Faculty of Liberal Arts (FLA) Degree
ABOUT THIS DEGREE
The Faculty of Liberal Arts is a cosmopolitan community of scholars and students, who are brought together in Yotsuya by the shared goal of pursuing knowledge. In the first two semesters our students go through an intensive program that provides them with the core competencies and skills—most importantly critical thinking—necessary for academic pursuit. They subsequently proceed to select their courses from a wide and diverse range of disciplinary majors, from the humanities and social sciences to business studies and economics. The ultimate goal of our liberal arts education is to provide students with an all-round education so that they can grow to be the masters of their own lives. At the FLA, we firmly believe that only knowledge grounded on a deep understanding of humanity, history and the world can equip students with the practical skills and broad perspective that are essential in this age of globalization.
A Liberal Arts Education that cultivates globally competent individuals as a pioneer of international education in Japan for more than half a century, the Faculty of Liberal Arts has been providing a liberal arts education that fosters wide-ranging knowledge and logical thinking skills in English. The program offers basic education for freshmen and three specialised fields (Comparative Culture, International Business and Economics, Social Studies) one of which is selected as a major during the second half of the sophomore year. By developing advanced language skills, outstanding expertise and proficiency in intercultural communication, they educate “globally competent” individuals who can play active roles in international organizations, multinational enterprises, and other globally active organizations.
3 majors to choose from at the end of first term in your sophomore year (2nd year):
Click in to know the full list of modules in each major.
Comparative Culture | The Comparative Culture major follows an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge in the three fields of Art History, Literature, and Religion-Philosophy. By studying these fields, students learn method for understanding the cultural expression of human spirit, emotions, thoughts, and aspirations as well as the societies and institutions from which they arose. |
International Business and Economics | Courses offered in the International Business and Economics major focus on developing skills in theoretical and empirical analysis and learning to apply these skills to real-world economic phenomena and managerial problems. The focus is on the international dimensions of business and economics. Within this global context, special attention is given to Japanese business and economic studies. |
Social Studies | The Social Studies major, consisting of Anthropology-Sociology, History, and Political Science, provides students with historical, comparative, and theoretical insights into the processes that constitute civilisations and society. Courses consider how particular societies and cultures have changed over time, patterns of similarity and difference, and how these processes have been depicted in popular and scholarly imagination. Advanced courses encourage first-hand study of social phenomena through collection and analysis of original data. |
YOUR FOUR-YEAR CURRICULUM FLOW
The curriculum of the Faculty of Liberal Arts enables students to acquire a strong academic foundation and intellectual orientation before selecting a disciplinary major. During the first year, students are required to take “core courses” which train them thoroughly in critical thinking skills as well as in writing and public speaking skills. Students also start taking introductory courses in a range of academic disciplines. From the second year onward, the FLA curriculum requires students to select one out of three majors (Comparative culture, International Business and Economics, or Social studies). In the junior and senior years, students take advanced courses in their selected major, while continuing to take courses outside their major. Many students also take advantage of the numerous short-term and long-term study abroad programs to enrich their educational experience.
FLA Core Program
The Core Program, compulsory for all FLA degree students during the first and second years of study, enhances students' writing, public speaking, and critical thinking skills, and prepares students for specialised study. Students are assigned to the appropriate level in the Core Program based on an English placement test that all students take upon entering the Faculty.
Courses covered in Core Program:
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Academic English Skills
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English Composition 1
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English Composition 2
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Public Speaking
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Thinking Processes
General Studies
General Studies (GS) courses allow students to study beyond a specialized area, facilitating interdisciplinary understanding of academic fields and reflection upon fundamental human and social issues. The scope of courses is broad, and, in addition to Studies in Christian Humanism, Language, Health and Physical Education, offers GS distribution courses in three categories: The Legacy of the Past, Cultural Traditions, and The Contemporary World. Furthermore, the various Elective Courses allow students to acquire a solid foundation in Computer Studies, Environmental Issues, Geography, Mathematics and Statistics.
Learn a language
Students can choose one language from the university's language program: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, or Tagalog.
FEES AND AIDS
Entrance fee: | ¥200,000 (one-time fee upon admission) |
Tuition Fee: | ¥998,000 per year |
Semester Enrollment Fee | ¥60,000 per year |
Education Enhancement Fee | ¥230,000 per year |
Premium for Personal Accident | ¥2,650 (for 4 years) |
Insurance for Students pursuing Education and Research | ¥1,400 (for 2 years) |
Total fees (for one year): | ¥1,490,650 |
Tuition fee, Semester Enrolment Fee, and Education Enhancement Fee are paid on semester basis. Displayed amount is an annual amount.
Various types of scholarships and financial aid are available. There are some scholarships that the applicants can apply for at the time of admission application. Other scholarship applications are accepted after entrance to the University. For more information and the application forms, please refer to the attached brochure here.
*For more or updated information, refer to the Sophia University Website!