University-wide Liberal Arts Courses
RIKKYO Learning Style
The “New Form” of Liberal Arts
Aiming to nurture cultivated persons with specialized knowledge
Since its foundation in 1874, Rikkyo University has held to its educational philosophy: liberal arts education.
Liberal arts education cultivates the whole character of an individual, respecting a balance of the intellectual, sensitive, and physical, and aims to nurture the various possibilities inherent to each and every person.
The University-wide Liberal Arts Courses, which all Rikkyo University students study together with the specialized subjects provided by their colleges, are a shared curriculum of subjects organized across the university for students of all colleges. The objective of this program is to foster broad knowledge and cultivation of education outside the boundaries of areas of specialization, as well as to develop people with a rich humanity and comprehensive decision-making skills. One could describe this curriculum a “new form” of university education that truly crystallizes Rikkyo liberal arts.
The aim of University-wide Liberal Arts Courses is not to develop specialized individuals with cultivated knowledge, but to nurture cultivated individuals with specialized knowledge.
We believe that by positioning the program in this way, liberal arts education (University-wide Liberal Arts Courses) and specialized education can enjoy an organic, mutual relationship, and this can also drive education and research in specialized fields—contributing to the growth of truly creative academic inquiry.
Since its foundation in 1874, Rikkyo University has held to its educational philosophy: liberal arts education.
Liberal arts education cultivates the whole character of an individual, respecting a balance of the intellectual, sensitive, and physical, and aims to nurture the various possibilities inherent to each and every person.
The University-wide Liberal Arts Courses, which all Rikkyo University students study together with the specialized subjects provided by their colleges, are a shared curriculum of subjects organized across the university for students of all colleges. The objective of this program is to foster broad knowledge and cultivation of education outside the boundaries of areas of specialization, as well as to develop people with a rich humanity and comprehensive decision-making skills. One could describe this curriculum a “new form” of university education that truly crystallizes Rikkyo liberal arts.
The aim of University-wide Liberal Arts Courses is not to develop specialized individuals with cultivated knowledge, but to nurture cultivated individuals with specialized knowledge.
We believe that by positioning the program in this way, liberal arts education (University-wide Liberal Arts Courses) and specialized education can enjoy an organic, mutual relationship, and this can also drive education and research in specialized fields—contributing to the growth of truly creative academic inquiry.
Taking Courses in University-wide Liberal Arts Courses
University-wide Liberal Arts Courses is a liberal arts subject group that serves as a part of each college’s education program, and, as the name suggests, is provided to undergraduate students across the entire university, from their first year to their fourth year.
There are two major pillars of this subject group: Language Courses, which cultivate the skills to communicate in a foreign language and respond to different cultures, and Comprehensive Courses, which foster general knowledge and sensitivity in response to the modern age, based on broad perspectives and general decision-making skills.
In order to graduate, students must acquire a certain number of credits specified for each college (or department/specialization/course) in both Language Courses and Comprehensive Courses.
There are two major pillars of this subject group: Language Courses, which cultivate the skills to communicate in a foreign language and respond to different cultures, and Comprehensive Courses, which foster general knowledge and sensitivity in response to the modern age, based on broad perspectives and general decision-making skills.
In order to graduate, students must acquire a certain number of credits specified for each college (or department/specialization/course) in both Language Courses and Comprehensive Courses.
Language Courses
The goal of Language Courses is to deepen understanding of different cultures, with a view toward coexistence in multicultural society, and to acquire language proficiency, in order to communicate with various people from different cultures. Based on this idea, the Language Courses component of University-wide Liberal Arts Courses requires two languages including English. In addition to English (Language A), students can choose one of German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Russian, or Japanese to study as Language B. Russian is available to students of the College of Arts only, while Japanese can only be selected by international students as a required subject (excluding the Course in German Literature and Course in French Literature in the College of Arts’ Department of Letters).
Through study of multiple languages (plurilingualism), we strive toward an education that gives all students the skills to perform as truly globally-minded people, equipped multifaceted ways of thinking.
Through study of multiple languages (plurilingualism), we strive toward an education that gives all students the skills to perform as truly globally-minded people, equipped multifaceted ways of thinking.
Comprehensive Courses
In this modern age where values are diversifying and the structure of society is becoming increasingly complex, in order to accurately anticipate the future and solve problems, Comprehensive Courses aims to have students deeply explore their areas of specialization, as well as enthusiastically learn from diverse areas of specialization in order to adopt wide-ranging perspectives.
Comprehensive Courses is divided into three subject groups: Introduction to Academic Studies, Cross-disciplinary Studies, and General Sports Studies. The subjects under these groups are provided to foster comprehensive decision-making skills and deep, human understanding and values that transcend the barriers of specialized fields, depending on the students’ three phases of study, the Introduction Phase, Development Phase, and Completion Phase.
Comprehensive Courses is divided into three subject groups: Introduction to Academic Studies, Cross-disciplinary Studies, and General Sports Studies. The subjects under these groups are provided to foster comprehensive decision-making skills and deep, human understanding and values that transcend the barriers of specialized fields, depending on the students’ three phases of study, the Introduction Phase, Development Phase, and Completion Phase.