Education Policy(Doctoral Programs)

Diploma Policy

At this graduate school, the following abilities are stipulated as those which students should have acquired upon completion of programs, with students awarded a doctoral degree upon satisfying completion requirements in accordance with the University Regulations and passing the doctoral dissertation review recognized as having acquired such abilities.

  1. Acquisition of expertise, interdisciplinary nature, internationalism
  2. Writing of thesis
  3. Outstanding contributions to society as a researcher, educator, or working professional

Degree conferral policy for respective majors

  • Sociology
    In order to obtain a doctoral degree in the Sociology major, the following is required of students: (1) Acquisition of a high level of specialized knowledge, (2) Acquisition of high-level investigative and analytical skills related to quantitative and qualitative sociological research, (3) Acquisition of the ability to flexibly utilize a broad range of knowledge to allow consistent interaction of an interdisciplinary nature with related disciplines, (4) Acquisition of the discernment to contribute to society and on the international stage into the future, and (5) It will be necessary to acquire the ability to identify problems, and to formulate and carry out the research plans required to conduct high-level academic research.
  • Psychology
    In order to obtain a doctoral degree in the Psychology major, the following is required of students: (1) Acquisition of a high level of specialized knowledge, (2) Acquisition of specialized skills required to perform experimental and practical psychological research, (3) Acquisition of the ability to flexibly utilize a broad range of knowledge to allow consistent interaction of an interdisciplinary nature with related disciplines, (4) Acquisition of the discernment to contribute to society and on the international stage into the future, and (5) It will be necessary to acquire the ability to identify problems, and to formulate and carry out the research plans required to conduct high-level academic research.
  • Education
    In order to obtain a doctoral degree in the Education major, the following is required of students: (1) Acquisition of a high level of specialized knowledge, (2) Acquisition of the specialized skills required to perform theoretical and empirical research, (3) Acquisition of the ability to flexibly utilize a broad range of knowledge to allow consistent interaction of an interdisciplinary nature with related disciplines, (4) Acquisition of the discernment to contribute to society and on the international stage into the future, and (5) It will be necessary to acquire the ability to identify problems, and to formulate and carry out the research plans required to conduct high-level academic research.

The below standards will apply to thesis and dissertation writing guidance and screening, in accordance with the aims of the respective majors of the graduate school.

Doctoral Dissertation

  1. Clarity of issues identified
    How clearly does the student identify issues for research?
  2. Suitability of chosen research topic
    Is the student's research topic suitable considering the current state of the field?
  3. Literature review
    Does the student give a suitable review of previous research and show its relevance to their chosen topic?
  4. Validity of research methods
    Are the students research methods valid for the chosen topic, and are analytical methods used appropriately?
  5. Logical cohesion of the thesis
    Is the thesis structured systematically and written in a logical and cohesive manner?
  6. Meaningfulness of research results
    Does the research provide significant new insights which can advance the state of research in the field?
  7. Possibility to develop the research further
    Does the student demonstrate how the research can lead to further research?
  8. Appropriateness of expression, notation, and format
    Are the student's expressions, quotations, references, etc. of a manner which is appropriate to an academic paper?
  9. Are research ethics taken into consideration?

Process For Earning Your Diploma

Process For Earning Your Diploma

Curriculum Policy

Our curriculum and the skills which students will acquire are based on our diploma policy.

Curriculum organization policy common to all majors

  1. (Advisors/Co-advisors) Small-group seminar course and guidance on doctoral dissertations overseen by academic advisors
  2. Guidance on writing research papers, academic conference reports, etc., will be provided primarily by advisors and co-advisors.
  3. Guidance on submission of research papers to specialist journals in Japan and overseas, and on writing reports for specialist academic bodies in Japan and overseas and support for writing in second languages
  4. Exchange with overseas research institutions, study abroad referrals, and double degree system
  5. Taking classes at other graduate schools, credit transfer with other graduate schools
  6. Taking classes at other graduate schools
  7. Classes to support composition of papers in English
  8. For the doctoral dissertation screening, the selection committee reviews dissertations, with decisions on acceptance or non-acceptance finalized following deliberations at the Faculty Meeting
  9. Regular support by the Graduate School of Human Relations FD committee

Sociology

To achieve learning outcomes consistent with the above degree conferral policy, a curriculum as per the below will be established in accordance with the aims of the Sociology major at the graduate school.

Curriculum Structure

The Sociology major is made up of four fields: sociology, cultural anthropology & folklore, communication & mass-communication research, and social psychology.

Classes on the history of sociology and sociological methodology form the foundation of the curriculum. As for the master's program, courses are set up in such a way as to facilitate development using a wide range of topics and a problem-oriented approach. In each field of study, interview surveys, fieldwork, content and language analysis, questionnaire surveys, and experiments constituting the materials for empirical research will be carried out by the laboratories of respective faculty members, with data analysis and interpretation, and the tools used to express these, developed through classes.

In addition, as there is a broad variety of themes in sociology, and a likelihood of a similar diversity in the individual fields of interest of each student, in addition to the full-time faculty members of the Graduate School, part-time lecturers and guest professors from Japan and overseas are invited to ensure that course content is fully realized and to facilitate the discussions that are required to cater to this diversity.

Psychology

To achieve learning outcomes consistent with the above degree conferral policy, a curriculum as per the below will be established in accordance with the aims of the Psychology major at the graduate school.

