Master’s (Doctoral) Program in History

Toward Transnational Historical Research based on Collaboration between Japan, the East, and the West

The Master’s (Doctoral) Program of History, which has three areas of Japanese, Oriental, and Western history, provides specialized education to cultivate internationally acclaimed educators and researchers while promoting close interaction between each area.

The major characteristics of this program are its specialized education based on foreign language education and an understanding of foreign and Christian cultures, which are the hallmarks of Sophia University, and its emphasis on the study of political, social, and cultural history, which is a particularly comprehensive branch of history. Through these studies, the Master’s (Doctoral) Program of History promotes transnational historical research un-bound by conventional historical images.

Curriculum

The Master’s Program offers specialized courses in various areas and courses common to all areas of study. This is in order to foster broad knowledge and flexible thinking skills, and to develop the ability to write a high-level master’s thesis. In addition, full-time faculty members who are active on the front lines of research are assigned to the program. And Depending on the research situation, students may request guidance from faculty members of other departments or affiliated research institutes of Sophia University to provide substantial research guidance.

In the Doctoral program, students are given a doctoral dissertation seminar and individual guidance to obtain their degrees. We also encourage graduate students to submit their outstanding research results to academic journals, including “Sophia Shigaku” (Sophia Historical Studies), an academic journal published by the Sophia University Historical Society.

Granted Degree

  • Master’s Program: MASTER OF ARTS IN HISTORY
  • Doctoral Program: DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN HISTORY

Available Teaching Licenses and Subjects

  • Junior High School Specialized Teacher (Social Studies)
  • High School Specialized Teacher (Geography and History)

*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

Commit Auditing Student System

We offer Commit Auditing Student System with Aoyama Gakuin University, Chuo University, Kokugakuin University, Kokushikan University, Meiji University, Rikkyo University, Senshu University, Komazawa University, Tokai University, and Toyo University. Students can attend lectures at these universities upon request and earn credits.

Study Abroad for Further Advancement

To promote trans-disciplinary research, we encourage students, including Master’s program students, to study abroad and conduct in-depth research in the field of Eastern and Western history, as well as Japanese history.

Graduates are at the Forefront of their Field.

While deepening their expertise in the fields of Japanese, Eastern, and Western history, students are active in cross-disciplinary research activities. Our graduates are highly regarded both inside and outside Japan and are active at the forefront of their fields as high school and university professors.

Journals in which Graduate Students can also Publish

The Master’s (Doctoral) Program in History in the Graduate School of Humanities encourages graduate students to actively contribute to “Sophia Shigaku” published by the Sophia University Historical Society and to journals of academic societies and research groups outside the university. In addition, graduate students in the Department of History and graduate students from other departments at Sophia University have established an on-campus graduate student research group, Sapientia Society, which voluntarily publishes an interdisciplinary graduate student academic journal, Kioi Ronso.

Selected Thesis Topics

Master’s Program

  • マケドニア朝期におけるテマ・キュビライオタイ
  • 中世ノルウェー聖堂彫刻における<ファーヴニル殺しのシグルズ>の出現
  • テレサ・デ・ヘススの『書簡集』
  • ドルフース政権期における支配体制の考察
  • ドイツ国家人民党の変遷
  • 八世紀前半における家令と家政機関
  • 足利将軍家の右近衛大将拝賀について
  • 中世前期葛川の「追出」と起請文
  • アレッサンドロ・ヴァリニャーノ日本巡察(1580年・1592年)
  • 江戸後期の名所図会の役割
  • 明治前期における貨幣制度と鉱山行政の再考察
  • 後漢の羌対策と東羌の誕生
  • 1944年「河南民衆蜂起」の再検討
  • 清代中期以降閩南地方基層における暴カー泉州府「東西仏」械闘を中心に
  • 通俗日用類書なぢからみる明清時代の人々の住宅感

Doctoral Program

  • 宋代地方末端行政についての研究
  • 19/20世紀転換期ドイツにおけるカトリシズムの労働者統合
  • 中国1949年革命と中共メディア
  • 清末政治史の再構成
  • 第一次世界大戦期からヴァイマル末期におけるジークフリート・クラカウアーの思想
  • 外交官アレクサンダー・フォン・シーボルトの描いた明治日本
  • 近代イタリアの社会調査に関する歴史学的研究
  • 北宋雅楽史研究

Dissertation

  • 喫煙伝来史および世界喫煙伝播史
  • フランシスコ・カブラルが運営した16 世紀の日本におけるイエズス会のミッション(1570-1580)

Educational Policies

Master’s Program

The Master’s Program in History sets standards for the skills and knowledge students should acquire before graduation as described below. Those who earn the required credits and receive research guidance, submit their thesis and pass their thesis defense shall be deemed to have acquired these qualities and will be awarded a diploma.

