Master’s Program

Educational Mission

Our MA program seeks to foster professionals with advanced analytic ability, who are capable of pursuing agendas such as building order and peace in the international community, promoting sustainable development, and solving the problems of multicultural societies. We aim to foster such ability by equipping students with interdisciplinary and multifaceted perspectives based on specialized knowledge of international relations and skills in inter-cultural communications.

Diploma Policy

The GSIR, as an institution for interdisciplinary studies of international relations, seeks to develop researchers who can explore various political, economic, and cultural issues in a globalizing world and foster professionals with practical ability and advanced knowledge of international relations. To meet these aims, GSIR sets four areas of competency which students have to acquire during the Master’s program.

The four competencies are deemed acquired when students earn necessary credits according to the curriculum policy and curriculum map and fulfill all requirements for completing the Master’s thesis.

1. Interest, motivation, and attitude
   Students should have broad interests in current conditions in their specialized field and compile their research into an academic paper.
2. Deliberation and judgment
   Students should be able to analyze issues in international relations based on advanced academic knowledge of international relations.
3. Knowledge and understanding
   Students should possess knowledge of their specialized fields and their particular research areas. They can use this knowledge in their analysis of relevant issues.
4. Skills and expression
   Students should possess academic skills such as the ability to understand and analyze a variety of materials and documents, a knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies in the social sciences. They should acquire practical language abilities to carry out their research and publish the outcomes.

Master’s Thesis Requirements and Evaluation Criteria

The thesis must;

1. fulfill the requirements regarding the required number of words.
2. be formatted appropriately
3. include an abstract.
4. be sufficiently grounded in previous academic works in the relevant field.
5. for empirical research: must demonstrate an accurate understanding of the facts. For theoretical research: it must contain a critical review of relevant theories.
6. be organized appropriately into chapters, sections, etc., and show logical consistency (logical development and linkage of each chapter/section)
7. demonstrate a reasonable contribution to the relevant field
8. defend the thesis well during the oral defense

Curriculum Policy

In order to achieve its education goals specified in the curriculum policy, the GSIR designs the curriculum in the following four areas of competency.

1. Interest, motivation, and attitude
   Students should have broad interests in current conditions in their specialized fields and compile their research into an academic paper.
2. Deliberation and judgment
   Core courses will help students to analyze issues in international relations based on academic knowledge of international relations.
3. Knowledge and understanding
   Advanced courses help students to acquire knowledge of their specialized fields and their particular research areas and use this knowledge in their analysis of relevant issues.
4. Skills and expression
   Advanced Courses and Advanced Seminar should help students to acquire academic skills such as the ability to understand and analyze a variety of materials and documents, a knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies in the social sciences. They also assist the students in acquiring practical language abilities to carry out their research and publish the outcomes.

Admission Policy

The GSIR MA Program welcomes applicants who seek to acquire interdisciplinary and multifaceted perspectives grounded in their knowledge of international relations, capacity in multicultural communication in order to pursue careers related to building order and peace in the international community, promoting sustainable developments, and solving problems that arise in a multicultural society

Ph.D. Program

Educational Mission

The Graduate School of International Relations (GSIR) is committed to excellence in graduate training. The GSIR’s general mission is to produce 1) produce scholars of international relations who can contribute to the better understanding of political, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of globalizing societies with interdisciplinary social-scientific approaches; 2) professionals in various fields, who possess the knowledge and skills rooted in the academic background of international relations, to solve problems in international community

Diploma Policy

The GSIR, as an institution for interdisciplinary studies of international relations, seeks to foster researchers who can explore various political, economic, and cultural issues in a globalizing world and train professionals with practical ability and advanced knowledge of international relations. To meet these aims, the GSIR sets four areas of competency which students have to acquire during the doctoral program.

The four competencies are deemed acquired when students earn necessary credits according to the curriculum policy and curriculum map and fulfill all requirements for completing the doctoral thesis.

1. Interest, motivation, and attitude
   Students should have broad interests in current conditions in their specialized field and compile their research into an academic paper to meet the high scholarly standard.
2. Deliberation and judgment
   Students should be able to carry out advanced analysis of issues in international relations based on sound academic knowledge of international relations.
3. Knowledge and understanding
   Students should possess advanced knowledge of their specialized fields and their particular research areas. They can use this knowledge in their advanced analysis of relevant issues.
4. Skills and expression
   Students should possess advanced academic skills such as the ability to understand and analyze a variety of materials and documents, a knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies in the social sciences. They should acquire advanced language abilities to carry out their research and publish the outcomes to meet the high scholarly standard.

Doctoral Thesis Requirements and Evaluation Criteria

The thesis must;

1. fulfill the requirements regarding the required number of words.
2. be formatted appropriately
3. include an abstract.
4. be firmly grounded in, and add a substantial contribution to, previous academic works in the relevant field.
5. for empirical research: must demonstrate an accurate understanding of the facts. For theoretical research: it must contain a critical review as well as a synthesis of relevant theories.
6. be organized appropriately into chapters and sections, and show logical consistency throughout.
7. demonstrate a substantial contribution to the relevant field.
8. defend the thesis well during the final doctoral defense

Curriculum Policy

In order to achieve its education goals specified for the doctoral program, the GSIR designs the curriculum in the following four areas of competency.

The Doctoral program provides a compulsory course, Kenkyu Shido Enshu (Academic Guidance Seminar), to nurture student’s academic competence and support them in carrying out their research plan.

1. Interest, motivation, and attitude
   Students should have broad interests in current debates in their specialized and adjacent fields and compile their research into an academic paper to meet the high scholarly standard.
2. Deliberation and judgment
   Academic guidance seminar helps students to analyze issues in international relations based on advanced academic knowledge of international relations.
3. Knowledge and understanding
   Academic guidance seminar helps students to acquire advanced knowledge of their specialized fields and their particular research areas and use this knowledge in their analysis of relevant issues.
4. Skills and expression
   Academic guidance seminar helps students to acquire advanced academic skills such as the ability to understand and analyze a variety of materials and documents, a knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods in the social sciences. They also assist the students in acquiring practical language abilities to carry out their research and publish the outcomes to meet the high scholarly standard.

Admission Policy

The GSIR’s Doctoral Program welcomes applicants who wish to acquire interdisciplinary and multifaceted perspectives grounded in their advanced knowledge of international relations and capacity in multicultural communication in order to pursue careers related to building order and peace in the international community, promoting sustainable developments, and solving problems that arise in a multicultural society. All students admitted to the program are expected to earn a Ph.D. degree successfully within a set period and pursue careers as researchers at various higher education and research institutes including universities, and advanced professional careers that require a relevant and advanced academic qualification, including various international organizations.