Department of French Literature
Department of English
Department of French Literature
Department of Art Studies
Break through boundaries and move far beyond your life as it is now
Rather than pondering what you want to do, or what you can do, another option is to boldly plunge into a situation that is completely unlike your current environment. By experiencing many new encounters, you might discover a style that is uniquely yours…
Through courses in the Department of French Literature, you will encounter a wide range of exciting figures from various periods, from medieval bards to modern painters, novelists, twentieth-century thinkers, and film directors. As you come into contact with their unexpected words and curious ideas, you will develop a new and different awareness that will give you a deeper understanding of yourself and a keener sense of your world.
Department of French Literature
Key Features of the Department of French Literature
Point 01
A thorough language learning curriculum
Most of the students who enter the Department will be studying French for the first time. Many worry at first whether they will be able to keep up, but we take a slow and steady approach from the very beginning. Students are required to take courses taught by native French speakers from their first year, where they acquire practical language skills.
Point 02
An extensive range of programs for study abroad
In addition to a long-term program lasting one year and short-term programs during the spring and summer vacations, we also offer a medium-length study-abroad program that lasts six months. The latter is a perennial favorite as students can still graduate in four years. A scholarship system is available to support medium-length and long-term study-abroad programs.
Point 03
Diverse ways to access French culture
The Department is characterized by its diverse approach to the cultures of French-speaking countries, which are accessed through the study of aspects such as language, literature, history, thought, art, and film. You are unlikely to find many examples of French literature and culture departments in other universities where you will experience such broad exposure. As a result, our many unique and highly individual students go on to pursue a wide range of career paths.
Point 04
Seminars and the graduation thesis
All students participate in seminars in their third and fourth years, where they conduct research based on a specific theme. They are also required to write a graduation thesis, an endeavor that will undoubtedly help develop skills in areas such as problem-solving, comprehension, and writing, all of which continue to be necessary in adult life. The sense of accomplishment upon completion of your thesis will be a treasured joy of your university life.
Program Structure
Learning French is the first step toward understanding what French culture is all about. From their third year, students take a wide variety of specialized courses from among three subject groups and enroll in small-group seminars (exercises). The four years of study culminate with a required graduation thesis, through which students learn how to persuasively develop their own theories.
Topics
Study of Stage Performance
Students perform a selected play in French. A modern play is chosen that matches the number of students in the course. By playing the role of someone who differs from us, we deepen our understanding of others and rediscover ourselves.
Philosophy and Human Being
Students engage in deep reads of classic works of modern philosophy, with a focus on France. They read the specified range of works before attending each class and discuss what they have read. We reconsider how to define humanity from a contemporary perspective, taking into account the dramatic changes in society since the modern era.
