusive field of study covering a cross-section of politics, sociology, economics and other relevant neighboring fields. Longitudinally, it is a comprehensive social science structured around a trinity of standpoints: theory, history and policy. This graduate course consists of a Political Science Master’s and an Economics Master’s, a number of specialized subjects related to theory, history, and policy in each discipline are offered. In Political Science, subjects from sociology are also offered, which is a unique feature. To respond to our students’ diverse needs, we have an expansive research and instruction setup in place with a talented faculty featuring numerous full-time lectures pursuing a unique brand of research.

Here at the Graduate School of Political Science and Economics, we offer a Master’s Degree Program and a Doctorate Program. Master’s students may choose either the Academic Course or the Professional Course. The aim of the former is to foster students’ research and practical abilities in their field of expertise, while the latter seeks to develop the knowledge and skills needed for students to realize their potential as skilled experts in their field. It is possible for students to change courses after studies have commenced, providing they sit and successfully passing an examination.

The Doctoral Program is, in principle, a three-year course of study. After that time, doctoral students submit their research result for review and, if successful, they are awarded a Doctorate in Political Science or Economics. The number of doctorates awarded in recent years is increasing, and more and more people are discovering the career benefits that a Ph.D. can bring.

Since 2010, we have been offering a third annual admission examination for the Master’s Degree Program. The new examination, which is held in February for a second-semester start, complements the existing “international selection” held in July exams for undergraduate students looking to advance to post-graduate studies, and October for first-semester admissions. Adding the third examination to our calendar means greater potential for attracting a broader range of people to post-graduate study.