Undergraduate Studies

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

The School of Humanities and Social Sciences was founded in 1996 by amalgamating the Nagoya Municipal Woman’s College, the Nagoya City College of Child Education and the Nagoya City University’s College of General Education into a single institution.

The School of Humanities and Social Sciences is comprised of three departments: Human Sciences, Social Studies and Intercultural Studies. It focuses on people, society and culture from an interdisciplinary perspective, and aims at educating young people who can contribute to the benefit of society.

It offers diverse learning opportunities in humanities, social sciences and intercultural studies. The Departments of Human Sciences and Social Studies admit two-year junior college graduates and university graduates in the third year of their departmental courses. Similarly, qualified undergraduates of other universities may transfer. The Department of Intercultural Studies admits Japanese returnees from overseas and international students, as well as students specially recommended by principals of their high schools.

The curriculum is arranged in such a way that students can learn systematically and in varied ways throughout their undergraduate years. For instance, students can take some advanced courses in their major subjects in the first year and various other courses, including seminars and practical training, in other years. The School places emphasis on interaction between teachers and students in small classes. In addition, booklets of various course syllabi are distributed among students for easy reference.

The students who acquire deep professional knowledge and skills, in addition to a broad understanding of liberal arts and culture, are widely accepted in society. Some serve as national or local public servants, and others work for private companies in areas such as mass-communication, finance, the travel industry, public welfare, education and culture. In addition to the courses offered for preschool teachers’ licenses, we have recently established courses leading to certification for junior and senior-high school teachers of English or Sociology.

 

Human Sciences

Based on psychology, education, sociology, and social welfare studies, Human Sciences is the science of human thought and behavior, and the curriculum is designed to provide students with the chance to learn extensively about issues of growth and communication as part of social relationships. Classes related to psychology will emphasize learning techniques for experimentation and data analysis, and varied psychology lectures will be given in areas such as developmental psychology, social psychology, and clinical psychology. Classes related to education will cover preschool and early childhood education to formal education as well as adult learning, and the curriculum is designed to provide the chance to learn about the type of education needed in the future and specialized methods of instruction. Classes related to sociology and social welfare studies will allow students to ascertain the nature of the contemporary family and welfare society and learn in a practical manner about people with disabilities and the specific forms of social support for those who may need them.

These classes can be flexibly combined in order to foster the ability to think logically by having students consider issues such as “what does it mean to be human?” and “what is human happiness?” from a broad perspective. Classes are also intended for students to gain practical ability associated with various certifications and credentials related to human growth.

 

ANDO Kiwamu, Associate Professor

ARUGA Katsuaki, Professor

KOGA Hiroyuki, Associate Professor

KUBOTA Kenichi, Associate Professor

NAKAGAWA Atsuko, Professor

NARITA Tetsuo, Professor

NIWA Takashi, Professor

NONAKA Hisako, Professor

SUKIGARA Masune, Professor

SUNG Koomi, Associate Professor

TAKIMURA Masato, Professor

YAMADA Mika, Professor

YOSHIMURA Kimio, Professor

 

Social Studies

Social Studies is the science of correctly discerning the nature of complex contemporary society and considering how to resolve the issues that society faces. The curriculum is predicated upon two fields, sociology and related social sciences such as law (and theories of human rights in particular), political science, public finance, history, and folklore. The course of study is fashioned so that, based on the two, contemporary social issues can be considered in an interdisciplinary and integrated manner. The coursework will theoretically analyze the structure and characteristics of contemporary society and clarify them empirically through the study of techniques of social research. Based on those findings, the program is intended to foster the ability to envision what the future should be. In addition, analysis of contemporary Japanese society will involve work comparing Japan to foreign countries and to Japan of the past, so students will also learn international and historical perspectives.

During the course of instruction, practical classes will be conducted by inviting municipal employees, journalists, economists, and other noted figures. Individuals who, in high school, were interested in sociology subjects such as Contemporary Society, and individuals keenly interested in resolving social issues will be able to learn about these topics in an in-depth and multi-faceted manner. Graduates have put to use what they learned by working in the public sector and in mass media and publishing, and a number of graduates are at the forefront of business.

 

FUJITA Eishi, Professor

HAMAMOTO Atsushi, Associate Professor

IIJIMA Nobuhiko, Professor

ISHIKAWA Hiroaki, Professor

ITOH Yasuhiko, Professor

KIKUCHI Natsuno, Associate Professor

OKUDA Nobuko, Professor

SAKAI Yoshiki, Professor

SUGAWARA Shin, Associate Professor

YAMADA Akira, Professor

YANO Hitoshi, Professor

YOSHIDA Kazuhiko, Professor

 

Intercultural Studies

International Cultures is not limited simply to linguistics. Instead, our extensive curriculum is designed to have students think about cross-cultural exchanges and coexistence from the perspective of understanding different cultures, understanding another and one’s own culture, and comparing the two.

To start with, the course strives to foster linguistic ability, an essential component of cross-cultural understanding. English language course will run the full gamut from reading and writing to speaking, providing practice in small classes. A major feature of the program is that courses will not merely be “English” courses; courses will be held “in English” by visiting professors from other countries. For other languages (German, French, and Chinese), reading is supplemented by conversation classes with native speakers, and advanced seminars will also help students to enhance their linguistic ability.

If you are interested in and understand your own culture, you can better understand “different cultures.” This course of study allows students to select from a variety of classes about Japan and Asia. Additionally, the course is designed, through classes in various fields such as history, thought, literature, and language, to foster human resources to facilitate cross-cultural communication from a broad perspective that includes everyday life.

 

AKAMINE Jun, Associate Professor

BESSHO Yoshimi, Professor

HIKI Mitsuru, Professor

HIRATA Masaki, Associate Professor

MATSUMOTO Saho, Associate Professor

MIYATA Manabu, Professor

NOMURA Naoki, Professor

SANO Naoko, Associate Professor

TANAKA Takako, Professor

TANIGUCHI Sachiyo, Associate Professor

TERADA Notoichi, Professor

TSUCHIYA Masahiko, Professor

YAMADA Atsushi, Professor

YAMAMOTO Akiyo, Associate Professor