Three Policies of the Master of Arts (Aesthetics) Program, Field of Aesthetics and Art History, Major in Aesthetics and Art History

Based on the Policy on Graduation Certification and Degree Conferral (Diploma Policy) of Keio University, the following abilities have been established as those that students should acquire by the time of program completion. The goal is to cultivate individuals who, by acquiring these abilities, will be active in Japan and internationally as researchers in the arts or as members of society equipped with comprehensive knowledge of the arts and cross-cultural literacy. In addition, a Master of Arts (Aesthetics) degree is conferred upon students who have fulfilled the prescribed requirements set forth in the curriculum.

Objective for Qualities and Abilities (1): The ability to acquire deep specialized knowledge of the entire research area in the respective fields of research in aesthetics and art studies, art history, and musicology, and at the same time, to conduct specialized research by making full use of the various languages required in each specialized area and to present the results in Japanese (or, in some cases, a language closely related to the specialization).

Objective for Qualities and Abilities (2): The ability to write a master's thesis, in principle in Japanese, on research in aesthetics and art studies, art history, musicology, and other related fields, and furthermore, to possess comprehensive and deep specialized knowledge in the area related to the thesis theme and contribute to research in that area.

Objective for Qualities and Abilities (3): The ability to contribute to the international community as a member of society with advanced cross-cultural literacy by fully understanding the theoretical, historical, and cultural characteristics of the concepts and essence of beauty and art, or of specific arts in human history, primarily through non-verbal objects of study; and by acquiring skills such as research and presentation that contribute to proposing and practicing discussions for solving diverse problems in the humanities while interacting with others.

Objective for Qualities and Abilities (4): The ability to be aware of the significance of studying the humanities in society and to achieve self-set goals and resolve social issues using appropriate methods.

The Master of Arts (Aesthetics) Program in the Field of Aesthetics and Art History, Major in Aesthetics and Art History, of the Graduate School of Letters systematically designs a curriculum composed of Special Lecture courses, Special Lecture Seminar courses, and Research courses in order to cultivate the qualities and abilities set forth in its "Policy on Graduation Certification and Degree Conferral (Diploma Policy)."

Based on this curriculum design, education is provided by combining the following educational methods.

(1) By establishing a group of lecture and seminar courses in various academic fields related to beauty and art, primarily focusing on theoretical research such as aesthetics and art studies, and historical research such as art history and musicology, the program cultivates the specialized knowledge, ability to search for and analyze historical materials and sources, critical thinking skills, and ability to construct arguments necessary for conducting specialized research. In addition, by conducting research for these courses using literature in relevant languages, the program enhances the required language proficiency and develops foundational presentation skills using those languages.

(2) To enable the writing of a master's thesis, the designated academic advisor plays a central role in providing individual thesis supervision to deepen knowledge of the research topic and develop high-level research and academic writing skills. Furthermore, opportunities to receive guidance from multiple faculty members are provided through events such as interim master's thesis presentations for the entire major.

(3) To acquire advanced cross-cultural literacy through different environments, students are encouraged to undertake long-term study abroad at graduate schools abroad to obtain a master's degree, or short-term study abroad to earn credits or a specialized diploma, utilizing study abroad programs offered by the Graduate School of Letters and the Keio University International Center, as well as various other internal and external study abroad systems. A limited number of credits earned through regular enrollment at overseas graduate schools may be approved for inclusion in the degree requirements. Additionally, the Graduate School of Letters provides financial assistance for study abroad through its own support systems.

(4) To facilitate activities such as studying abroad and to allow for more flexible course registration, all courses are offered on a semester basis.

(5) To enable interdisciplinary research, students are permitted, up to a certain number of credits, to take courses offered by other graduate schools at Keio University and its affiliated Research Centers and Institutes, as well as courses from other graduate schools affiliated with the Graduate School of Letters, as part of their degree requirements.

