School of Political Science and EconomicsWaseda University

For career paths of international students, please see the Career Center website.

About the Center – Career Center, Waseda University

Examples of Selected Employers

Examples of Selected Master’s and Ph.D. Programs

In the past years, many graduates from the Department of Political Science and Economics have gone on to graduate school. If you wish to further pursue your academic interests, pursue a career as a researcher, or if you hope to work in the private or public sector in the future based on your studies and research at graduate school, you may be interested in the Graduate School of Political Science or the Graduate School of Economics at this university, as well as other leading research universities in Japan and abroad.

Graduate School of Political Science

Since its establishment in 1951, Waseda University’s Graduate School of Political Science (GSPS) has produced hundreds of graduates who have gone on to contribute to society in a diverse array of fields. The GSPS comprises a highly-regarded faculty with academic credentials from the most prestigious universities in Japan and overseas, and an international student body with a range of undergraduate educational backgrounds. Research at the GSPS is organized into four subfields: (1) Political Methodology and Political Analysis, (2) Political Thought and Political History, (3) Comparative Politics, and (4) International Relations. The GSPS offers masters and doctoral degrees in political science providing both English-based and Japanese-based instruction. Graduate students may take courses in one or both languages and may write their thesis/dissertation in either language. The GSPS is built upon a solid foundation in both normative political philosophy and positive political science. This is why the graduate program requires every entering student to take three methodology courses: Research Methods in Political Science (Empirical Analysis), Research Methods in Political Science (Formal Models), Research Methods in Political Science (Normative Studies). After graduate students acquire a firm foundation in political science methodology and normative political philosophy, they move forward to apply these skills in their substantive fields of inquiry. The end result is that each graduate student can be expected to transform themselves into an independent researcher with the potential to make an academic contribution that expands our knowledge of politics.

Graduate School of Economics

In accordance with the university’s policy of fostering human resources who possess “intellectual resilience” and “flexible sensitivity,” and can contribute to making society and the world a better place, the Graduate School of Economics confers degrees on those who obtain a wide range of basic knowledge and methodology in economics (Master’s Program), acquire in-depth expertise and analytical methods in economics and/or econometrics at a level that enables them to write a doctoral dissertation with a high academic value that is recognized both domestically and internationally (Doctoral Program), develop research skills expected of independent researchers or superior techniques demanded of highly skilled professionals, and are capable of contributing to society using their research skills and techniques while collaborating with diverse people. Especially, in the process of assessment of a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation, one particularly important criterion is whether the student can conduct research with the strictest ethics and greatest responsibility.

Career Design and Job-Hunting Support

If you want to make your student life more fruitful, or you have no idea about your future career, why not join the events at the Career Center? You can hear sempais talk about their job-hunting experiences, alumni talk about their current work and company life, as well as their student life. Surely you will get hints on what kind of future career(mirai in Japanese) you want to have.

Detailed one-on-one meetings

Feel free to ask the Career Center staff one-on-one online your questions about job-hunting, further study, study abroad, and career paths. You may also talk with them about general concerns, such as “I don’t know what I should do in my student life” and so on. We would like to hear your voices and give you advice. Career Center staff will fully support you.

Career Design and Job-Hunting Information

The Career Center has a wide selection of corporate brochures, information on alumni, employment data, and reference books for students to consult. You may read the books by visiting the Career Center office or borrow up to three at once. You may find detailed information about programs at the university and surely some of them will be suitable for you to participate. On Waseda Moodle, which you access after logging in to MyWaseda, you may also find career-related on-demand seminars.