Course Registration

First-year students in Hiyoshi Campus take two required language courses selected at the time of enrollment. The required language courses for Faculty of Letters are offered as year-long set courses. This means students will remain in the same class section, with the same instructor and at the same scheduled time, for the entire academic year through both the spring (I) and fall (II) semesters.

For the required English course, students select their preferred class based on their placement test level, and final assignments are determined by a lottery after online registration. For languages other than English, students are generally assigned to a specific class, although classes for students with prior study are available in German, French, and Chinese. Detailed guidance for all language courses is provided upon enrollment.

Students who choose English will have two class periods per week (totaling four credits for the year), while those who choose German, French, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Russian, or Italian will have three class periods per week (totaling six credits for the year). As a general rule, international students take English and Japanese, but in special cases, they may be permitted to select a language other than English.

To advance to the second year, students must complete at least one class (two credits) of English and at least two classes (a total of four credits) of another language during their first year.

In addition to the required language courses mentioned above, Faculty of Letters also offers the following as general education courses (outside the regular sequence): Introductory Italian, Intensive English, Intensive French, Classical Greek (Beginner), Korean for Non-Beginners, Elementary Conversational German, and Elementary Latin.

In the second year, students begin their specialized curriculum in Mita Campus. Similar to the first year, second-year students must also complete required language courses. These are year-long set courses, meaning students will remain in the same class section with the same instructor at the same scheduled time for the entire academic year, covering the spring (III) and fall (IV) semesters. Additionally, as the table below indicates, the required languages and number of class periods differ depending on the student's major.

For all majors, to advance to the third year, students must complete all required language course credits by the end of their second year, including any credits not earned during the first year.

One of the two languages taken in the first year (two class periods, four credits)

Chinese (two class periods, four credits)

German (two class periods, four credits)

French (two classes, four credits)

The same two languages taken in the first year (two classes, four credits each, for a total of eight credits)

The same two languages taken in the first year (two classes, four credits each, for a total of eight credits). One of these languages may be replaced with Arabic, Persian, or Turkish.

It is obvious that majors such as Chinese Literature, English and American Literature, German Literature, and French Literature require knowledge of the respective languages. However, even in other majors, some classes, such as those involving the reading of original texts, may require students to read materials in languages other than English. For cases where a foreign language other than English is required, please refer to the table below and consult your major advisor for details.

German or French

German or French

German (two classes, four credits)

German, French, or Italian

German, French, Italian, Spanish, or Russian