Academics
Faculty of Letters
The Faculty of Letters, established in 1951, offers a wide range of programs in the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, including 13 different departments and a program: Japanese Literature, English Studies, German Studies, French Studies, Chinese Studies, Japanese History, Asian and African History, European and American History, Philosophy, Sociology, Socio Informatics, Education, Psychology, and Interdisciplinary Studies.
The Faculty aims to cultivate students with an understanding of human beings and society along with the skills to continue learning throughout their lives in a society where we must all face a broad range of challenges. Students at the Faculty are provided with various learning opportunities to explore “what humans and society are, and how they should relate to one another as well as how students can integrate themselves within such an intricate society.” Our educational goals are to nurture students’ capacity for insight, broaden their perspectives, and enhance their communication skills, and thus to enrich their minds.
Due to our broad-ranging and flexible curricula, students can choose their own combination of courses from among more than 600, including literature, history, philosophy, pedagogy, psychology, sociology, communication, and many more. They also take courses in subjects ranging from classical literature to present-day areas such as career design. Students can make the most of small-group classes and seminars where they exchange views and participate in discussion. Moreover, students can take advantage of major-specific library collections with plenty of materials, and consult with members of the academic staff regarding their research specialties.
Departments:
Japanese Literature
English Studies
German Studies
French Studies
Chinese Studies
Japanese History
Asian and African History
European and American History
Philosophy
Sociology
Socio-Informatics
Education
Psychology
Interdisciplinary Studies Program
Date of Founding: 1951
Campus: Tama Campus
Number of Students: Undergraduate Student Enrollment
Social events for international students in the Faculty of Letters
On October 28th 2011, the Faculty of Letters organized its first social event for international students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs in the Faculty.
Fifty international students, including degree-seeking students, exchange students, graduate students and research students, joined the event and enjoyed talking with members of the academic and administrative staff of the Faculty. While international students shared frank stories about their lives in Japan in general and their lives at Chuo in particular, several professors introduced courses that may be of interest to international students and encouraged them to join in and exchange views with Japanese students.
The Faculty of Letters is pleased to take this occasion to promote interaction between faculty and students, and to further opportunities for networking events for both international and Japanese students.
The 125th Anniversary: Hiraki Ukiyo-e Collection
Chuo University celebrated the 125th anniversary of its foundation in 2010. The Faculty of Letters has commemorated the occasion by holding an exhibition of masterpieces from the Hiraki Ukiyo-e Museum’s collection. This is a world-renowned collection that includes many important cultural assets of Japan. For this event we placed on exhibit a special selection of rarely seen ukiyo-e masterpieces that are among the pride of Japan. We also held an international symposium entitled “What was Ukiyo-e? On the Cultural History of Ukiyo-e,” which included panelists from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. In numbers far exceeding expectations, visitors to the exhibition and participants at the symposium clearly recognized the significance of these traditional assets. The Faculty of Letters hopes to continue to find opportunities in the future to disseminate information about examples of traditional Japanese heritage throughout the world.
The True Nature of “Bun-gakubu” - The Faculty of Letters
In Japanese, the term Bun-gakubu (文学部) is often understood as Bungaku-bu, that is, a faculty where students study literature. However, the word actually originates from Bun (文), meaning “letters” or “writing.” In that sense, the Faculty of Letters is not just about literature, but about exploring human thought and activity as expressed and recorded through written language.
The Faculty of Letters has its roots in the study of history, literature, and philosophy, disciplines deeply connected with the written word. However, human activities extend into diverse fields such as sociology which studies human relationships, and psychology which seeks to understand human beings. Currently, the Faculty of Letters offers opportunities to study 13 majors and has launched a new interdisciplinary program, “Manabi no Passport Program (learning passport program)” in AY2021.
It might be difficult to fully grasp the true nature of the Faculty of Letters by simply looking at the names of its majors.
For instance, if you wish to study drama or art, you will find that several instructors in our faculty specializing in these areas and we also offer cross-sectional courses. Approximately 90 full-time faculty members belong to the Faculty of Letters, each representing diverse academic fields. Including concurrent lecturers, the faculty offers over 700 courses. We are confident that you will discover new areas of knowledge and encounter subjects that inspire you to explore in depth within the Faculty of Letters.
Some say that the Faculty of Letters has a disadvantage regarding employment after graduation, leading some to hesitate or even give up on enrolling in the Faculty of Letters for that reason. However, such misconceptions certainly do not apply to the Faculty of Letters at Chuo University. According to the data from AY 2024, Chuo University, as a whole, recorded a job placement rate of 97.3 %, while the Faculty of Letters achieved 96.2%.
In conclusion, the Faculty of Letters is a multifaceted environment where your intellectual curiosity can flourish, and where your learning becomes a bridge to your future.
Akira MIDORIKAWA Dean, Faculty of Letters
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