The School of Political Science and Economics started as early as Meiji 15 (1882), as a pioneering department of the Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the name under which Waseda University was founded - in that same year - by Shigenobu Okuma.

The lofty ideals which led Shigenobu Okuma to found the University were shared by Azusa Ono, Sanae Takata, and Tameyuki Amano. Azusa Ono had studied political science in England and was an eminent scholar. Sanae Takata was a political scientist well versed in English and American politics and culture. Tameyuki Amano was an outstanding economist, greatly influenced by English and American ideas. It is no wonder that the School of Political Science and Economics, pioneered by such outstanding scholars, has occupied the central position in Waseda University ever since its establishment.

In those early days, the German educational system was generally adopted by many universities, and strongly influenced academic trends in Japan. However, at Waseda, the School of Political Science and Economics, under Azusa Ono and Sanae Takata, decided to aim at a new educational style based upon English and American ideas and ideals. The study of political science and the study of economics were united in one school, with students in each of the two Departments encouraged to study the other discipline - separate from the School of Law. Such a system was the result of innovative and far-sighted thinking. This pioneering spirit still thrives within the school, and is reflected in today's curriculum.

Apart from the compulsory subjects, the school allows students to select freely from a wide range of subjects covering both political science and economics. Moreover, to adapt flexibly to the continuous advances in its academic disciplines, the school offers a number of special half-year classes in political science and economics every year. These classes focus on pioneering and up-to-date topics.

In addition, in keeping with the current trend in Japan to seek to expand links and to improve relations with other countries, more emphasis than ever is being put on the teaching of foreign languages. The School offers many foreign language classes taught by native speakers, including both full-time faculty members of the school and part-time lecturers.

Thanks to the efforts of our predecessors, the School of Political Science and Economics today enjoys a most coveted position of honor in higher education in Japan. Its graduates have long played a leading role in every area of society, particularly in the political, business, mass media and academic fields. They are actively and positively serving the needs of society today and tomorrow.

Majors	Degrees (Field of Specialization)
Political Science	Doctor of Political Science
	M.A. in Political Science