POLICY

Human Resource Development Goals

The College of Asia Pacific Studies will cultivate individuals who can contribute to sustainable development and coexistence in the Asia-Pacific and the wider world. Studies will provide students with - comprehensive understanding of the diverse political conditions, economies, societies, and cultures of the world, - basic and advanced knowledge of the humanities and social sciences - develop language, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Three Policies

Diploma Policy

To accomplish the educational and research objectives set forth in APU’s regulations, the College of Asia Pacific Studies has established graduation requirements and a diploma policy as follows.

Diploma Policy

The College of Asia Pacific Studies has established the following six educational goals to ensure students acquire in-depth knowledge of the Asia Pacific region and the ability to be active in the international community, including the Asia Pacific region, which will drive the paradigm shift in global society in the turbulent 21st century.

• 1. Gain the ability to comprehensively and deeply understand the diverse and unique societies, politics, economies, and cultures of the Asia Pacific region.
• 2. Master the basic knowledge, theories, and methodologies of the social sciences, especially sociology, political science, and economics during the first and second years of study.
• 3. Understand the specialized knowledge, theories, and methodologies in one of the three areas of specialized studies: “Culture, Society, and Media,” “International Relations,” and “Global Economy.”
• 4. Gain practical problem-solving skills while confronting the realities of the Asia Pacific region.
• 5. Become able to study a topic (sub-discipline) from a specialized perspective in a small group seminar and write a graduation thesis or report that reflects the results of the student’s four years of study.
• 6. Gain empathy, communication skills, and personal integrity needed for leadership in the Asia Pacific region through 4 years of experiences in a multicultural environment both on and off campus with the goal of contributing to sustainable development and coexistence in the Asia Pacific region.

Graduation Requirements

• Students are required to enroll for the designated period and to complete at least 124 credits in accordance with the following course registration requirements.
• Complete at least 40 credits of Common Education Subjects in accordance with the following requirements:
  ① Japanese-basis students must complete at least 24 credits of English Language Education Subjects, and English-basis students must complete at least 16 credits of Japanese Language Education Subjects. However, students may be exempted from taking Language Education Subjects based on their language ability upon entry.
  ② Earn credit for at least one introductory-level course from each of the three Areas of Study, a total of 6 credits.
• Complete at least 62 credits of APS Major Education Subjects including at least 36 credits of Major Education Subjects in the registered Area of Study.
• Earn credits for Graduation Research II.
• Write a graduation thesis or report to reflect the learning outcomes of their 4 years of study, and pass the examination.
• Domestic Japanese-basis students must complete at least 20 credits of Common Liberal Arts Subjects or Major Education Subjects offered in English.
• Detailed course registration requirements shall be stipulated in the College of Asia Pacific Studies College Regulations.

Curriculum Design Policy

(Subject Placement: General)

• The curriculum is divided into Common Education Subjects and Major Education Subjects, and is designed for four years.

(Subject Placement: Common Education Subjects)

• Common Education Subjects are divided into Language Education Subjects and Common Liberal Arts Subjects. The Language Education Subjects consist of English, Japanese, AP languages (Chinese, Korean, Malay/Indonesian, Spanish, Thai or Vietnamese) and Specific Subjects.
• Common Liberal Arts Subjects consist of APU Literacy Subjects, Introduction to Major Subjects, and Global Citizens Foundation Subjects.
• The APU literacy field is a group of subjects for students to deepen their knowledge in Japan and overseas, which is necessary for students of this university, and acquire a methodology for deepening their learning by making the most out of the multicultural environment of this university.
• The Introduction to Major Studies field is a subject group that will introduce specialized learning in each college.
• The Global Citizens Foundation field will be assigned as a diverse group of subjects that do not fall within the framework of undergraduate specialized education for cultivating rich knowledge and culture in the fields of humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

(Subject Placement: Major Education Subjects)

• Major Education Subjects are divided into Core Subject, Seminar Subjects, APS Common A Subjects, APS Common B Subjects, and Subjects for the Area of Study. Major Education Subjects for the Area of Study are divided into: International Relations; Culture, Society, and Media; and Global Economy.
• Core Subject is designed for understanding the ideal and objective of APS.
• Subjects for the Area of Study are designed for developing the knowledge in the three Areas of Study which make up APS education.
• Seminar subjects are a group of subjects that allow students to conduct research in specialized fields in small classes based on their respective topics, individually optimized to meet their interests.
• Common Subjects are designed for acquiring valuable knowledge and experiences through courses which include a Special Lecture, a Field Study and so on, not specific to a particular Area of Study.

（Curriculum Map）

Curriculum Map (or Curriculum Alignment Matrices) is available on the APU Website.
Curriculum Map

Curriculum Implementation Policy

（Subject Offerings）

• Offer subjects listed in the College of Asia Pacific Studies College Regulations in both Japanese and English in principle, to allow students to enroll, take classes and graduate in either English or Japanese while also learning the non-basis language.
• Expand the Off-campus Study Programs offered in accordance with both University and APS policies.
• All subjects are offered in the semester, day and period which maximize students’ systematic study.

（Subject Operation）

• All subjects are operated in compliance with the Standards for Establishment of Universities and the University Regulations. In addition, based on the methods applied in the subject, factors such as the educational outcomes and necessary studies outside of the class hours are also taken into account.
• Each subject is operated by following the Curriculum Map and the syllabus is designed to guide students in achieving the Learning Goals and Learning Objectives set for the subject.
• All subjects are aimed at achieving Multi-cultural Cooperative Learning by taking full advantage of APU’s multicultural environment and education, which encourages interactive collaboration between International and Domestic students.
• Instructors are required to comply with guidelines related to the subject operation including administration of Class Evaluation Surveys, response to Grade Inquiries, and holding Make-up Classes.

Undergraduate Program

Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) welcomes students who will uphold the university’s basic ideals of Freedom, Peace, and Humanity, International Mutual Understanding, and the Future Shape of the Asia Pacific Region. These students should also, while using both English and Japanese, be ready to acknowledge and understand differences in cultures and values, engage actively in an international campus community, and contribute to mutual learning.

New undergraduate students must possess the following attributes and abilities in order to engage in this kind of learning:

（１） Knowledge and Skills

• Basic knowledge required for studying at university
• English or Japanese language proficiency required to pursue university-level studies

（２） Reasoning, Judgment, and Expression

• Critical thinking, analytical ability, and creativity needed to identify problems and proactively work towards their resolution
• Ability to interpret information, as well as express one’s own ideas clearly and logically using facts and data

（3）Initiative and Capacity to Collaborate with Individuals from Diverse Backgrounds

• Ability to pursue goals and follow them through
• Readiness to engage with and support others on the basis of mutual understanding
• Desire to make full use of a multicultural learning environment and participate in multicultural collaborative learning

College of Asia Pacific Studies

• （1）Interest in one of the fields of “Culture, Society, and Media”, “International Relations”, and “Global Economy” in global society with a focus on the Asia Pacific region
• （2）Basic ability to study the field social sciences with a focus on society, politics, and economics
• （3）Ability to read and write basic texts that will lead to reading and writing specialized texts at College of Asia Pacific Studies
• （4）Ability to pursue one's own interests and to express them clearly
• （5）Ability to integrate large amounts of information and think from multiple angles when framing opinions