Global Liberal Arts Program
No matter which school students are enrolled in, everyone starts with classes in the Global Liberal Arts Program. This program covers not only the liberal arts but also the sciences so as to give students the foundation they need to live and work in the global era.
Developing language skills
In addition to the major language of the region selected at the time of admission, students take English courses or a combination of several languages according to their own interests or needs.
- Major language courses (School of Language and Culture Studies / School of Japan Studies) See: Major Languages
- GLIP English courses
- Fundamental Japanese courses (School of Japan Studies)
- World languages courses
- Major Japanese language courses
- Area language courses (German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Arabic)
Deepening regional understanding
The purpose of this program is to deepen students’ understanding of the regions in which they are majoring by providing them with a comprehensive overview of regional cultures and societies from a variety of perspectives.
- Area related courses (School of Languages and Culture / School of International and Area Studies) See: Major Areas
Mastering the skills of academic literacy
Foundation courses provide students with instruction on the basic skills and methods of logical thinking that are necessary for university-level academic study.
- Academic Literacy: Taught separately in each School
- Basic Seminars (School of Language and Culture Studies / School of International and Area Studies):
Academic writing and presentation skills: Fundamentals of academic writing in college, writing reports and theses, corpus analysis for students of linguistics and language, social sciences, Anglosphere research, being on your own, psychology and cross-cultural communication; discussions, presentations, performances, etc.
Acquiring a broad education
Courses are designed to give a firm grounding in the basic knowledge and skills needed in today’s society, as well as to cover a broad range of educational subjects.
- Contemporary liberal arts courses
- General courses on Japan
- World language courses
- Onsite education courses
- Natural science courses
- Sports courses
- Career and collaboration courses
Basic educational subjects (examples)
Civic Initiatives / Global society and Local Society / Multiculturalism in Society / Business Administration for Career Building / Linguistics for Everyone / Statistics for Everyone / History for Everyone (Japanese History, World History) / Philosophy / Constitution / Mental Science / Culture and Arts / Information Skills / Health and Medicine / Ecology and Science / Aspects of Teaching Japanese to Speakers of Other Languages / Aspects of Contemporary Japan / Aspects of the Japanese Language / Aspects of Japanese Literature and Culture / Aspects of Japanese History / Career Designing / Career Trial / Social Collaboration / Short-term overseas study / Study Tours, etc.
Mastering the English language
At TUFS and at host universities for those who choose to study abroad, it is imperative that students be able to understand lectures given in English and communicate their own ideas in English. The English language courses under the Global Linkage Initiative Program (GLIP) are designed to take students from high school English to the advanced level required for this. The classes are also provided in ascending stages from academic to career level. Students can take the classes they need to meet their various objectives and majors, whether for studying abroad, getting a job, or matriculating to graduate school. Likewise, the courses are also open to students who wish to improve their English ability through the GLIP English classes, but who are not English majors.
In addition to English language courses, TUFS also offers classes taught in English, provides English language study support through its English Learning Center (ELC), and numerous opportunities for students to improve their ability in English as a global language through studying in classes with foreign exchange students and participating in intercultural activities.