The evaluation of learning outcomes for the qualities and abilities to be acquired through this major's curriculum is conducted based on the assessment plan of the entire Juku, using direct indicators based on the grading criteria established for each course, as well as quantitative and qualitative, direct and indirect indicators, including various questionnaires and surveys. Specifically, this includes (1) course evaluations by students and (2) data on leaves of absence and withdrawals.

Regarding the master's thesis examination, in addition to the thesis title, the examination committee—consisting of a main examiner (generally the academic advisor) and two sub-examiners—must be approved by the Graduate School of Letters committee. This is followed by the thesis review by the examination committee and an oral defense conducted by the examination committee and related faculty members. The final examination results are then deliberated and approved by the Graduate School of Letters committee.

Objective for Qualities and Abilities (1): The ability to acquire deep, specialized knowledge of the entire research area in the fields of aesthetics and art studies, art history, and musicology; to conduct specialized research utilizing the various languages required in each specialized field; and to present the findings in Japanese (or, in some cases, in a language closely related to the specialization).

This ability is cultivated in advanced lecture courses, advanced lecture seminars, and research courses, where students steadily acquire specialized knowledge and research methods and develop the linguistic skills to disseminate their research content.

Objective for Qualities and Abilities (2): The ability to write a master's thesis, generally in Japanese, on research in aesthetics and art studies, art history, musicology, and related fields; and, in areas related to the master's thesis topic, to possess comprehensive and deep specialized knowledge and contribute to research in that field.

This ability is cultivated in advanced lecture courses, advanced lecture seminars, research courses, and individual thesis supervision, where students deepen their academic knowledge of the research area necessary for writing a master's thesis and develop advanced research and writing skills.

Objective for Qualities and Abilities (3): The ability to, primarily through non-verbal objects of research related to beauty and art, fully understand their concepts and essence, as well as the theoretical, historical, and cultural characteristics of specific arts in human history; to acquire skills such as research and presentation that contribute to proposing and implementing discussions for solving diverse problems in the humanities while interacting with others; and to contribute to the international community as a member of society with advanced cross-cultural literacy.

By taking a combination of advanced lecture courses, advanced lecture seminars, and research courses, students will develop the ability to set and achieve their own research and learning objectives. To acquire advanced cross-cultural literacy, long-term or short-term study abroad at overseas graduate schools is encouraged, utilizing study abroad programs offered by the Graduate School of Letters and the Keio University International Center, as well as various other internal and external study abroad systems.

Objective for Qualities and Abilities (4): The ability to be aware of the significance of studying the humanities in society and to achieve self-set goals and solve social problems using appropriate methods.

To this end, opportunities are provided to deepen understanding across the humanities by allowing students to take a combination of advanced lecture courses, advanced lecture seminars, and research courses, as well as courses offered by other graduate schools, affiliated Research Centers and Institutes, and other graduate schools affiliated with the Graduate School of Letters.

(1) Has deepened their understanding of their specialized field through experiences such as writing a graduation thesis and taking specialized courses, and possesses foundational knowledge of the basic areas of aesthetics and art studies in general, as well as of their specialized research areas, such as art history or musicology.

(2) Is able to independently formulate a research plan for graduate school—outlining what subjects they wish to study and by what methods—and can present it, generally in Japanese.

(3) Possesses the foundational comprehension skills to accurately and critically analyze primary and secondary sources, such as artworks and literature, as required for research, as well as the basic academic writing skills to discuss scholarly content in the relevant languages for their research.

(4) Has a foundational proficiency in a second foreign language for the purpose of reading research materials from multiple perspectives.

(5) Has a concrete and proactive vision for their career after completing the master's program, whether as a professional in society or as a researcher.

To admit a wide range of such applicants, a selection process is conducted through a general entrance examination.

(1) General Entrance Examination

This selection process is based on examinations in three subjects—a specialized subject, a designated language, and an elective language—as well as an oral examination. It requires a high level of academic ability appropriate for the Major in Aesthetics and Art History, Field of Aesthetics and Art History, at the Graduate School of Letters.