School of Culture, Media and SocietyWaseda University

General information on grades is shown here.

Annual Grading Schedule for Spring Semester and Fall Semester, 2025

If any of your grades is “fail” (F, G, H or Q), you can make an inquiry to the relevant instructor about the reason through the Administrative Office of the Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences. The details of these inquiries will be announced at the time of grade announcement.

If you were admitted to the School of Culture, Media and Society as a first-year student and have earned credits at another School or under the special auditing program for high school students of Waseda University or at another university, etc. (including junior colleges and colleges of technology), you can include the credits in your credits required for graduation by completing the necessary procedures.

• (For students admitted in AY 2024) Recognition of Credits Earned before Admission
• Application for Recognition of Credits Earned before Admission

If you have been enrolled in this School for a period of at least four years (but less than eight years) and have graduated successfully from this School by earning the required number of credits (124), you will be granted a bachelor’s degree (in Literature).
If you are a student in the fourth year or above, you will be informed of your status for graduation (completion) after your course registration in the spring or fall semester.

One credit equals 45 class hours.
Thus, each of the lecture, seminar and foreign language subjects worth 2 credits offered by the Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences equals 90 class hours.

In the School of Culture, Media and Society, students are supposed to go through basic education in their first year and choose one of the six theoretical configurations in their second year.

• Transcultural Studies
• Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture
• Studies of Media, Body and Image
• Creative Writing and Criticism
• Contemporary Human Studies
• Social Constitution, History and Culture

1.Conditions for Progressing to the Next Year

You need to earn at least 28 of the credits required for graduation (excluding optional subjects and subjects transferred from overseas universities) to progress to one of the six theoretical configurations. To do so, you also need to earn 2 credits from Required Seminars, 2 credits from Lectures and at least 4 credits out of 16 credits from a Second Foreign Language including 2 credits from Step 2.

2.Promotion Guidance

You receive guidance for progressing into each theoretical configuration in July and November of the first year. This guidance helps you understand the characteristics of the theoretical configuration. (Note that not all theoretical configurations give guidance in July)

A detailed schedule will be announced on the website of the Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

3.Announcement of Prospects for Progressing into Theoretical Configurations

Your prospects for progressing into a theoretical configuration are judged based on the credits you earn by the spring semester and your course registration for the fall semester. The results will be announced on Waseda-net Portal by the end of October.

4.Submission of Theoretical Configuration Application

To progress into a theoretical configuration, you need to submit a Theoretical Configuration Application in accordance with the following four rules.

1. You need to submit a Theoretical Configuration Application during a designated period in the fall semester of the first year. If you fail to submit it by the deadline, you may not be able to advance to the theoretical configuration of your choice.
2. You need to apply through Waseda-net Portal (MyWaseda). The application procedures will be announced on the website of the School.
3. You can change your choice of theoretical configuration only once during a period of application for theoretical configuration choice change (submission of Application for Theoretical Configuration Change).
4. Once you have submitted an Application for Theoretical Configuration Change, you cannot withdraw it or change it again.

Future Schedule

1. How to submit a Theoretical Configuration Application. You can submit an application on MyWaseda.
   ‣Application period: Early to mid-December
2. First announcement of the number of applicants for each theoretical configuration
   ‣Application period: Mid-December
   Location: MyWaseda.
3. Submission of an Application for Theoretical Configuration Change. You can submit an application on MyWaseda.
   ‣Application period: Late December to early January
4. Announcement of the final number of applicants for each theoretical configuration
   ‣Application period: Around the end of January
   Location: MyWaseda.
5. Announcement of students progressing to each theoretical configuration
   ‣Application period: Early March
   Location: On MyWaseda

*If you have any questions about progressing into theoretical configurations, ask at the Administrative Office of the School of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

5.Applicant Screening Method

Progression into theoretical configurations is decided in accordance with the following three criteria.

1. We total the number of students applying to get into each theoretical configuration based on the Theoretical Configuration Applications and Applications for Theoretical Configuration Change submitted by students. If the number of applicants for a theoretical configuration who meet the progression requirements does not exceed the limit of the theoretical configuration, all the applicants can get into the theoretical configuration.
2. If the number of applicants for a theoretical configuration exceeds the limit of the theoretical configuration, we screen the applicants. In principle, accepted students are selected in the order of their grades for all registered subjects for the first year (except optional subjects and subjects transferred from overseas universities) for which credits required for graduation are granted. However, theoretical configurations may conduct their own screenings. When screening applicants grades for failed subjects are also taken into consideration.
3. Students who cannot progress into their first choice of theoretical configuration can choose another theoretical configuration that still has seats available and progress into that theoretical configuration in the order of their grades.

6.Theoretical Configuration’s Screening Procedures

The details of such procedures will be announced on the website of the School in mid-October.

7.Decision on Theoretical Configuration Registration

We announce only the student numbers of students who progress into a theoretical configuration when we announce the grades of students. We decide the theoretical configurations of students who fail to progress into their first choice of theoretical configuration as follows:

Registration of second choice theoretical configurations and announcement of the results

• When to register second choice theoretical configurations: Early March

*Registration procedures and other details will be announced on the website of the School.

8.Conditions for Progression and Applicant Screening Method for Students Who Have not Yet Proceeded to a Theoretical Configuration (Excluding New Students)

1. The conditions for progression and applicant screening method for new students apply.
2. Students need to register and take the required subjects in “1. Conditions for Progression.” They can also take Interdisciplinary Subjects, Optional English and Optional Second Foreign Language classes as long as the credits for the subjects do not exceed the limit on registered credits.
3. Grades for failed subjects in the previous academic years are excluded from the grades considered in a screening.
4. A screening considers grades for all registered subjects for the relevant year (except optional subjects and subjects transferred from overseas universities) for which credits required for graduation are granted. Grades for failed subjects are also considered.

9.Prohibition of Changing Theoretical Configuration

One you have proceeded to a theoretical configuration, you cannot change it.

March 2025 Graduation Flow【for students wishing to graduate in March】

How to Defer March 2025 Graduation【for students not wishing to graduate in March】