Curriculum
Features
The curriculum at Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC) is centered around "Research Seminars" and "Graduation Projects", which are composed of Advanced Subjects and Fundamental Subjects that introduce and strengthen the students to these courses.
Acquire fundamental knowledge essential for today's world
Together with fellow students, acquire the basic skills for academic research by studying required subjects such as foreign languages, fundamentals of information technology, data science, and wellness. At the same time, students are given the opportunity to explore areas of interest and discover or rediscover problems they wish to solve by taking a variety of courses.
Any course in any year level
SFC's curriculum is not bound by existing academic frameworks and is not differentiated by year level. Unlike most universities in Japan, where students accumulate their knowledge from the basics to specialized fields within a set course of study at each year level, courses at SFC are not arranged by year level allowing students to take courses as they wish. Even first-year students are able to participate in "Kenkyukai" research seminars, which are the core of SFC's research activities. At SFC, students are able to take classes including research seminars from both the Faculty of Policy Management and the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies. This is a major feature of SFC's education. In addition, students are able to choose courses that are offered in both Japanese and English.
Project-based learning
The core of the curriculum at SFC is "Kenkyukai" research seminars. Each Kenkyukai at SFC engages with practical and advanced research activities, which take in joint research with companies as well as research commissioned by government offices. Students participate in these research activities to tackle current problems in society and to acquire "practical knowledge" supported by advanced expertise. We also encourage off-campus learning and research activities to facilitate a variety of learning opportunities. This includes study abroad, overseas language programs, and internships. In order to pursue expertise in their respective fields from the undergraduate level, we promote a cooperative research system in which faculty members, graduate students, and undergraduate students work together. Rather than faculty members imparting knowledge in a one-way manner to students, we expect students to act as "equal partners" in research. We believe that both the experience and broad network of faculty members and the ideas and power of young students are indispensable for advanced research.
About Subjects
Fundamental Subjects
These subjects aim to build a foundation vital to all SFC students regardless of faculty. From an early stage after entering the University, students can make course plans with the aim of acquiring the language skills, methods for thought, and techniques necessary for their Seminar and Graduation Project. Through these basic courses, some of which are required and some compulsory electives, students will continuously build on their foundations through study in fields of their individual interests.
Students can acquire true competency through Intensive courses that meet four times a week in small groups, theme-based Skill courses, and overseas language programs where they can directly experience the living language. In other words, students will attain a high level of foreign language skills that can be utilized in document research and thesis writing, debate and negotiation, and fieldwork and presentations.
Advanced Subjects
While taking the Fundamental Subjects mentioned above, students will take Advanced Subjects that will lead them into their Seminar and Graduation Project. Advanced Subjects are composed of specialized and leading-edge courses that prepare students to conduct sound research for their Seminar and Graduation Project.
Research Seminar - "kenkyukai"
What is "kenkyukai" (Research Seminar)?
The Research Seminar (Kenkyukai) is central to activities at SFC where faculty members and students work together on a diversity of issues as a prelude to the Graduation Project. At SFC, students do not merely learn answers to given problems. Education at SFC aims to nurture and send out leaders of the future who are able to identify problems and create methods of resolving them. Towards this goal, the Seminar at SFC goes beyond the typical seminar or study group, and many research seminars are engaged in advanced activities such as collaborative research with businesses and research commissioned by government agencies. Through participation in such research, students work on real problems in society and gain a high level of expertise, and with this in hand, they embark on their Graduation Project that will be their "fruit of designing the future" as well as a personal proposal as they advance towards the future as individuals. For this reason, the research seminar is at the core of the curriculum.
In principle, you can register for up to 6 credits of research seminars each semester (Spring and Fall) from your second year. Some first-year students with excellent abilities may also register for a research seminar.
Graduation Project
As a culmination of studies at SFC centering on the Seminar (Kenkyukai), all students produce a written thesis or create a work. Each student draws on the full resources of the creative, highly advanced skill set acquired at SFC to independently work towards the achievement of research results needed for graduation. These results can take the form of a thesis, other work, or notable research findings. The Graduation Project is the consolidation of a student's research into a tangible form such as a thesis or work, and should be completed while consulting with the student's Graduation Project mentor over the course of two semesters, after which it must be evaluated and approved.
Graduation Projects that are recommended as particularly outstanding will be awarded on the SFC website.
Japanese Language Study
Taking Japanese language courses is not mandatory for graduation. However, as over 1000 courses are offered in Japanese, we strongly recommend students take the Japanese language courses and gain the skills to significantly broaden their options when making course selections. Moreover, many of the students at SFC join research seminars (kenkyukai) from the second year. Having these language skills will allow them to have a better understanding of other students' presentations and participate in discussions.
A majority of international students begin their Japanese language studies immediately after entering the University and earn credits for courses conducted in Japanese. As well as by fulfilling certain requirements by the time of graduation, students are able to earn a GIGA certificate. The curriculum is designed so that students who have no prior Japanese language skills can achieve N2-level Japanese language skills by continuously taking these courses for four years.
We believe that studying the Japanese language is inevitably the best option since it will help students become more accustomed to their life in Japan, socialize in-depth with their peers, and have the opportunity to take advantage of the wide variety of courses offered at SFC. Moreover, we hope that students will learn more about Japanese culture, and its modern society, and gain a deeper understanding of Japan in order to see the world from a global point of view. This opportunity to learn the Japanese language will give you the advantage of opening many new doors for your future.