Major in Political Science
Deepening Knowledge of the Theory, Thought, and History of Political Science
The Major in Political Science is composed of five fields of specialization: Political Philosophy; Public Policymaking and Society; Japanese Politics; Area Studies and Comparative Government; and International Relations. Political Philosophy covers medieval, modern, contemporary, Eastern, and comparative history of political thought, as well as political philosophy. Public Policymaking and Society focuses on contemporary political theory, public administration, theories of social stratification and social change, mass communication, and modern social theory. Japanese Politics examines modern and postwar Japanese political history, the history of Japanese political thought, Japanese administrative history, and contemporary Japanese politics. Area Studies and Comparative Government addresses regions including Africa, the Middle East, China, Russia, Latin America, the United States, Southeast Asia, and the Korean Peninsula, together with comparative area studies. International Politics encompasses contemporary international politics, security studies, international political economy, European diplomatic history, Japanese diplomatic history, and East Asian international relations.
In addition, the master’s program in the Major in Political Science offers a specialized track in public policy and a specialized track in journalism (for details, please refer to the Specialized Tracks page).
Curriculum and Eligibility
The educational objectives of the Major in Political Science are to deepen students’ knowledge of political theory, political thought, and political history; to cultivate global and comparative perspectives; and to develop the ability to situate contemporary issues within their historical contexts, together with a policy-oriented approach to identifying and addressing problems.
As the five fields of specialization within the Major in Political Science are closely interrelated, students are able to pursue in-depth, cross-disciplinary research. By deepening and broadening their expertise, the major aims to cultivate policy-oriented researchers and practitioners who place importance on ideas and history and who can address current structural and pressing issues from global and comparative perspectives.
Furthermore, the specialized track in public policy aims to train highly specialized public servants and policy experts, while the specialized track in Journalism aims to cultivate journalists with a strong grounding in politics and social issues.