Department of Art Studies

Art Studies

• Content and Characteristics
• Four-Year Program Flow
• Educational Objectives and Human Resource Development Objectives

Content and Characteristics

Musicology sequence

We examine the material of music in the present day in a multifaceted manner, based on history and theory. We make a wide-ranging study of the ethnic music and the popular music of Japan, the East, of all the regions of the world, from the classical to the present-day, learning the circumstances of music and building each our own musical world view.

Film art studies sequence

This department has a stock of over 10,000 videos. In the first and second years, you will accumulate a video experience by watching over 100 works of importance in film history. You will make a profound study of the relationship between film and culture, film and society, and other points of contact between history and criticism. There are also lectures in which videos made by students are critiqued.

Art history sequence

You will learn about the art history of the west, the east, and Japan. Art from every region of the world is an object of study, whether your aim is to become a researcher or curator, or whether you want to decode the visual images found in life.

Art media sequence

We place importance on media theories regarding art, performing arts that concentrate on theatrical performance, and other learning about art that occurs in practice. We cultivate messengers of true, actual art that transcends the barriers of genre.

General art sequence

This is a new sequence that was established in the 2014 academic year. We present a broad line-up of courses in the four specialized sequences of musicology, film art studies, art history, and art media. From them you will learn by a cross-disciplinary approach to cultivate a comprehensive understanding of the arts.

Museum curator course

Department of Art Studies offers the possibility of acquiring national certification as a museum curator. Curators are required not only to have specialized knowledge of art history and other specific fields, but also must have knowledge and skills regarding museum mission and administration, management and conservation of collected items, and methods for planning and implementing safe and effective displays.

Four-Year Program Flow

First year: Study all the specialized areas

In addition to the required course Outline of Art Studies, students take introductory lecture courses such as Overview of the History of Western Music, Overview of Western Art History, Overview of Japanese and Eastern Art History, Outline of Film History, Introduction to Media Theory, and Summary of Body Expression Theory.

Second year: Choose from five sequences

From the four specialized sequences of musicology, film art studies, art history, and art media, and the additional general art sequence, choose one and begin full-fledged study of it. We also offer numerous seminar-type lecture courses in which students read texts intensively in small groups, determine their topics, and give presentations.

Third and fourth years: Pursue more specialized study with an eye to the graduation thesis, and cultivate a comprehensive understanding of the arts

With participation by instructors who are leaders in their areas, we prepare lectures that convey more specialized knowledge. In the four specialized sequences that require a graduation thesis, students can work more closely with advisors to receive their guidance. In the general art sequence, students can pursue learning that cuts across the fields covered in the course clusters from the four specialized sequences in ways that fit with their own interests. It is also possible to take Outline of Museums, Museum Workshop, and other such courses to acquire museum curator certification.