YOKOHAMA Creative-City Studies (YCCS) Program Bachelor’s Degree Program (Taught in English)

New B.A. program taught in English starting in October 2013

Program Outline

Yokohama National University (YNU) seeks adventurous, world-class students for the pioneering first cohort of its Yokohama Creative-City Studies (YCCS) Program. The YCCS program will offer innovative interdisciplinary urban studies to train young leaders and global professionals. The classes will be taught in English, but students will also learn the Japanese language intensively during their studies.

Students will be able to study the following three (3) majors:

Urban Cultural Creation... [-]

The Dual Bachelor Program allows students to earn an additional 60 credits (or 3 additional quarters) for a total of 240 and earn two Bachelor degrees. Any combination of programs is possible, including those offered by our sister institution, the European College for Liberal Studies. The applicable program requirements will depend on the combination of programs.

e.g. a Bachelor of Business Administration in combination with a Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality Management

Our undergraduate programs, each with different program requirements, are based on and are fully compatible with the established European and American educational systems. The European guidelines for higher education are outlined in the Bologna agreements. Some programs require or allow students to choose a major and/or minor, a primary and secondary specialization during undergraduate studies. Once a minimum number of credits has been earned, a request for graduation can be submitted. Not all programs are offered at all campuses. Refer to the program schedule for further details.

The Bachelor in Business Studies consists of 180 European Credits (ECTS) and takes 3 or 4 academic years of 9 months of full-time studies to complete (up to 9 – 12 quarters respectively), depending on the chosen study track and intensiveness. Total contact hours amount to 1800. Courses are scheduled between Monday and Friday, between 9 am at the earliest and 7 pm at the latest and are taught entirely in English.

Program structure

There are two study tracks available, the American study track and the European study track. Depending on the chosen track, the program intensiveness will vary, allowing students to study at their own preferred pace.

Program starting dates

Undergraduate courses are divided into core courses and specialization courses (relevant to a major or minor). Electives can be chosen from any of the scheduled courses offered at the undergraduate level. Specialization courses are scheduled based on enrollments and may not be available at all campuses. Specialization courses scheduled are available to all students also as electives. Students are recommended to complete courses and earn credits at the highest level possible.

Switching to another program once the studies have started is possible as long as the program requirements are met by the end of the studies. Therefore, the decision to switch should be made as early as possible to avoid not meeting the program requirements within the intended program duration.... [-]

The course has four objectives: First, it introduces the vocabulary and concepts, principles and elements of design, color theory, and so forth, enabling an articulate discussion of art. Second, it introduces various types of art and artists, and their roles in society and religion, both historically and contemporarily. Third, it introduces basic studio terms and techniques used in printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, painting, etc. Fourth, it introduces concepts and methods toward making critical judgement for assaying the merits of various works of art. During the lectures, many important works of art are introduced as exemplars. However, the purpose is not to memorize famous names, rather, to learn to appreciate and evaluate all artworks, famous or not. Evaluation is through final examination and final critical essay.... [-]

This course serves as an introduction to the theoretical, social and artistic traditions which are key to an understanding of the dramatic arts of the Western stage and screen. It will allow students access to a broad range of work, across the centuries, whilst encouraging them to think about such material as part of a greater, overall understanding of Western art/society in general.

Objectives

At the end of this course, students should be able to: (i) identify the key terms, people and traditions which are important in the history of theatre and film-making in the West, (ii) know how to access and read primary sources to adopt a critical perspective on performing art, identify the concerns and intentions of secondary sources, and develop an awareness of different approaches to make sense of such art, (iii) understand how both film and theatre is both an artistic and social construct, carrying messages that go beyond their own time or place, (iv) engage thoroughly in writing about the key moments in art history by putting forward an argument and developing it in a clear and coherent manner, and (v) learn how to articulate and refine ideas in discussions and presentations.... [-]

This course serves as a broad and gentle introduction to psychoacoustics, music psychology, and musical acoustics. Relationships between the production, physics, and perception of sound, as well as similarities and differences between music and language are explored. Phenomena such as absolute (perfect) pitch, synaesthesia, and amusia are discussed. Course activities will include lectures, readings, in-class experiments, and student presentations.

Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to (i) have a greater understanding of how musical instruments and the human voice operate; (ii) gain a greater awareness of musical parameters, the physical dimensions of sound, and the human auditory system; (iii) gain experience in designing and conducting basic experiments; and (iv) apply knowledge and experience obtained from this course to subsequent courses in music and related areas.... [-]

Introduction to Language Concepts offers students an introduction to language by viewing similarities and differences among a variety of languages from a scientific point-of-view. A study of the uniqueness of human language also means looking at the human mind and the relationship of cognition to language. In this course, we will think about questions like: What is language? What does it mean to know a language? In what ways do people acquire their first language? How do they acquire additional languages? How is language unique to the human species and the evolution of human cognition and culture? How is language a kind of window into the mind? How might language influence identity?... [-]

This course is an invitation to explore faraway places and distant times from a global perspective. We will study the worldwide travel of people, goods, and ideas during the last two millennia. We will learn how global trade, migration, and intellectual exchange transformed the world. We will examine the arrival of new technologies and how they changed the global economy. We will also look at the rise and fall of powerful empires and the origins and aftermath of international armed conflicts. Our global approach will allow us to identify the major events in world history and assess their implications for the world we live in now.... [-]

This course provides the basic analytic frameworks and theories for understanding contemporary Political Science. Drawing on the great historical political philosophers, modern political theorists and empirical political scientists, the basic aspects of politics (who gets what, why, when, and how?) are explored. Special attention will be given to the major Political Science models that guide contemporary research in government, international relations and public policy.

Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, the student will be able (i) to identify and use in an evaluative framework the significant theories and models of Political Science, (ii) to articulate the major contributions of major figures in Political Science from Plato to Rawles, (iii) to articulate in spoken or written form an argument over major policy issues using appropriate intellectual frameworks found with Political Science literature. Additionally, the students (iv) will understand the importance of effective politics and good governance for the citizens of increasingly complex societies.... [-]

Theories determine consciously or unconsciously our perception of reality. We can increase our knowledge of the social world by applying different theories to a certain social issue, because we will be able to see it from different perspectives. This course introduces students to the major classical and contemporary social theories. We discuss their advantages and disadvantages. And we apply these theories to relevant contemporary social problems. This is an interactive lecture-type course. Students are required to complete homework assignments prior to class, to contribute frequently to class discussions, to make a presentation, and to write a mid-term test and a final paper.... [-]

The course is divided into seven sections: (1) introduction; (2) how markets work; (3) markets and welfare; (4) economics of the public sector; (5) firm behavior and organization of industry; (6) economics of labor markets; and (7) topics for further study. Our learning is organized around the following concepts and themes: scientific method and the role of assumptions in economic analysis; understanding what economic models are and how they are used; positive versus normative analysis; market forces of demand and supply; elasticity and its applications; the efficiency of markets; the costs of taxation; international trade; various kinds of externalities; the concept of public goods; design of the tax system; costs of production; perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly, and monopoly; markets for factors of production; income inequality and poverty; the theory of consumer choice; and frontiers of microeconomics.... [-]

Dual Undergraduate Degree Program

This program gives students the opportunity to graduate with two undergraduate degrees from two universities: Ritsumeikan University (RU) and The Australian National University (ANU). Both universities offer more than 16 courses that can be cross-credited with those of the partner university and are recognized for credit toward the degree. The Bachelor of Global Liberal Arts degree is conferred from RU and the Bachelor of Asia Pacific Affairs from ANU.

The College of Global Liberal Arts (GLA) provides students with the comprehensive liberal arts education in English required for our globalized times. The undergraduate dual degree program is offered jointly by the College of Global Liberal Arts (GLA) at Ritsumeikan University and the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University. The dual approach will help to develop a competitive foundation for your career: applying your Asia-Pacific-wide experiences, intelligence, and in-depth knowledge to broaden business practices in global corporations. It leads you to proceed to professional schools in the fields of public policy, law, business administration, architecture etc., and pursuing specialized academic knowledge at graduate schools in Japan, Australia, and other regions.... [-]

In April 2018, on its 30th anniversary, the College of International Relations established a joint degree program with the School of International Service, American University (AU). Being the first joint degree undergraduate program between the US and Japan, this program puts great emphasis upon the significance of learning about both the Western and non-Western perspectives of approaching international studies in a global sense. It will cultivate globally minded leaders who can take active roles on the international stage.

Joint degree programs are collaborative degrees offered by two different universities with educational and student support systems designed to develop graduates whose skills and knowledge are in demand. This new and exciting program offers students a chance to fully immerse themselves in the cultures and learning environments of Japan and the US, RU and AU. While sharing the content of the GS course at RU and the IR course at AU, students will also take cohort classes together with AU home students at both RU and AU.... [-]