School of Law and Politics

Undergraduate School

An Innovative Education System – Varied and Deep Insights into Society through the Study of Law and Politics

Our educational creed of “Social Approach” means that legal education should focus on the ability to use law as ways to gain insights into social phenomena from a broad social point of view. The School comprises two Departments: the Department of Law, which aims to turn out people who contribute to society by cultivating their legal expertise and decision-making abilities, and the Department of Political Science, which trains people to exercise leadership in any situation based on analyses of both domestic and international political issues. In recent years, the School of Law and Politics has been working hard to prepare for a new century of academic excellence. Our undergraduate program now has six courses that provide the student with the necessary knowledge for pursuing a career of his or her interest. All courses adopt a “stairway” system that lets the student progress naturally from an introduction to basic legal and political theory to more practical and specialized areas of law and politics. A particularly notable section of our new curriculum is a wide variety of seminars that range from basic study skills for first-year students to more specialized and practical subjects for upper-class students.

Unique Features of the School
・Two departments and five courses to choose from based on students’ own goals
・Small-group education from the first year
・Developing plans to support students, such as a unique career support program
・Enhancing learning through a variety of highly specialized seminar courses
・One in three students at the School of Law and Politics has studied abroad

Graduate School

Needs-Centered Research Helps Train Advanced Researchers and Businesspeople

This graduate school is special in that it not only trains researchers but also human resources capable of responding meticulously to society’s needs. At the Masters level, within the single Department of Law and Politics, there are two courses: the academic course for training researchers; and the expert course for turning out skilled professionals in law and politics. In the expert course, there are five programs—practical law, business law, public policy, international relations, and independent research—that offer meticulous guidance. The Doctoral level program consists of three Departments: Politics, Fundamental Jurisprudence, and Civil and Criminal Law. Students conduct research into law and politics through insight into the realities of the world and through advanced methods stressing objectivity and moderation.

Unique Features of the Graduate School
・The program accepts both those who aim to become researchers in law and political science in the future and those who aim to acquire advanced and highly specialized knowledge and skills required by society
・Master's program graduates are employed as highly specialized professionals in public service, tax accountant offices, and the legal departments of general companies, while doctoral program graduates are active as university faculty members
・In the doctoral program, when applying for the entrance examination, students are required to select either the screening criteria for researchers or the screening criteria for advanced professionals (in principle, applicable only to those who enter the program as working professionals)
・At the joint research report meetings held regularly, students can check their own academic achievements and research progress by presenting the results of their research to each other, and receive advice from each faculty member across the boundaries of their major field of study