School of Social SciencesWaseda University

Courses shall be taught in accordance with the Waseda University Academic Calendar and the Waseda University School of Social Sciences Academic Calendar as released before every spring semester.

Courses with “Fall semester” in their title will be taught in the fall semester only; those with “Spring semester” in their title will be taught in the spring semester only; and those with “Spring / Summer semester” in their title will be taught in the spring semester and summer period respectively.

Classes shall be held on the day of the week, at the period, and within the classroom set forth in the timetable as released at the beginning of the academic year. Classrooms may be changed according to the numbers of students attending. Information pertaining to classroom changes shall be posted on the first-floor notice board of Building No. 14 (under the heading “Classroom Changes”).

Information pertaining to the cancellation of classes due to other official duties of the instructor, or to illness, or to other factors shall be posted on the first-floor notice board of Building No. 14 (under the heading “Classroom Cancellations”) and on the My Waseda (via Class Cancellation Information).

There are two types of courses held during official class periods determined by the School Calendar. The first are courses that run for the Fall Semester (September to February) or Spring Semester (April to August) only (Semester-long Courses), and the second are courses that run over the entire school year, for both semesters (Year-long Courses). In addition, intensive classes are exceptionally offered during vacation periods (Winter, Spring and Summer Vacations). With the exception of a portion of courses (First Semester Summer Courses and Summer Intensive Courses), the majority of courses held by the School of Social Sciences are “Semester-long”. Language courses are worth 1 credit, and lecture and seminar courses are worth 2 credits (Courses of 1period / week) or 4 credits (2 periods / week).

Classes at University are 90 minutes in length each. Please refer to the chart below for more details.

Classes may be cancelled due to official events at the University or unavoidable circumstances for the instructor.Information regarding cancellation of classes is made public through the My Waseda and the school notice boards located on the 1st floor, Building 14. Also, please be aware of days when classes will not be held due to official school events, in accordance with the school calendar.

Classes may also be cancelled due to extreme weather conditions such as a typhoon or heavy snow. In such a case, information will be made available through the websites noted below.

Emergency Communication Channels

• Waseda University website (top page)
• Waseda Uni. Mobile Phone Information Website (PC and Mobile)
• Waseda Uni. Emergency Bulletin Website (Yahoo! Japan Blog) (PC and Mobile)
• My Waseda Login Page (PC only)

In the case of a class being cancelled, as a general rule substitution will include supplementary classes being held during periods 6 and 7, reports, or work on Course N@vi. Please check the information on notice boards etc. to stay updated.

Students missing classes as a result of unavoidable circumstances such as illness or absence from school due to mourning (up to second degree of kinship e.g. parents, grandparents, etc) must submit a doctor’s note or other proof of the circumstances concerned to the school office and must then submit a Notification of Absence from Class Form (available from the school office) to the instructor of each missed class.

Note: It is up to the instructor to decide how to handle the “Notification of Absence from Class.”

Absence due to Infectious Diseases

Procedures to apply for an absence due to infectious dieases (such as Influenza, Ebola, etc…) are slightly different, please contact the school office for more instructions.

• Certificate of Recovery from Infectious Disease Form (Japanese only)

Students will encounter many different procedures during their time at university, including course registration and grade notification. Please undertake these procedures yourself. You will also be asked to present your Student ID card, so always carry it with you.

Someone may assist you in carrying out necessary procedures on your behalf, in the case of unforeseen circumstances such as illness preventing you from doing so. In this case, please prepare the appropriate Power of Attorney document for the person completing the procedures on your behalf.

The Power of Attorney Form can also be downloaded here

Required Documents for Representative

1. Prescribed form of Power of Attorney
2. A copy of your Student ID Card
3. Personal identification of the representative