Graduate School of Humanities

The Graduate School of Humanities offers three majors:Graduate Program in English Literature, Graduate Program in Japanese Literature, and Graduate Program in Communication Studies. These majors have the following features:

• Research with a view of culture from female perspectives based on the tradition of educating self-reliant women in modern Japan.
  
  
• Research based on the University's tradition of "posing questions about cultural phenomena from a Christian perspective," focusing on the Christian context of literature and culture/society.
  
  
• Research on issues of cultural exchange and friction, and communication in the international society by focusing on the development of various cultures in Yokohama.
  
  

Human Development Goal of the Graduate School of Humanities

By providing education and encouraging research on theories and applications in the field of humanities, the Graduate School aims to develop scholars who have high research skills, professionals who have high expertise and competence, and members of society who can live together with others in an increasingly diversified society equipped with rich qualities that enable them to actively express their views.

Graduate School of Humanities Organization Chart

Graduate School of Humanities Graduate Program in English Language and Literature

• Students conduct research on British and American cultures and societies based on traditional British and American literature with an emphasis on expanding the present interdisciplinary research. The four main features of the course include:
  (1) Research on the Christian context
  (2) Research on literature, culture, and society from a woman’s perspective
  (3) Research on the English-speaking world
  (4) Research on traditional literature and comparative culture
  
  
• Although Japan has traditionally been quite passive concerning the introduction and acceptance of British and American literary research, it will be necessary in the future for Japan to share its research findings with the world. With this in mind, the “Translation” course involves research that addresses such issues.
  
  
• The study and practice of the English language includes general linguistics as well as focus on the comparison of English and Japanese and "the link between language and culture."
  

The Curriculum
Graduate Program in English Language and Literature

Faculties

Graduate School of Humanities Graduate Program in Japanese Language and Literature

• As this major deals with topics on the position of Japanese literature, language, and culture in the world, the theme that runs through the course tends to pursue the fundamental questions of that relevant field. There is a particular focus on the issues involved in the acceptance and reproduction of foreign ideologies, such as Christianity, and also on reviewing literary research from a female perspective.
  
  
• Classical literary research involves the study of the unique characteristics inherent in Japanese literature and culture with a focus on cultural exchange issues between countries that use Chinese characters in their languages as well as artistic, religious, political, and historical issues based on fundamental research of the reprints and annotations of classical literary works.
  
  
• In addition to the fundamental research, such as the intensive study of literary materials, modern literary research involves the study of the unique characteristics inherent in Japanese modern literary studies together with culture with a wide-ranging academic perspective that includes examining the demand for foreign ideologies, such as Christianity, literary theory, literary criticism with female perspectives, and comparative literature.
  
  
• Japanese language studies aim to determine the future of the Japanese language by examining both the diversity of modern Japanese and literature-based historical linguistics.
  

The Curriculum
Graduate Program in Japanese Language and Literature

Faculties

Graduate School of Humanities Graduate Program in Communication Studies

• While focusing on multiculturalism in Japan and postcolonial world affairs, students will carry out logical and empirical research in the following four subject groups, addressing topics such as human existence, social relations, gender, psychology, language, culture, and information media.
  
  (1) Study in Communication Psychology
  (Research and study of interpersonal communication, cross-cultural communication, etc.)
  (2) Study in Social Communication
  (Investigative study of issues facing information, education, and minorities; study of contemporary ideology, etc.)
  (3) Study in Linguistic Communication
  (Investigative study of dialectology, phonetics, sociolinguistics, etc.)
  (4)Study in Cultural Communication
  (Investigative study of the body, media culture, gender, multicultural society, etc.)
  
  
• A training and practice based “Research Methods” course has been established which focuses on the acquisition of social-scientific study and research methods. Those students who are certified as social researchers by the Japan Association for Social Research can acquire Specialized Social Researcher certification upon completion of the course.
  
  
• This course aims to foster individuals that can coordinated with others, create, and conduct research in communication field related companies, such as media/information firms, as well as NPOs, government organizations, research organizations, and other entities.
  
  

The Curriculum
Graduate Program in Communication Studies

Faculties

Graduate School Course

• A study on the Effect of the Cultural View of Self and Self-related Concepts on Interpersonal Consciousness
• Development of a Multimodal Corpus Analysis Method for Online Gaming
• The Effect that Pauses have on Other Rhythmic Components in Speech: Speech data from Japanese language students