The Faculty of Humanities expects motivated students with a deep and broad interest in the various disciplines of the humanities and liberal arts to select a department upon entrance and to actively thrive in their studies in a self-motivated and active manner. Hence, we welcome students with the following qualities:

1. Students who are eager to pursue liberal arts studies on their own initiative and embrace a sincere attitude towards academics
2. Students who have a specific interest in the individual disciplinary field that one seeks to study
3. Students who have acquired the basic skills to address matters critically and express one’s thoughts clearly
4. Students who are equipped with the standard appreciation of culture, knowledge, and language proficiency required to study at university

 
Department of Philosophy

The Department of Philosophy welcomes students with the following qualities:

1. Students who bear a strong interest and eagerness to identify the various challenges faced by humans and the surrounding world and to seek a fundamental understanding of the issues guided by self-initiative, dialogue and collaboration, rather than to solve them superficially
2. Students with a strong interest in “living for Others, with Others” by nurturing their strengths in thinking, judging and presenting through philosophy, defined as “love for wisdom and pursuit of knowledge”
3. Students who embrace standard knowledge and appreciation of culture associated with human society, culture and history, excellent comprehension and presentation skills in Japanese, and robust English skills

 
Department of History

The study of history “provides a beacon for the future by promoting deeper understanding of the present through the exploration of the past.” Hence, the Department of History welcomes students with the following qualities:

1. Students who have a broad interest in and thirst for knowledge of various social phenomena and their historical backgrounds
2. Self-motivated students who are not satisfied with typical explanations and endeavor to identify problems based on their own thinking
3. Students with the patience to read and objectively interpret writings in historical records, as well as the logical thinking skills to understand context
4. Students with the presentation skills to logically organize one’s argument and concisely present it to others

 
Department of Japanese Literature

The Department of Japanese Literature welcomes students strongly motivated to broadly and deeply learn, in the fields of Japanese Literature, Japanese Language Studies and Chinese Classics, about the wealth of literature written in Japanese, including old Japanese and Japanese “kundoku” reading of Chinese text, with an aim to understand Japan’s traditional linguistic culture and the characteristics of the Japanese language. Students are expected to be equipped with basic reading comprehension skills.

1. Students interested in Japanese literature ranging from ancient to modern times who are eager to build on their skills to reach a deeper reading and interpretation of the original text of individual works based on more precise judgment, to discover a new and original reading, and to refine it in dialogue with other readings
2. Students eager to reveal on their own initiative the structure of the Japanese language, which has consistently been Japan’s national language from ancient to modern times, sometimes comparing it with other languages
3. Students who are interested in Kanbun (Chinese writing) which has always served as a basis in the history of Japanese and Japanese literature and are eager to build on their ability to appreciate works written in Kanbun

 
Department of English Literature

The Department of English and American Literature welcomes students interested in language in general, as well as in interpreting and analyzing the social significance of certain languages, and in reading and interpreting text as a form of linguistic representation:

1. Students who acknowledge that the reason for requiring the acquisition of English skills is not singly because English is an internationally common language and who are capable of finding meaning in studying English, even after considering the negative factors associated with English as an international common language
2. Students who understand that language indeed constitutes the core of human actions and whose level of interest in literature, an important aspect of human language activity, exceed a certain extent
3. Students who acknowledge that learning about others is connected to learning about themselves, and that language and language expression in the form of text serve as catalyses, and whose English proficiency level exceeds a certain level that enables the reading of such text

 
Department of German Literature

The Department of German Literature welcomes students who fully understand and respect the founding philosophy of Sophia University and bear the qualities described below:

1. Students highly interested in the literature, arts, thought, history, etc. of German-speaking countries who are capable of continuously engaging in studies driven by self-motivation, and making tireless efforts to acquire the German language proficiency required to study these different disciplines
2. Inquisitive students in high pursuit of novel knowledge and experiences associated with different cultures who are flexible and open-minded, and capable of expressing their opinions in a logical and persuasive manner
3. Students who are strongly motivated to contribute to the deepening of mutual understanding and cooperation between German-speaking countries and their home country, with a multidimensional perspective toward modern society, an imagination that helps their understanding of “others” as well as openness and respect for “others”

 
Department of French Literature

The Department of French Literature expects each student to acquire French language skills and deepen their understanding of humans through studies of cultural aspects, including the literature, of French-speaking countries; and therefore, we welcome students with the qualities described below:

1. Students interested and motivated to learn the French language as well as the literature and culture of French-speaking countries, to nurture flexible and logical thinking, and to appreciate what is different from oneself
2. Students who are equipped with the common sense and linguistic skills required to listen to lectures on the Humanities, appreciate works of art, read and summarize books and academic papers, and present one’s observations both orally and in writing
3. Students who are self-motivated to think and learn on one’s own initiative, and simultaneously acknowledge the significance of mutual learning through dialogue and collaborative work with others

 
Department of Journalism

The Department of Journalism welcomes students with the qualities described below:

1. Students proactively interested in the disciplines of journalism and media communications in the information-oriented modern world and motivated to study and contemplate the disciplines in depth
2. Students with an inquisitive attitude towards issues challenging modern society as well as the logical thought and judgment required to critically verify such issues
3. Students with the competence to present the survey and research outcomes based on their own interests and the articulateness to explain them