From the Dean

Professor SAKUNO, Seiichi
Dean, Graduate School of Sport Sciences

The Graduate School of Sport Sciences at Waseda University marks its 20th anniversary since its establishment in 2006. Today, as of September 2026, approximately 50 faculty members affiliated with the Faculty of Sport Sciences are actively engaged in education and research at the graduate school.

Since its founding, the Graduate School has offered five principal research areas across the two-year master’s and doctoral programs: “Sport Culture”, “Sport Business”, “Sports Medicine”, ” Exercise Science”, and “Coaching Science”. Through these fields, students acquire advanced knowledge, research capabilities, and extensive scholarship across diverse sport science disciplines. Accordingly, our graduates pursue careers as capable professionals in related sectors, while the school continually produces researchers who succeed both in Japan and internationally. In addition, in academic year 2018, the school launched English-based degree programs in “Health and Exercise Science” and “Sport Management” within the two-year master’s program, welcoming international students from diverse countries. Alongside these offerings, the one-year master’s program provides six specialized courses that address distinct societal demands: “Top Sports Management”, “Sports Club Management”, “Healthy Sports Management”, “Preventive Care Management”, “Elite Coaching”, and “Sports Journalism”. Through intensive graduate education, this program equips individuals with practical experience and outstanding skills, expanding their professional opportunities as highly specialized professionals.

During this period, the graduate school’s program, “Sport Sciences for the Promotion of Active Life,” was selected for the Global COE Program. Supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT), the program received five consecutive years of funding beginning in academic year 2009. Through this initiative, the school substantially enhanced its educational and research foundation, notably by welcoming numerous international students from abroad to study alongside domestic graduate students. Building upon this achievement, in academic year 2014, MEXT selected the “Waseda Ocean Initiative” under the 10-year Top Global University Project (Type A). The “Health Promotion unit” was designated as one of the project’s model units. Within this framework, the Faculty of Sport Sciences continues to expand this international base, centered around the graduate school. The faculty actively conducts academic and student exchanges with partner universities worldwide while advancing international joint research.

In the QS World University Rankings by Subject published by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), Waseda University consistently earns top-level evaluations in Japan for “Sports-related Subjects”. Looking ahead, the graduate school aims to rank among the global top 10 and establish itself as the premier research hub in Asia. To achieve this goal, the school is building an academic platform capable of generating cutting-edge research, grounded in a systematic educational foundation that spans diverse sport science disciplines. At the same time, the faculty is dedicated to developing an institutional environment that educates individuals who proactively contribute to global society, promoting dynamic exchanges across academic fields, cultures, languages, and values.

(September 21, 2026)