Subject-taking model (Major)
The School of Law of Waseda University has no academic departments or courses, but rather, operates using a Major/Minor system. Through this system, the School of Law provides educational programs that can be useful in following the various career paths chosen by students, encouraging them to learn in a gradual and systematic manner without limiting their potential.
Firstly, the Major system centers on specialized legal subjects and encourages students to take subjects designed to assist them to learn systematically and comprehensively in preparation for their future career plans and paths. Specifically, the students enroll in subjects according to several subject-taking models in a particular package from their first to fourth year, and then comprehensively complete the studies with a seminar. We offer six subject-taking models designed to suit a range of career paths: Civil Law, Criminal Law, International Relations, Public Policy, Corporations and Finance, and Civil Society and Law.
Civil Law and Criminal Law
The Civil Law and Criminal Law models are offered for students aiming to serve as legal professionals. The models are for those who wish to enroll in graduate schools of law to pursue careers as judges, prosecutors, and lawyers, through not only learning systematically about their specialist fields but also through the provision of a solid foundation in foreign languages and general education subjects, all of which are designed to prepare them for our contemporary society, which is becoming increasingly complex, information-based, and internationalized.
International Relations
This model is for students wishing to become diplomats, international officials, or to pursue careers as legal professionals or business persons dealing with international transactions, and the like. Subject groupings are offered to encourage students to systematically study subfields such as International Law, International Organization Law, International Relations Law, International Transaction Law, and International Private Law.
Public Policy
This model is for those who wish to serve as national local and national public servants, as well as officers in the public sector, non-profit organizations, and other administrative and public policy sections. The students systemically study Japan’s Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Public Administration, Law and Policy, Public Finance, Information Law, Education Law and other subjects.
Corporations and Finance
This model is for students wishing to use their legal knowledge in the legal departments of corporations and in the corporate world. The students learn the dynamic transition of the law in market and finance through such classes as Commercial Law, Corporate Law, Financial Collateral Law, Security Law, Insurance and Maritime Commercial Law, and Economic Law.
Civil Society and Law
This model is designed for those who wish to pursue careers in the media, publishing, welfare, and other similar fields. Students are able to acquire abilities which will assist them in understanding issues concerning the environment, consumers, the media, families, politics, economics, arts and other matters closely related to civil lives from a range of different perspectives, and in objectively addressing such issues.
Subject-taking model (Minor)
In addition to the above Major system, a Minor system is also available for students. In universities outside of Japan, a Minor system often refers to a joint degree program where students may simultaneously take specialized subjects from different departments or schools in addition to their primary major within their own department or school. However, the minor system in the School of Law refers to taking a course of subjects related to foreign languages, history, culture, and other subfields of the humanities and social sciences in order to develop students’ interest in issues and to give them a broader perspective of the world.
In the School of Law, 10 Minor courses are offered. These are in a range of different fields, including regional studies focusing on various aspects including language and culture (English-language Area Studies, German-language Area Studies, French-language Area Studies, and Chinese-language Area Studies), introductory studies (Culture and Representation Studies, Linguistics and Information Sciences, and Historical and Philosophical Studies), and social studies (Political Science, Economic Science, and Business and Industry Studies).
Three-year Graduation System
The School of Law has introduced a three-year graduation system, which allows students to graduate from the School of Law in just three years instead of the regular four years. This system increases the incentive to study and paves the way for excellent hard-working students to enter graduate school or a professional field one year early. It should be noted, however, that the requirements for three-year graduation are strict, and the system is viewed as an exception. Concretely, outstanding students may qualify for three-year graduation based on their academic results upon completing their second year. About 10% of all students qualify for the three-year graduation (and the number of students who actually graduate is even smaller).