Curriculum Structure

As lecture classes, we offer Advanced (Special) Studies of Psychology and Advanced (Special) Study of Neuroscience. Advanced classes are aimed at master's students while Special classes are aimed at students in the Ph.D. program and may be run in parallel if necessary. Lectures and seminars are mainly taught by faculty of the Graduate School of Human Relations. However, we aim to provide our students with an internationally high level of specialized knowledge by annually inviting eminent professors from both inside and outside Japan to lecture on recent topics and related fields.

Furthermore, we hold annual seminar and advanced seminar classes ("advanced seminars" are classes aimed at Ph.D. program students and may be run in parallel if necessary) in the core subjects of learning psychology, perceptional psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, and physiology/neuropsychology. Students in these classes will read related specialist papers as well as acquire experimental and applicative skills. Similarly, in the Experiment: Special Study of Psychology classes in the master's course, students assist professors in supervising the experiments of undergraduate students taking practical classes. This allows students the opportunity to review their own basic knowledge, as well as gain teaching experience.

Advanced (Special) seminar in developmental science, Advanced (Special) study of applied psychology, and Advanced (Special) practice in clinical developmental psychology are all classes which aim to provide students with a wide range of knowledge which links with related fields, and to allow students to acquire a mindset of contributing to society. These classes also in part allow students to learn applicative techniques. Furthermore, due to the interdisciplinary nature of the school, students have the opportunity to take classes from other majors, which significantly contributes to their knowledge of related fields.

All Psychology major students, both in the master's and Ph.D. courses, are able to take classes from majors other than their own after consulting with their academic advisor. This gives students the opportunity to learn alongside and have discussions with students studying majors other than experimental psychology.

Education

To achieve learning outcomes consistent with the above degree conferral policy, a curriculum as per the below will be established in accordance with the aims of the Education major at the graduate school.

Curriculum Structure

The major in education comprises five fields: the philosophy of education, the history of education, educational psychology, comparative education, and school education. However, no matter which field a student pursues for their research, they all share the commonality of trying to understand individual development through the lens of education. To this end, students in the master's program are encouraged to take "Advanced seminar: study of educational issues/problems" in order to gain an interdisciplinary perspective on challenges that educators face in our world today. This major aims to provide students from diverse research fields with opportunities to exchange ideas and gain a broader perspective on how to approach issues while also facilitating their shared interests in education and individual development.

Students studying the philosophy of education will take lectures and seminars looking at educational philosophy and the history of German educational thought. Lecture courses allow students to obtain a broader perspective and appreciate developments and trends in educational philosophy. Meanwhile, seminar courses provide expert insight into field-specific tools that can be used to analyze and interpret academic discourse, help students identify important topics in educational philosophy and thought, develop and carry out research projects, and author papers for publication.

The history of education is a field with lecture courses and seminar classes that focus on education and educational thought through the historical contexts of Japan and France. Lecture courses focus on methodologies of historical research and obtaining a broad understanding of research trends while seminar classes hone a student's ability to identify specific issues within the history and development of education, create and carry out research, and write a compelling thesis.

Educational psychology is a field with lectures and seminars that cover a wide variety of topics ranging from mental and emotional development, personality formation, and individuality in the context of education. These courses are taught jointly by several tenured faculty members, making for a substantive course in the field of educational psychology.

Comparative education offers lecture courses and seminar classes that examine issues in formal education systems as well as those involved in education more broadly, taking on a global perspective to conduct research on these topics. Students who complete the master's program should be equipped to use their research findings in order to contribute to educational efforts and social initiatives both within Japan and abroad.

The field of pedagogical practices in school systems offers a range of seminar classes and courses on research methodologies. Seminar classes will have students look at a range of issues that take place in educational settings and make them interpret and re-examine the relationship between theory and practice. Students will learn various ways of approaching pedagogical techniques, including how to solve real-world problems and how to apply solutions to historical challenges that face those in education. During research methodology courses, students will learn how to critically examine the techniques mentioned above as well as those used in other disciplines. They can apply their findings to real educational scenarios while working together with educational institutions and facilities, in order to uncover effective ways of tackling issues that they hope to solve.

Most of the lectures and seminars in each field are taught predominantly by faculty members of the Graduate School of Human Relations mainly in Japanese Language. Every year, the program also invites renowned professors from Japan and abroad to teach these courses. This curriculum design provides students with tools and spaces that facilitate writing doctoral dissertations that demonstrate academic proficiency and comprehensive perspectives.

Shared Curriculum Structure

The school prides itself on how the faculty members responsible for the curriculum of each major work together to create classes which span all three majors. Furthermore, another unique point of the school is our project classes which aim to promote joint interdisciplinary research between multiple faculty members in one major, or between faculty members of different majors. Students participate in these courses whether they are in the master's or doctoral programs.

Admissions Policy

The doctoral programs aim to foster the outstanding research abilities required to conduct independent research activities and engage in other highly specialized tasks as researchers in the fields of sociology, psychology, and education, as well as the outstanding academic attainments which form their basis. For this reason, we accept students with a broad range of specializations, with the aim of instilling academic knowledge coupled with profound expertise and a broad interdisciplinary nature, to nurture researchers with the high level of discernment to succeed on the front line of global society, as well as professionals instilled with advanced expertise. Graduates of both master's programs at the graduate school itself and those from other master's programs within Keio, as well as from other graduate schools both in Japan and overseas, will be permitted to enroll after confirmation of the clarity of their research awareness and specialist abilities by means such as screenings of Master's theses and interviews. On such occasions, we also take into consideration track records at international academic conferences and potential contributions in global society.