About Graduate School of Modern Society and Culture
Outline
| Name: | Graduate School of Modern Society and Culture, Niigata University |
|---|---|
| Address: | 8050 Ikarashi 2-no-cho, Nishi-Ku, Niigata City, Niigata 950-2181 |
| Dean: | BAMBA Satoshi, Ph.D. (Professor of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education) |
| Number of faculty members: | Master’s Degree Program:181, Doctoral Degree Program:179 (as of May 1, 2023) |
| Capacity: | Master’s Degree Program: 60 students per school year Doctoral Degree Program: 20 students per school year |
| Number of current students: | Master’s Degree Program: 99, Doctoral Degree Program: 79 (as of May 1, 2023) |
| Number of degree recipients: | Please refer to Niigata University Home Page |
History
The Graduate School of Modern Society and Culture was established in April 1993 as an integrated graduate school of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education integrating the Doctoral Degree Programs of three graduate schools of Humanities, Law, Politics, and Economics for the purpose of promoting higher level of educational research. Its institute building was built in December, 1994. Thereafter, the Master’s and Doctoral Degree Programs of each graduate school were integrated and re-organized several times. Finally, it has 15 Courses in 9 Fields in 4 Majors in the Master’s Degree Programs and 7 Fields in 3 Majors in the Doctoral Degree Programs.
Basic Policy ------- Fostering the ability to explore issues
The basic policy of the Graduate School of Modern Society and Culture is “Fostering the ability to explore issues".
Today's society changes rapidly into a self-responsible society where we should have the abilities to adapt ourselves to changes in the society and the time. For this, we need to acquire the ability to explore the possible issues that we may have to face in future, and make comprehensive decisions from a variety of perspectives based on the self-learning ability.
Two Concepts ------- “Modernity" and "Symbiosis"
The name of our Graduate School is combined with the words “Modern" and “Social Culture". This name represents two concepts.
The first concept is “Modernity". It is a concept to indicate the methodology to set an issue to be solved. Students will establish their own issue from all the areas of the society and the culture and research the methodology to solve the issue in relation with the "modern" problems.
The second concept is "Symbiosis". It is a concept to indicate the directionality to solve the issue. To solve the "modern" problems, it is required to conceive the systems of society and culture that enable living together between peoples, as well as between human beings and the natural environment.
Six features
The school has six features to pursue its basic policies and concepts.
（1）Comprehensive graduate school to pursue issues
The Graduate School has numerous professors and associate professors from different fields of Human science, Laws, Economics, Education, and Science. Each student will be guided based on his or her research project. Each student will be guided based on his or her research project.
（2）Academic advisory system for each student
The school sets up the Academic Advisory Committee (consists of a principal supervisor and two sub supervisors) to guide each student according to his/her study and thesis writing.
（3）Specialized Master’s Degree Program and interdisciplinary Doctoral Degree Program studies
It is crucial to have an ability to pursue an issue from the well-balanced specialized and interdisciplinary perspectives. Students in the Master’s Degree Program are encouraged to acquire the specialized academic ability to explore their own issue. Thus, the school has offered the suitable curriculum which focuses primarily on the specialized field and secondarily on the interdisciplinary fields.
Contrarily, in the Doctoral Degree Program, students are encouraged to acquire the ability to solve their issues. Accordingly, we have offered the curriculum that focuses primarily on the interdisciplinary fields and secondarily on the specialized field. Students will participate in a research project by students and teaching and research staffs.
（4）Degree conferral related to own research issues
The Graduate School offers an opportunity to students to earn the degree related to the research issue of each student.
The Master’s Degree Program offers students an opportunity to earn either one of seven types of degrees, i.e. Master of Arts, Master of Law, Master of Public Management, Master of Economics, Master of Business Administration, Master of Public Management and Master of Philosophy.
Doctoral Program basically offers students an opportunity to earn the doctoral degree from the five types: Doctor of Philosophy as a basis, Doctor of Philosophy in Literature, Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Philosophy in Economics, Doctor of Philosophy in Education.
（5）Gate widely opened to working students and international students
For the purpose to widely accept working students and international students, special selective examination is provided for working students and international students. In addition, evening classes are offered to working students as may be necessary.
（6）Systems for degree conferral
We have systems for students to acquire the degree in the standard term of completion period that is two years for the Master’s Degree Program and three years for the Doctoral Degree Program. In addition, there are short-term completion system (applicable in a special case only to those who have achieved excellent research results) and long-term completion system.