With Christianity as its main focus, the Graduate School of Christian Studies nurtures understanding of mankind and the world, history and society, and art and culture.
Rikkyo University has established the Graduate School of Christian Studies to emphasize its guiding principle of education based on Christian values handed down since its foundation in 1874 by missionaries of the American Episcopal Church, creating a newly enhanced center for Christian and theological studies in Japan. The Graduate School of Christian Studies will enable students to carry out specialized, comprehensive research in five fields: Theology and Ideology, the Bible and History, Art and Culture, Field Studies, and Church Music without limiting themselves to one specific field. The graduate school’s field of study (first stage of the program) comprises two courses.
(1) The Christian Studies Research Course carries out advanced research and education on Christian studies. This course serves as the central axis of the graduate school.
(2) The Williams Course is a course commemorating Bishop Channing Moore Williams, the founder of Rikkyo University, which allows students to acquire a master’s degree in one year. It is aimed at people working on the front lines of Christian missions such as priests, pastors and chaplains, Bible and religious department teaching faculty, organists and choir directors, or staff members of Christian NGOs and NPOs. In addition, the graduate school will set up an Authorization Acquisition System for non-degree students and the like. In addition to the standard credit certificate, a special Authorization Certificate will be issued to students who have take any one of four courses on: (1) how to play the organ; (2) how to lead a chorus or choir; (3) service learning; or (4) clinical psychology and pastoral practice.
