Three Policies of the Major in German Literature, Master of Arts in Literature [M.A. (Literature)]

Based on the Keio University Policies for Graduation and Degree Conferral (Diploma Policy), the program establishes the following abilities that students should acquire upon completion of their studies. The goal is to cultivate individuals who, by acquiring these abilities, can contribute to society as a whole as leaders. In addition, the degree of Master of Arts in Literature [M.A. (Literature)] is conferred upon students who have fulfilled the prescribed requirements set forth in the curriculum.

Competency Goal (1): The ability to acquire specialized knowledge of the entire research area in fields such as German linguistics, German literature, German culture, and German language teaching methods; to conduct specialized research using appropriate research methods and the various languages required for one's specialty; and to present the findings in one's native or a foreign language.

Competency Goal (2): The ability to write a master's thesis in Japanese or German on a topic in German linguistic studies, German literary studies, or a related field and pass its examination; to possess comprehensive and profound specialized knowledge in the area related to the thesis topic; and to contribute to research in that field.

Competency Goal (3): The ability to contribute to the international community as a researcher, educator, or practitioner with advanced cross-cultural literacy, by understanding the historical, cultural, and geographical characteristics of different cultures through the German language, interacting with others, and possessing the research and presentation skills to contribute to discussions and practices aimed at identifying and solving important issues.

Competency Goal (4): The ability to be aware of the significance of studying the humanities in a global society and to utilize the insights from one's own research as well as one's foreign language (German) abilities and knowledge to achieve self-set goals and solve social problems through appropriate methods.

To cultivate the qualities and abilities set forth in the "Policies for Graduation and Degree Conferral (Diploma Policy)," the Major in German Literature (Master's Program) of the Graduate School of Letters systematically organizes a curriculum composed of special lecture courses, special lecture seminar courses, research courses, and other courses deemed appropriate by the major.

Based on this curriculum design, education is implemented by combining the following teaching methods.

(1) As a foundation of the curriculum for the entire Graduate School of Letters, the Major in German Literature offers small-group seminar courses conducted in students' native language and in German, which can be taken throughout the duration of the master's program.

(2) To enable students to write their master's theses, they will deepen their knowledge of their research topic and develop advanced research and writing skills through individual thesis supervision from their academic advisor and through seminar classes. In addition, opportunities such as a mid-term master's thesis progress report meeting will be provided, offering students the chance to receive guidance from multiple faculty members.

(3) A limited number of credits earned through official study abroad programs at overseas graduate schools may be counted toward the degree completion requirements. In addition, the Graduate School of Letters provides support for studying abroad through its unique financial aid programs.

(4) To allow for more flexible course registration, particularly for students considering studying abroad, all courses are offered as semester-long courses.

(5) To enable interdisciplinary research, students are permitted, up to a certain credit limit, to take courses for their degree completion requirements from other graduate schools and affiliated Research Centers and Institutes at Keio University, as well as from other graduate schools that have partnerships with the Graduate School of Letters.

The evaluation of learning outcomes for the qualities and abilities to be acquired through this major's curriculum is conducted based on the principles of the assessment plan for the entire Juku. It uses direct indicators based on the grading criteria established for each course, as well as quantitative, 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 process requires approval of the examination committee by the Graduate School of Letters committee. This examination committee is composed of a primary examiner (generally the academic advisor) and two secondary examiners. The process is followed by a thesis review by the examination committee and an oral defense conducted by the committee and related faculty members. The final examination results are then deliberated and approved by the Graduate School of Letters committee.

Quality and Ability Objective (1): To acquire specialized knowledge of the overall research area in fields such as German linguistics, German literature, German culture, and German language teaching methods; to conduct specialized research using appropriate research methods and the languages necessary for one's specialty; and to present the results in one's native or a foreign language.

To achieve this, courses such as German Literature Research, German Linguistics Research, Seminar in German Literature, and Seminar in German Linguistics are offered. These courses enable students to steadily acquire specialized knowledge and research methods in the aforementioned fields and to cultivate the language skills necessary to disseminate their research findings.

Quality and Ability Objective (2): The ability to write a master's thesis in Japanese or German on a topic in German linguistics, German literature, or a related field and pass the examination; to possess comprehensive and in-depth specialized knowledge in the area related to the thesis topic; and to contribute to research in that area.

To this end, in courses such as German Literature Research, German Linguistics Research, Seminar in German Literature, and Seminar in German Linguistics, as well as through individual thesis supervision, students will deepen the academic knowledge of the research area necessary for writing a master's thesis and develop advanced research and writing skills.

Quality and Ability Objective (3): The ability to contribute to the international community as researchers, educators, or practitioners with advanced cross-cultural literacy by understanding the historical, cultural, and geographical characteristics of different cultures through the German language, interacting with others, and possessing research and presentation skills that contribute to discussions and practices for identifying and solving important issues.

To this end, by taking a combination of courses such as German Literature Research, German Linguistics Research, Seminar in German Literature, and Seminar in German Linguistics, students will develop the ability to set and achieve their own research and learning objectives.

Quality and Ability Objective (4): The ability to be aware of the significance of studying the humanities in a global society; to utilize insights from one's own research and one's ability and knowledge of a foreign language (German); and to achieve self-set goals and solve social problems using appropriate methods.

To this end, students will take a combination of courses such as German Literature Research, German Linguistics Research, Seminar in German Literature, and Seminar in German Linguistics. Furthermore, opportunities are provided to deepen their understanding of the humanities broadly by allowing them to take courses offered by other graduate schools and affiliated Research Centers and Institutes, as well as courses at other graduate schools that have partnerships with the Graduate School of Letters.

(1) Candidates who have deepened their understanding of their specialized field through experiences such as writing a graduation thesis and taking specialized courses, and who possess foundational knowledge of their entire field of specialization.

(2) Candidates who can independently formulate and articulate a research plan detailing what they want to study in graduate school and how they plan to do so, or a concrete plan for how they will apply the specialized knowledge and skills they acquire to their future career.

(3) Candidates who possess the foundational reading comprehension skills to accurately and critically read primary and secondary sources in German and other relevant foreign languages, and the foundational expressive skills to discuss academic content appropriately.

(4) Candidates who are actively thinking about their post-master's career as a researcher, educator, or practitioner.

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

(1) General Entrance Examination

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