Nara Women's University

Faculty of Letters -Policies on Degree Awarding, Designing Curriculum, and student Admission

Policy on Graduation Approval and Degree Awarding (Diploma Policy)

[Educational Missions and Goals for the Awarding of Degrees]

　　Nara Women’s University Faculty of Letters aims to foster women with a deep understanding of humanity and an acute and comprehensive social awareness. Based on a wide and deep liberal arts education, the Department of History, Sociology, and Geography, Department of Language and Culture, and Department of Human Sciences enable our students to acquire specialized knowledge and skills through study in respective fields, cultivating practical talents for identifying, analyzing, and solving problems autonomously. Ultimately, the faculty aims to nurture global citizens who can express their own ideas proactively and appropriately.

[Skills and Abilities Students Are Expected to Acquire]

・Great sensibility and keen insight, as well as the ability to think deeply about the essence of humanity (“What are humans?”)

・Ability to look at various phenomena in society from a wider viewpoint, assess these critically, and make appropriate decisions

・Ability to form and convey one’s own ideas and thinking based on a solid understanding of history, culture, language, and community

・Ability to proactively identify, analyze, and endeavor to solve problems

[Requirements for Awarding of Degrees]

　　Students shall be awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree, after they take classes in accordance with the faculty’s educational goals, shown above, during the enrollment period prescribed by the faculty, obtain the prescribed credits, submit a graduation thesis, and pass the oral examinations.

Policy for Designing and Implementing Curricula (Curriculum Policy)

[Curriculum Structure of the Faculty of Letters]

　　Nara Women’s University Faculty of Letters has adopted a system whereby students select their department and course of study after enrollment. Students select their respective departments in their second year at the university and choose their course in their third year.

　　The Faculty of Letters offers “Faculty Common Subjects” and “Department Subjects” as specialized subjects. In “Faculty Common Subjects” (Seminars in Basic, Introductions, etc.), students acquire basic knowledge in specialist fields as well as develop information literacy and communication skills. Through “Department Subjects” (Special Studies, Readings, Seminars, Practices, etc.), which students take from their second year onwards, students acquire a profound specialization enabling them to pursue their own study topics.

　　In their final year, students prepare their graduation thesis as the culmination of their studies.

[Educational content and methodology of the Faculty of Letters]

・In order to deepen their understanding of different cultures and develop international perspectives, students are required to study two or more foreign languages.

・To familiarize themselves with a variety of academic disciplines studied at the university and acquire a broad education, students are required to take “Liberal Arts Subjects” throughout their four years of study in accordance with the university’s principles of liberal arts education.

・As an introduction to studies in the Faculty of Letters, the first year students take “Seminars in Basic” and “Learning and Life-style of Women”, through which they cultivate the ability to identify and think rationally about issues for themselves.
・In “Seminars” and “Practices,” students improve their specialist skills while building up profound independent and cooperative study in small classes.

・To enable students to acquire broad perspectives and undertake interdisciplinary research topics, the majority of “Department Subjects” is open to students enrolled in other departments.

・By taking subjects related to the Nara Studies Project and Gender and Literary Studies Project conducted by the Faculty of Letters, students can learn the latest research results obtained through a range of academic approaches.

・“Graduation Thesis” is a compulsory subject for all departments and courses.

・In “Seminar for Graduation Thesis,” students work together to identify and solve problems based on specialized knowledge, and strive to improve the ability to express logically their own ideas using appropriate “language and words”.

・In the six-year integrated program, students can construct their study plan flexibly, conducting research continuously from their undergraduate course through Master’s course while also incorporating study abroad and other extramural studies.

[Assessment of Academic Achievements]

　　Assessment of academic achievements is conducted fairly and strictly in accordance with the performance assessment methods prescribed in the syllabus for each subject offered (midterm and final examinations, reports, class presentations, etc.).

Policy on Student Admission (Admission Policy)

[Educational Missions of the Faculty of Letters]

　　Japanese society in the 21st century faces a broad spectrum of complex and difficult issues. Nara Women’s University Faculty of Letters promotes highly specialized education that enables students to acquire skills and abilities for addressing various issues in society and/or about human beings, and for finding solutions. We are certain that women who autonomously learn and execute their great intelligence and sensibility will change Japanese society. Therefore, the Faculty of Letters proclaims its educational missions to educate women with a “keen social awareness,” “global thinking and perspective,” and “deep understanding of humanity”.

[The Students the Faculty of Letters Seek]

　　In accordance with the above educational principles, the Faculty of Letters seeks the following persons as students.

