Master’s (Doctoral) Program in Sociology
The Master’s (Doctoral) Program in Sociology is home to researchers with a wide range of specialties, including sociology of family and life course, economic sociology, regional sociology, sociology of economics, lifestyle theory, gender and sexuality studies, sociology of religion, political sociology, sociology of labor, and sociology of social inequality. Our faculty members offer a wide variety of specialized courses that deal with important aspects of contemporary society.
Through studying combinations of these subjects, students in the program will come to understand the fundamental mechanisms of social problems that accompany changes in the modern world and Japanese society, such as globalization, information technology, social inequality, falling birthrates, aging society, and deterioration of the global environment, and will develop both calm analysis and agile response skills.
Curriculum
The Master’s Program focuses on developing basic sociological skills in preparation for future activities. In the first year, students are required to take courses in sociological theory and data collection and analysis to acquire the knowledge and understanding of reality as collected by their predecessors, as well as the skills necessary to conduct research and analyze the data collected. In the second year, students have the opportunity to write a master’s thesis on a theme of their own choosing, and under the guidance of faculty members, they actually carry out their research, making full use of the knowledge and abilities they have already acquired.
In the Doctoral Program, students receive individual guidance in writing doctoral dissertations, promoting interdisciplinary research, presenting research at relevant conferences, and submitting papers to academic journals and bulletins, in accordance with their own themes. Through this process, the program aims to cultivate the specialized knowledge and abilities necessary to become independent researchers, as well as to acquire qualifications and achievements.
Granted Degree
- Master’s Program: MASTER OF ARTS IN SOCIOLOGY
- Doctoral Program: DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN SOCIOLOGY
Available Teaching Licenses and Subjects
- High School Specialized Teacher (Civics)
*Only available in Master’s degree programs. Also, it is only available in subjects in which a Type 1 license has been obtained or the requirements for Type 1 have been fulfilled. Not all subjects are available.
Program Features
Wide Range of Courses
Courses offered by other graduate schools and departments within the university (social welfare, education, psychology, law, economics, international relations, etc.) are also available to take.
Variety of People
Graduate students enrolled in the Master’s (Doctoral) Program in Sociology are characterized by the wide variety of backgrounds, including those from other universities and departments.
From Researchers to Business people
Most graduates of the Doctoral Program are active as researchers, but recently, many of them have found employment in think tanks, publishing companies, etc. In many cases, graduates of the program are active in society at large.
Journals in which Graduate Students can also Publish
The Master’s (Doctoral) Program in Sociology publishes an annual Journal “Sociological Studies”. Graduate students enrolled in the program may also contribute, as long as they have not been published elsewhere.
Selected Thesis Topics
- The process by which Art Creation is Generated and Developed
- Indonesian Domestic Care Workers in Taiwan
- Evaluating Trust and Information in Internet Auctions
- Community Privilege of “Visual Kei” Fans in China – On the Fan Culture of Transnational Culture
- Two Unresolved Residues of Auschwitz
- A Sociological Analysis of Participants in Political Party Activities – Through an Examination of Political Socialization and Transition
- Singapore’s Tourism Policy
- Mothers’ Employment and Fathers’ Participation in Housework and Childcare among Couples with Children
- Political Awareness and Participation of Female University Students in Japan and Korea
- Factors and Solutions to the Reporting Damage Problem
- The Development of Modernization and Religious Secularization in China
- Entity and Medium of Tourism Destination
- Discourse Structure Supporting a System of Selective Surname Selection – Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Opinions in Favor of the System.
- Life Course Choices of Working, Well-educated Unmarried Women in their 20s
- Stigma Study on Spontaneous Childlessness in China – Focusing on the Life Stories of the People Involved
- Why Did You Choose to Become a Self-Defense Force Personnel?
- Physical/Social Infrastructure of Security Town
- Campaign for the Return of the Northern Territories
- Newcomers in Tokyo: Chinese Entrepreneurs
Educational Policies
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Master’s Program
With a view to achieving a fair society that protects human dignity, the Master’s Program in Sociology aims to foster human resources who can understand the various changes faced by society and the fundamental mechanisms of accompanying social issues, and are capable of calm analysis and prompt application. The Master’s Program in Sociology sets standards for the skills and knowledge students should acquire before graduation
as described below: Those who fulfill the graduation requirements and pass their thesis defense shall be deemed to have acquired these qualities and will be awarded a diploma- The ability to understand sophisticated theoretical and empirical knowledge of one’s disciplinary specialty
- The ability to set up sociological research themes on social change and social issues
- The ability to propose appropriate research and analytical methodologies for sociological research themes
- The ability to logically organize and accurately convey one’s arguments and compile them into a master’s thesis
- The ability to contribute to the coexistence of different values in the modern world through the achievement of research themes
Doctoral Program
With a view to achieving a fair society that protects human dignity, the Doctoral Program in Sociology aims to foster human resources who can understand the various changes faced by society and the fundamental mechanisms of accompanying social issues, are capable of calm analysis and prompt application, and have the capacity to use sophisticated theoretical knowledge and methodological techniques to compile research papers. The Doctoral Program in Sociology sets standards for the skills and knowledge students should acquire before graduation as described below: Those who fulfill the graduation requirements and pass their dissertation defense shall be deemed to have acquired these qualities and will be awarded a diploma.
