Graduate Program on Global Society (GSP) — M.A. Program

2 years English open

3-stage learning journey

2 years · English

Year 1 (from the September 2027 enrollment; semesters 1 and 2) Students enrol simultaneously in GSP and in one of the four Komaba departments and build a course plan with the academic advisor appointed by the GSP Committee. The year is weighted towards the compulsory core courses and the start of the research workshop sequence. Core courses are 2 credits each and are offered by all four subject areas across the S and A semesters; for students enrolled in or after September 2025, four credits of core courses are mandatory (previously eight). Core courses drawn from the four compulsory subject areas: International Interdependence; Social and Cultural Diversity; Transnational Markets and Civil Society; Normative Basis of Global Society Research Workshop (2 credits, GSP students only) GSP elective lectures and seminars Courses offered by HSP, GHP and AIKOM, and by other graduate schools and the undergraduate senior division Semesters 1–3: research workshop sequence "The workshops are open to students in their first, second, and third semesters. There will be opportunities to give interim and final reports each semester, to help students prepare for their final degree." Students report research findings to the class or write a research paper on a topic of their choice, and take a departmental thesis-guidance seminar in their affiliated department (for example, Seminar: Language and Information Sciences; Seminar on Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies; Area Studies Seminar). Seminar on Thesis Guidance in the affiliated department Year 2 (final year): thesis and final examination Remaining credits are completed and the master's thesis is written under the appointed advisor. "To be awarded the Master of Arts in Global Studies degree, M.A. students must write a master's thesis or submit the results of their research on selected subjects." Students must have completed the standard 2 years in the programme and all programme requirements before submitting; a Title of Thesis form is filed first, then the thesis and abstract (3 copies each) are submitted to the PEAK/GPEAK Section, and the final examination follows. "Deadlines are strictly set. Extensions are NOT permitted." Master's thesis and final examination

Year 1 (from the September 2027 enrollment; semesters 1 and 2) curriculum

The detailed course list for this stage has not been published yet.

Course domains

International Interdependence (core area) — One of the four compulsory core subject areas. Related traditional disciplines named by the programme: international politics, international law, internatio
Social and Cultural Diversity (core area) — Core subject area. Related disciplines: linguistics, cultural anthropology, sociology, area studies. Associated department: Language and Information Science
Transnational Markets and Civil Society (core area) — Core subject area. Related disciplines: sociology, economics, management, area studies. Associated department: Area Studies.
Normative Basis of Global Society (core area) — Core subject area. Related disciplines: philosophy, ethics, religion, political ideology, social thought, jurisprudence. Associated department: Interdis
Disciplines accessible across the programme — "Bringing these resources together in one program provides students with access to a wide range of courses and specialists in disciplines ranging from Ant
Research specialisms of the GSP Committee — Committee members' fields as published on the programme's Staff page: Japanese philosophy; psycholinguistics, corpus linguistics and cognitive science; soci
Recent master's thesis topics (evidence of accepted research range) — Titles published by the programme for AY2021–AY2025 include work on posthumanism in Chinese science fiction; the U.S. in postwar K

Ph.D. program in Global Studies — GSP also runs a Ph.D. programme ("The Ph.D. in Global Studies: Three (3) students" projected for September 2027 entry), described as "a three-year course designed to

Professional careers — "The program is especially suited for those students seeking an M.A. degree before or after entering the business world, government service, the non-governmental sector, or the

"The Graduate Program on Global Society (GSP), which was launched in 2012, focuses on the theme of human existence in the age of globalization and seeks to cultivate the agenda-shaping and problem-sol

"The program is founded on the belief that, in a world that no longer recognizes borders between the political, social, ecological, cultural, and ethical dimensions of human life, the disciplinary bou

"GSP has developed a program dedicated to exploring the complex relation between law and governance, forging new avenues of multilateral cooperation, and identifying alternate ways of structuring soci

"Its focus centers upon modern Japanese and Asian societies and the experiences of modernity particular to them. The Program, however, also places such experiences in a wider, comparative contextual f

The M.A. curriculum "is designed to promote: 1) further understanding of the changing socio-cultural landscape in Japan, in Asia, and around the world; and 2) cultivation of the skills needed to shape

Core learning formats

"Four basic subject areas comprise the core courses. These four areas of study are compulsory for all students and have been carefully selected to prepare students to comprehend the challenges facing
"In research workshops, students will report to the class their research findings on specific subjects, or write a research paper on the topic of their choice. The workshops are open to students in th
"Elective courses (lectures, seminars, and fieldwork) will include classes jointly offered by the Graduate Program on Human Security (HSP), Graduate Program on Global Humanities (GHP), and the Short-t
"As a subset of elective courses, Experimental Studies offers students important opportunities to experience various intellectual undertakings apart from the regular educational environment offered by
"In addition, e-lectures administered by the East Asia Liberal Arts Initiative (EALAI) are open to GSP students. These lectures are held jointly with Seoul National University, Peking University, and
"Students are allowed to take graduate and upper-division undergraduate (3rd and 4th year) courses offered by other graduate schools and undergraduate departments at the University with the permission
"Working closely with an academic advisor carefully selected for them from among the entire faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, GSP students have the opportunity to design a curriculu
Programme sources (13)