Faculty of Cultural Studies

From Kyoto to Japan to Asia and the world understanding diverse cultures.

The Faculty of Cultural Studies aims to produce welleducated individuals who are capable of flexible decisionmaking and able to address issues of culture relating to people’s everyday lives from a global perspective, starting with an understanding of the cultures of Kyoto and Japan.
Students investigate many cultures of the world, acquire a high level of English-speaking ability, and engage often in original education/research utilizing their base in Kyoto with its extensive historical and cultural traditions.

Basic courses essential to cultural research

The Faculty of Cultural Studies separates its curriculum into basic courses, advanced courses, practicum courses, and related courses in this specialized area of education. First-year students attend lectures on basic subjects to gain a feel for culture in a broad sense.

Four separate culture programs in advanced courses

For the advanced courses that are taken starting in the second year, students choose a major in one of four groupings as part of international cultural studies—Japanese, Asian, European, or American culture. With this four-culture program, students are encouraged to take courses in other groupings, and strive to deepen their core understanding of multiple cultures.

Practicum courses for more extensive cultural research

In the basic practicum courses taken in the second year, students find a cultural research area to pursue, in which they will then take practicum courses during their third and fourth years; this represents the culmination of their individual research and the completion of their four years of study.

Related courses expand educational breadth

Related courses include such topics as performing arts culture, music culture, and sports and health culture, allowing for the study of a wealth of topics that form a part of culture.
Also, undergraduate programs are offered for obtaining job qualifications—junior high school and high school English teaching licenses, licenses to become a librarian, museum curator, and school librarian/educator.

Since last year, the faculty has made English courses compulsory in the upper years as part of its plan to boost students’ English-language ability for comparing world cultures, so as to further improve their scholastic ability. To mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the university, the faculty is about to start fundamental restructuring efforts to further upgrade its educational offerings.