・Persons who have cultivated the academic ability to express matters logically based on correct knowledge

・Persons who have an interest in diverse cultures and phenomena, and who endeavor to discover issues for themselves

・Persons who seek human enrichment through mutual understanding and empathy from learning together with their teachers and friends

[Basic Policy for Admission of New Students into the Faculty of Letters]

General admissions to the Faculty of Letters are based on results of the National Center University Entrance Examination (which tests applicants basic academic achievement at the high school level) (5 or 6 subject areas, 7 or 8 subjects), and independent achievement tests conducted by the Faculty of Letters that assess the accuracy of applicants’ knowledge of “language and words”, which is the common foundation for all learning in the Faculty of Letters, and their command of “language and words” essential for logically expressions of ideas (two subjects: Japanese language and one foreign language). For the “Japanese language” and “foreign language” subjects examined, tests aim to show whether or not the applicant has a basic knowledge of “language and words” as well as to determine their comprehension and writing skills through the use of descriptive questions.

Admissions Office (AO) Entrance Examination are conducted for applicants who have a strong desire to study in the fields of Regional Environment Studies or Education-Philosophical Anthropology in particular. Other special entrance examinations conducted by the Faculty of Letters include the Entrance Examination for International Students and the transfer entrance examination for third year students.

Department of History, Sociology and Geography, Faculty of Letters -Policies on Degree Awarding and Designing Curriculum

Policy on Graduation Approval and Degree Awarding (Diploma Policy)

[Educational Missions and Goals for the Awarding of Degrees]

　　The Department of History, Sociology, and Geography offers systematic education through courses constructed around organic collaboration among humanities fields such as history, geography, and sociology based on the three perspectives: diachronic (historical), spatial (geographical), and relational (sociological). Based on multifaceted understanding of the cultures and societies of Japan and the world— starting with, but not limited to Nara— the department aims to nurture women with the ability to make appropriate decisions and express themselves accurately through critical observation and logical thinking, and to ask and solve questions for themselves in response to rapid social and cultural change.

[Skills and Abilities Students Are Expected to Acquire]

・Ability to read and understand documents, historical materials, and texts, and objectively analyze new information and think logically based on a systematic understanding, and express one’s own ideas

・Ability to cooperate, work together with, and communicate with a diverse group of people through field work and survey activities

・Ability to identify issues related to social change for oneself, make decisions and take action autonomously, and solve problems

[Requirements for Awarding of Degrees]

Students shall be awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree, after they take classes in accordance with the faculty’s educational missions, shown above, during the enrollment period prescribed by the faculty, obtain the prescribed credits, submit a graduation thesis, and pass the oral examination.

Policy for Designing and Implementing Curricula (Curriculum Policy)

[Curriculum Structure of the Department of History, Sociology and Geography]

To encourage students to think independently about society and culture from a broad perspective, the Department of History, Sociology, and Geography offers three courses: Historical Studies, Studies in Geography, and Studies in Sociology. Our curriculum is designed to enable coordination between each course around the axis of history, geography, and sociology, thereby allowing our students to study systematically the continuous human activity from past to present, acquire knowledge progressively, and hone their academic skills.

[Features of Educational Content and Methodology of the Department of History, Sociology and Geography]

・To facilitate students’ acquisition of social, regional, and cultural knowledge, the department offers subjects that enable students to study systematically from three perspectives: diachronic (historical), spatial (geographical), and relational (sociological).

・Using a wide selection of research materials, ranging from historical texts to contemporary media, the department offers subjects that enable students to build specialized and progressive knowledge in the fields of history, geography, and sociology.

・The department offers subjects that provide students with practical training in conducting social surveys and field work, learning methodologies for collecting, analyzing, ands applying information.

・The Nara Studies Project—which is overseen by the Department of History, Sociology, and Geography—presents subjects aimed at assisting students to understand Nara’s society, history, and culture from a modern perspective, enabling them to undertake regional studies and regional research with a hands-on approach.

[Assessment of Academic Achievements]

Department of Language and Culture, Faculty of Letters -Policies on Degree Awarding and Designing Curriculum

Policy on Graduation Approval and Degree Awarding (Diploma Policy)

[Educational Missions and Goals for the Awarding of Degrees]

　　The Department of Language and Culture aims to nurture global citizens who can think freely and flexibly and take an active role in international society, paying attention to various cultural phenomena. These goals are achieved through fundamental and comprehensive research and education on various phenomena and issues related to language and literature. Learning about and utilizing “language and words” are central to education in this department, and though these activities the department aims to cultivate in students the ability to make appropriate decisions and a deep understanding of humans and culture/society.

