Master in International Studies

Yokohama, where our graduate program was established in 1990, is a port which promoted new engagement with the world at the end of the Edo period. Dr. James Hepburn built the foundation of Meiji Gakuin University here in Yokohama. The spirit of the university is to search for truth going beyond national borders, to act not just for personal profit but for the good of all, and to contribute to the world. Our graduate program has been striving to inherit this Meiji Gakuin spirit. Today, humankind is facing various global-scale problems and respective issues related to local communities. In order to cope with these challenges, scholars are in great need of both new networks with non-academic practical workers and transdisciplinary frameworks that would cut across conventional academic fields. The Graduate Program in International Studies strives to serve people who wish to devote themselves to this intellectual pursuit. The curriculum does not conform to conventional academic frameworks, but rather centers around three main pillars: Japanese and Asian Studies, Peace Studies, and International Community Studies. Graduate students deepen their study of a chosen field through focused individual guidance from the professor who will serve as chief examiner on their thesis, but may also take classes in different fields or receive guidance from other professors. In addition, the program has established a system for admitting people from various backgrounds who wish to pursue in-depth study of a subject related to their area of professional or non-academic experience, thereby opening the doors of the graduate school to motivated members of the community, regardless of their nationalities, with a desire to continue lifelong learning. We welcome applications from all individuals who want to join our Yokohama community in the pursuit of open-hearted learning.