The Faculty of Interpersonal and Cross-cultural Understanding

The Faculty of Interpersonal and Cross-cultural Understanding offers a unique program of study based on the concept of 共生 (kyousei), meaning "peaceful co-existence", which focuses on the personal, cultural and social levels of interaction. Our faculty has three departments:

The Department of Multicultural Understanding

The Department of Multicultural Understanding is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary for life in the global society of the 21st century. The peace and happiness of our future society will depend on each person’s using these skills for the benefit of all. Students will cultivate cross-cultural communication skills and acquire foreign language competence so they can make a positive contribution to our global village. Our department has two programs:

Studies in Cultural Understanding

The main goal of this program of study is to raise internationally-minded people with the know-how and skills needed for conflict resolution and peace-building. Students also learn foreign languages and approaches to cross-cultural communication. The education and experiences in this course prepare students to act effectively to meet the needs of international society.

Studies in the English Language and Its Cultures

Within the framework of courses on multicultural understanding, this program of study provides an opportunity for students to use the English they have studied for the past six years at junior high and high school. They have a chance to develop useful language skills in a number of directions:

• Kids' English: Learning how to teach English to kindergarten and elementary school children.
• Study Abroad: Learning the language and skills needed to participate in St. Thomas University's Study Abroad programs. Every student who wishes to will have a chance to travel to a foreign country and use English there.
• Teaching License. Learning to be a fully qualified English teacher for junior high or high school.
• English for Tourism: Learning the English you need to take a trip to a foreign country, or to welcome guests from abroad in the Japanese tourism industry.

At the same time we give students the chance to improve their general level of English through courses in specific skills (reading, speaking, writing, listening) and courses designed to prepare students for tests such as TOEIC, TOEFL and Eiken.

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The Department of Human Development

The Department of Human Development is for people who wish to be actively involved in every field of human society, and have a deep understanding of the human mind and human development. We offer licenses in kindergarten and elementary school teaching, as well as psychology.

• 1st year: Students gain the basic knowledge and language skills necessary for a university education at STU and abroad.
• 2nd year: Students gain an understanding of the basics of psychology and/or education by studying fundamental notions and methods.
• 3rd year: Students extend their theoretical and practical knowledge of education and/or psychology.
• 4th year: Students pursue their interests, determining a research topic and examining it in detail.

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The Department of Human Studies

Students in the Department of Human Studies learn about the significance of topics such as human life and co-existence, and develop the ability to put this knowledge into actual practice in the real world. Students will develop the soft (human) skills necessary to contribute to international society, such as team-work, creative thinking and cross-cultural collaboration. The lessons are composed so as to imbue a sense of Catholic theology in the learning process.

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Licenses

St. Thomas University offers its students the opportunity to prepare special licenses and qualifications along with the regular coursework for their degrees. These generally require taking some extra classes and in some cases, practical training off campus. STU, J offers the following special licenses:

through the Department of Multicultural Understanding:

Junior and Senior High School Teaching License (English)
School Librarian's License

through the Department of Human Development:

Kindergarten Teacher's License
Elementary School Teacher's License
Certified Psychologist's License

through the Department of Human Studies:

Junior High School Teaching License (Social Studies)
Junior and Senior High School Teaching License (Religion)
Senior High School Teaching License (Civics)
Museum Curator's License

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Graduate Program: Faculty of Letters

Our graduate program allows students to pursue studies at both the Masters and Doctorate level. There are two areas of concentration within the Faculty of Letters:

Graduate Studies in the Culture of Religion

Based on the educational philosophy of St. Thomas, students in our program are immersed in the academic field of the multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. Our courses describe, compare, interpret, and explain religious phenomena, emphasizing systematic, historically-based, and cross-cultural perspectives.
Beside the attempt to understand the subject matter of religion from within the Christian tradition, it is possible to study human religious behavior and belief from outside any particular religious viewpoint. Our approach to Religious Studies draws upon multiple disciplines and their methodologies including anthropology, sociology, psychology, philosophy, and history of religion.

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Graduate Studies in Linguistics and British and American Literature

The graduate school offers study programs in English linguistics and the great tradition and heritage of English Literature, with a particular focus on British, Irish and U.S. literature. The most significant characteristic of this program is the development of a firm awareness of the rich diversity of the styles and expressions found in the English language. Under the guidance of the faculty members, this program aims to produce scholars with the temperament and abilities to assume leadership roles in this international age.