[Skills and Abilities Students Are Expected to Acquire]

・Ability to interact proactively with people from different cultures based on a solid understanding of language and culture

・A Ability to communicate one’s own ideas to society based on an accurate and practical command of language

[Requirements for Awarding of Degrees]

Students shall be awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree, after they take class subjects in accordance with the faculty’s educational goals, shown above, during the enrollment period prescribed by the faculty, obtain the prescribed credits, submit a graduation thesis, and pass the oral examinations.

Policy for Designing and Implementing Curricula (Curriculum Policy)

[Curriculum structure of the Department of Language and Culture]

The Department of Language and Culture comprises two courses: Japanese and Asian Literature, in which students learn about the languages and cultures of countries that use Chinese characters in their writing, centered on Japan and China; and European and American Literature, which covers the languages and cultures of English-speaking, German-speaking, and French-speaking countries. Students generally choose one of these two courses and undertake study aimed at acquiring a deep understanding of their chosen languages and cultures. Our curriculum also allows students to undertake comparative studies of more than one culture and language, as well as of the history of linguistic and cultural exchange between them.

[Features of Educational Content and Methodology of the Department of Language and Culture]

・Students acquire a greater command of their chosen language after they solidify their foundation in the first and second years. To this end, students enrolled in European and American Literature are required to take “Communication Subjects”.

・Students enrolled in Japanese and Asian Literature are advised to take “Basic Seminar in Language and Culture” to provide them with the basic academic skills necessary for undertaking specialized studies.

・As subjects related to the Gender and Literary Studies Project, the department offers the Faculty Common Subjects of “Introduction to Gender and Literary Studies,” “Seminar in Gender and Literary Studies” as well as the Department Subject of “Special Research on Gender and Literary Studies.” In these subjects, students learn interdisciplinary approaches to language and culture from the perspective of social, cultural, and historical gender, transcending the boundaries of disciplines.

[Assessment of Academic Achievements]

Assessment of academic achievements is conducted fairly and strictly in accordance with the performance assessment methods prescribed in the syllabus for each subject offered (regular examinations, reports, lecture presentations, etc.).

Department of Human Sciences, Faculty of Letters -Policies on Degree Awarding and Designing Curriculum

Policy on Graduation Approval and Degree Awarding (Diploma Policy)

[Educational Missions and Goals for the Awarding of Degrees]

　　By conducting comprehensive research and educational activities on human existence and development, focused on human life and interaction in society and culture, the Department of Human Sciences aims to nurture humans with the ability to contribute to the building of a society and culture in which each individual can live a full life. Students learn broadly and deeply about human beings through study in a diversity of fields including philosophy, education, psychology, music, and body culture studies.

[Skills and Abilities Students Are Expected to Acquire]

・The ability to think logically based on specialized understanding of human beings, development, and behavior.

・The ability to identify and analyze issues based on solid grounds

・The ability to cooperate with others and communicate in solving problems

[Requirements for Awarding of Degrees]

Policy for Designing and Implementing Curricula (Curriculum Policy)

[Curriculum Structure of the Department of Human Sciences]

The Department of Human Sciences offers two courses: Education-Philosophical Anthropology, which comprises the four fields of philosophy, education, music, and body culture; and Psychology, which enables students to study the field of psychology comprehensively from basic studies through to application. Students choose one of the two courses to study, but the curriculum has been structured so as to allow students to take subjects outside the framework of their course in accordance with the issues in which they are interested—for example, Child Studies related to studies are offered by both courses.

[Features of Educational Content and Methodology of the Department of Human Sciences]

・Education-Philosophical Anthropology comprises of the above four academic disciplines, thus applies a variety of research methods, including literature review, field research, and observations. Therefore, emphasis is placed on mastering the methodology for a respective field, e.g. “Practices in Education-Philosophy” and “Research Seminars.”

・In Psychology, students undertake study from both basic and applied aspects of psychology, mainly in the fields of developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, social psychology, and educational psychology. Our course places emphasis not only on theories, but also on mastering research methodologies—such as observations, interviews, surveys, and experiments—which can be learned in “Practices,” “Special Studies,” and “Seminars.” The course also offers subjects aimed at enabling students to acquire practical skills through visits to and hands-on experience at support and educational facilities.

[Assessment of Academic Achievements]