International Studies Program for the English-Speaking World

In the International Studies Program for the English-Speaking World, students acquire a well-balanced set of four practical English skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) and refine their ability to conduct research and communicate in English. Students first focus on acquiring language skills through English independent study courses (Hiyoshi Campus) and the Seminar in Foreign Language specialized classes (Mita Campus). Then, in the General Education Seminar (Hiyoshi Campus) and the International Studies Seminar (Mita Campus), students are given opportunities to use the skills they have acquired to conduct research and present their findings. Each of the classes is small in size, allowing students to concentrate on their studies.

Students can also take courses outside the Faculty of Business and Commerce, such as those offered by the Research Center for Foreign Language Education and the International Center, for more learning opportunities, including study abroad. (Please refer to the course guide for each Faculty of Business and Commerce course for information on how to apply credits from courses offered by the various research centers toward graduation.) For the research center courses approved for the International Studies Program, please refer to the list of approved courses on the Faculty of Business and Commerce website.

We hope that through your studies in the courses approved for the program, you will come to not only learn English, but also experience the joy that studying in English can provide.

English classes at university are very different from the ones I took in high school. Until high school, the main objective was to “learn” English in terms of grammar and reading comprehension. At university, however, the goal is to use English to gain knowledge of topics such as business and economics, and to develop the ability to communicate and think critically through discussions and presentations. Through the International Studies Program, I was able to gain so many skills beyond basic English proficiency. It helped me have in-depth discussions with classmates, and I think my interests have broadened considerably as a result. Simply improving your English skills can be done with any old textbook, but I recommend this program to anyone who wants to be able to communicate with people from around the world in the truest sense of the word, regardless of their confidence in their English ability.