 

  1. The ability to determine a theme based on explicit concerns regarding an issue and to contribute to the enhancement of knowledge in historical research
  2. The ability to consider and examine past research and properly cite and provide sources
  3. The ability to conduct demonstrative research based on historical and reference materials
  4. The ability to structure an academic paper properly and give it a consistent and logical composition
  5. The ability to use appropriate language and compile a paper in an organized manner

Doctoral Program

The Doctoral Program in History sets standards for the skills and knowledge students should acquire before graduation as described below. Those who earn the required credits and receive research guidance, submit their dissertation, pass the dissertation defense shall be deemed to have acquired these qualities and will be awarded a diploma.

 

  1. The ability to determine a theme based on explicit concerns regarding an issue and to discover new historical facts or present new interpretations regarding historical facts already known.
  2. The ability to exhaustively consider and examine past research and to properly cite and provide sources.
  3. The ability to conduct demonstrative research based on historical and reference materials.
  4. The ability to structure an academic paper properly and give it a consistent and logical composition
  5. The ability to use appropriate language and compile a paper in an organized manner
  6. The ability to pursue research as an independent researcher, through unique and state-of-the-art research

Master’s Program

In accordance with the diploma policy, the Master’s Program in History encourages students to pursue broad and deep historical knowledge, and to foster sharp analytical and critical abilities; and thus constructs its curriculum with courses aligned to the following purposes:

 

  1. Have faculty members assigned to specific fields, identified by region (Japanese history, Eastern history and Western history) and time (ancient, medieval, premodern and modern times) provide research guidance to students researching the most similar theme.
  2. Offer seminars for students to improve their ability to read and understand historical material on the specialized fields mentioned above and gain a historical overview of the discipline.
  3. Offer a Specialized Research Course that invites students from various regions and age groups to engage in comprehensive studies or extensive discussions on history, therefore developing an objective attitude towards one’s field of expertise.
  4. Offer a Thesis Seminar where students report their progress in compiling their thesis and acquire techniques to complete their thesis.
  5. May allow students to take courses offered at other Graduate Programs, Graduate Schools or Universities with which Sophia has concluded partnership agreements, provided they meet given requirements.

Doctoral Program

In accordance with the diploma policy, the Doctoral Program in History constructs its curriculum with courses aligned to the following purposes:

 

  1. Offer Research Guidance by the research advisor specializing in fields that the student finds closest to his/her research theme.
  2. Offer “Dissertation Seminars” for students to read historical material and study the history of the discipline under the guidance of a faculty member and to compile their dissertation, reporting progress during the process.
  3. In addition to classes offered in the Graduate Program, students will seek to improve their skills as researchers through study abroad and research presentations at academic meetings and workshops.

Master’s Program

The Master’s Program in History seeks students with the following qualities:

 

  1. Students who are eager to use the outcomes of historical studies in the areas of research, education and social enlightenment, thus contributing to the development of society
  2. Students with basic historical knowledge and capabilities (language skills, research skills, and critical skills) required to understand their research subjects
  3. Students who can identify problems from the perspectives of a long time frame and a comparative viewpoint.

Doctoral Program

The Doctoral Program in History seeks students with the following qualities:

 

  1. Students who are eager to use the outcomes of historical research in the areas of research, education and social enlightenment, thus contributing to the development of society
  2. Students with precise and adequate basic knowledge of history in general and the skills (language skills, research skills, critical skills, etc.) required to understand their research subjects
  3. Students with the ability to discover new historical facts, build new interpretations of historical phenomena, and link such discoveries with a high insight into society

Faculty Members

Shinzo KAWAMURA Professor

Masanori SAKANO Professor

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Yuji SASAGAWA Professor

Katsuaki NAKAZAWA Professor

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Katsutaka HOJO Professor

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Yuko OKAWA Associate Professor

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Naruo YAMAMOTO Associate Professor

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Naoko MORITA Associate Professor

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Eri NAKAMURA Associate Professor

Sophia University

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