- The ability to independently organize and use the sophisticated theoretical and empirical knowledge of one’s disciplinary specialty
- The ability to set up unique sociological research themes on social change and social issues
- The ability to propose appropriate research and analytical methodologies for sociological research themes and implement them with high standards
- The ability to logically develop one’s arguments, communicate them to a wide audience at home and abroad, and compile them into a doctoral thesis
- The ability to present conclusions through one’s research or make policy proposals that will serve the welfare and creative progress of the modern world
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Master’s Program
In accordance with the diploma policy, with an aim to let students acquire the abilities to analyze and understand the mechanisms of social phenomena, the Master’s Program in Sociology constructs its curriculum as follows, offering basic courses on sociology fundamentals and social survey methods and Specialized Courses dealing with important dimensions of modern society:
- Have students take Sociology Theory as a Compulsory Course for acquiring theoretical and experience-based knowledge and offer Specialized Courses from the Spring Semester of the first year.
- Have students take Sociology Methodology as a Compulsory Course for acquiring the abilities to set up sociologic research themes and offer related Specialized Courses from the Autumn Semester of the first year.
- Have students take Sociology Methodologies as a Compulsory Course for acquiring knowledge of social research methods and operational skills and offer related Specialized Social Researcher Courses from the Autumn Semester of the first year.
- Offer an Academic Writing Course taught by the research advisor and hold a Joint Research Presentation Session from the Spring Semester of the second year to let students acquire the skills to write a thesis and to deliver oral presentations.
- Conduct discussions and practical training in Specialized Courses and encourage students to participate in relevant academic meetings to acquire the ability to apply research to actual social issues.
Doctoral Program
In accordance with the diploma policy, with an aim to let students acquire the abilities to analyze and understand the mechanisms of social phenomena, the Doctoral Program in Sociology constructs its curriculum as follows, offering basic courses on sociology fundamentals and social survey methods and Specialized Courses dealing with important dimensions of modern society:
- Offer Specialized Courses for acquiring the high-level theoretical and experience-based knowledge required for writing a dissertation.
- Offer Specialized Courses for acquiring the abilities to set up specialized research themes.
- Offer Specialized Social Researcher Courses and related Specialized Courses for acquiring the skills to independently perform high-level social research.
- Offer research guidance by the research advisor and hold a Joint Research Presentation Session to let students acquire the skills to write a dissertation and to deliver oral presentations, as well as encourage students to present research at relevant academic meetings and submit papers to academic journals.
- Encourage students to pursue interdisciplinary research and to present research at relevant academic meetings in order to enhance the abilities to apply research to policy proposals.
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Master’s Program
Master’s Program in Sociology seeks students with the following qualities:
- Students with a sense of purpose to academically pursue their interests and communicate their research in a practical context in light of achieving a fair society that protects human dignity
- Students who are strongly motivated to acquire a broad knowledge of sociology and are capable of thinking flexibly to approach social phenomena from a multidimensional perspective
- Students with the knowledge and academic skills, as well as the logical thought and expressiveness required to receive a specialized education in the Master’s program
Doctoral Program
The Doctoral Program in Sociology seeks students with the following qualities:
- Students with a sense of purpose to academically pursue their interests at a high level and communicate their research in a practical context in light of achieving a fair society that protects human dignity
- Students who are strongly motivated to acquire a high level of knowledge of sociology and are capable of thinking flexibly and approach social phenomena from a multidimensional perspective
- Students with the knowledge and academic skills, as well as the logical thought and expressiveness required to receive a specialized education in the doctoral program
Faculty Members
Masayuki FUJIMURA Special Contract Professor
Yukari ISHII Associate Professor
Carola HOMMERICH Professor
| Research Areas | ［ Subjective Wellbeing，Social Inequality ］ My research focuses on the interrelations of subjective and objective wellbeing in cross cultural comparison |
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Ralph Ittonen HOSOKI Associate Professor