Introduction of the Graduate School (Department of Law and Politics)

The Department of Law and Politics of the Graduate School of Law and Politics at Tokyo Metropolitan University Graduate School is made up of the Division of Law and the Division of Political Science. Courses in both Divisions aim to train researchers devoted to conducting high-level specialized research, and also university professors. To this end, this department is characterized by its vibrant research and educational environment.

First, many small group seminars are held by professors in the department, and students are able to receive attentive tutelage regarding their specialized subjects, up to and including guidance on dissertations.

Second, regardless of whether they are enrolled in master’s courses or doctoral courses graduate students will be provided with their own carrel to do their research. In addition to access to the Law and Politics Library with about 200,000 specialized books, students will also have access to the books and resources of the university’s Library and Academic Information Center .

Third, graduate students will be able to submit their research findings to the “Law Association Journal” (edited by the Tokyo Metropolitan University Law Association), which, as a research forum for both students and faculty alike, is published biannually.

1  The Division of Law

1. Characteristics of the Division of Law

Our aim in the field of law is to train spirited legal researchers who can perform research independently. We do so by providing a broad education.

In response to the advancement and diversification within the fields of law, our university provides many subjects requiring “specialized research” such as Public Law, International Law, Civil Law, Commercial Law, Criminal Law, Social Law, Economic Law, and Basic Jurisprudence, in both the master’s and doctoral courses. In addition, “comprehensive seminars on law” are provided. In these seminars students carry out interdisciplinary debates, which serve as golden opportunities for students to receive detailed academic guidance.

Students that complete the master’s courses will receive a Master’s degree (Law) and students that complete the doctoral courses of the Doctoral program will receive a Doctoral degree (Law).

2. “Comprehensive Seminars on Law” which Conduct Debates that Transcend Fields

The “comprehensive seminars on law,” which have been held continuously since the time of the Department of Jurisprudence, encourage interdisciplinary debates among all participating graduate students and faculty members in the Division of law.

In the comprehensive seminars on law, graduate students are required to give oral interim presentations of either their Master’s or Doctoral thesis, but also get a chance to hear professors’ presentations on their latest research results, and to take part in interdisciplinary debates. For graduate students who are about to begin their research, this will be an opportunity to learn the basic skills of academic research, which are necessary to advance the research of their field of interest from an interdisciplinary perspective.

3. Career Paths Following Completion of Graduate School

The Department of Jurisprudence of the Graduate School of Social Sciences at the former Tokyo Metropolitan University has trained many excellent legal scholars. Our department inherits this great tradition and we will continue to train personnel that will be active in academic communities in the future. Furthermore, we will strengthen our ties with outside researchers and institutions, and further expand opportunities for our students to succeed.

2  The Division of Political Science

1. Characteristics of the Division of Political Science

Our goal in the Division of Political Science is to train political scientists that possess a high-degree of specialized skills and broad perspectives on political issues. Throughout the master’s and doctoral courses, we focus on intensive basic training of research methods in political science, whereby we provide an education suited to the interests and career paths of the students.

Students that complete master’s courses will receive a Master’s degree (Political Science) and students that complete the doctoral courses of the Doctoral program will receive a Doctoral degree (Political Science).

2. “Comprehensive Seminars on Politics” with an Established Reputation

The “jewel-in-the-crown” of our curriculum in the field of politics rests in the “comprehensive seminars on politics” (required class).

In the comprehensive seminars on politics, in which all graduate students and faculty members of the Division of Political Science participate, the graduate students submit their tentative research thesis to the rest of the participants, who are then called on to evaluate the thesis. In this way, the students will learn how to conduct research, and how to make effective presentations, while at the same time getting a bird’s-eye view of political science.

The comprehensive seminars on politics celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2004. This traditional method, which is unique to the Field of Politics, has placed enormous importance on close intellectual exchanges between teachers and graduate students, and as such has also received high marks by external evaluators.

3. Career Paths following Completion of Graduate School

The Department of Politics of Tokyo Metropolitan University Graduate School, the predecessor to the Division of Political Science, had an established reputation in academic communities as a research-oriented institution, and has produced many political scientists. Currently, the Division of Political Science holds study groups regularly with researchers from within and without the university, and continues to explore and join in new forms of intellectual networks in politics involving international joint-research and exchanges.