- 2026 Academic Year Course Catalog: School of Social Informatics
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Learning Characteristics and Curriculum (Department of Social Informatics)
CURRICULUM Learning Features and Curriculum
By developing solid fundamental skills and incorporating different fields into the curriculum,
We develop talent who can contribute to solving complex problems in the real world.
Characteristics of learning
In today's highly information-driven society, it is an advantage to be knowledgeable in both the humanities and sciences. In this department, students acquire logical and mathematical thinking, communication skills, and information utilization skills through interdisciplinary learning that spans multiple fields such as society, information, and humanity. We will nurture human resources who will lead the future with new values that are born from connecting academic fields.
A curriculum that fosters solid fundamental skills and integrates different fields
School of Social Informatics offers a curriculum that cultivates talented individuals with solid fundamental skills who can contribute to solving complex real-world problems in interdisciplinary fields.
In core subjects, students are required to study three fields that will allow them to understand the interdisciplinary fusion that they will study in School of Social Informatics. In Introduction to Social Sciences, Introduction to Information Sciences, and Introduction to Human Sciences, students will learn the overview of the three fused fields. In basic subjects, students will thoroughly train in English, computers, mathematics, and statistics to develop a solid foundation in basic skills. Communication in English, programming, and logical explanations using numbers are basic skills that all students School of Social Informatics should possess.
From the second year onwards, students can take a variety of courses, focusing on interdisciplinary liaison courses and area courses in specialized fields. In this way, students can gradually improve their individual expertise while fostering an environment in which knowledge emerges through collaboration among a diverse range of students.
Project management that cultivates true communication skills
In project-based exercise courses where students tackle real-world problems given to them by companies and local governments, they develop communication skills through group work.
Computing training to develop advanced information literacy
We will provide a state-of-the-art information infrastructure and develop computing skills and systems thinking abilities to design problem-solving methods using computers.
Acquire "usable English" through our unique English education
In addition to listening, speaking, writing and reading, we offer English programs with content directly related to specialized fields, allowing students to learn "usable English" for business situations, such as presentations and essay writing.
Curriculum Structure
The curriculum of School of Social Informatics consists of area subjects in the three academic fields of human, society, and information, liaison subjects in the interdisciplinary fields between these, and foundational subjects that support them.
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Core Subjects
These are compulsory courses that allow students to learn about the interdisciplinary fusion that is taught in School of Social Informatics. In Introduction to Social Science, Introduction to Information Science, and Introduction to Human Science, students will learn the outline of the three interdisciplinary fields. In Introduction to Statistics, students will learn the basics of data analysis using computers, and in Computing Lab, students will learn basic programming. Through these core courses, students will acquire the common knowledge and skills (common sense) that all students in School of Social Informatics possess.
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Basic Subjects
Knowledge of English, computers, and mathematics (including statistics) is the foundation of all learning. In basic subjects, students will acquire skills that will be extremely useful even after entering society. We also offer subjects such as project management, data science such as social surveys and data analysis, and cognitive science, which is the basis for learning artificial intelligence, as basic skills for working adults.
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Liaison Courses
This is a "liaison" course that teaches the interdisciplinary fields of human beings, society, and information. In addition to classes dealing with interdisciplinary fields such as information society theory, liaison courses are designed to be interdisciplinary in content, such as systems analysis and design basics, which deal with fields that are integrated with business administration, and sociology, which incorporates computer simulations. Not only the content, but also the teaching methods, collaborative classes by two or more instructors from different fields are widely adopted.
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Area Subjects
These are specialized subjects that allow students to further their studies in each field. Students will apply the interdisciplinary knowledge learned in foundation and core subjects to delve deeper into specialized knowledge. Although each area deals with the content of a specialized field, the content is designed to be interdisciplinary in all subjects, and classes are designed to broaden the scope of knowledge for students who do not specialize in that field, and to form the basis for interdisciplinary fusion. Students can choose to delve into one field or connect multiple fields, and how they take area subjects is up to them. Another feature of School of Social Informatics is that this curriculum produces a diverse student body, creating an environment for knowledge creation through collaboration among diverse students.
COURSE MODELS ?
From the third year onwards, students select two from the three academic fields of human, society, and information, and study more specialised interdisciplinary fields in three courses: "Society/Information", "Society/Human", and "Human/Information".
*The course model introduced here is just an example.
Social and Information Course
Students will delve into interdisciplinary fields such as new sociology that utilizes information technology to solve social problems, and management information systems that utilize information technology in management.
Social and Human Studies Course
We will delve into interdisciplinary fields such as social psychology, which discusses psychology in light of social situations, and workshop design for collaborative learning.
What is the Human and Information Course?
Students will delve into interdisciplinary fields such as learning science, which uses information technology to analyze learning, and human interface, which uses psychology to design information technology.
COURSE FEATURES Features of major courses
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Social Information Navigation
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This is a compulsory seminar course for first-year students to acquire basic knowledge that will lead to learning skills and specialized fields in order to acquire a multifaceted perspective on social issues. The purpose of this course is to discover what learning is necessary to become the person you want to become.
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Computing Practice
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This is a required seminar class for first-year students to learn "computing" techniques for solving problems using computers through introductory programming experience. Students will learn the basics of programming that can be applied in higher grades and design computer-based problem-solving methods.
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Integrated English
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In the first year, students take English classes twice a week, focusing on receptive skills (grammar, reading) in the first semester and productive skills (speaking, listening, writing) in the second semester. E-learning is actively used so that students can come into contact with English outside of class.
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Introduction to Statistics
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This is a compulsory subject for first-year students. In today's data-filled society, knowledge of statistics is extremely useful for organizing that data and obtaining useful information. One of the features of our department is that all students graduate with a solid foundation in statistics.
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Social Mathematics
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Students will learn differential and integral calculus, which continues from "Mathematics III" in high school. They will acquire the skills to handle various quantities and their changes, and solve problems based on mathematical analysis. For students who are not good at mathematics but like it, "Introduction to Social Mathematics" is also available as a preparation for studying this subject.
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Introduction to project exercises
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This is a project-based class where students learn group work methods step by step by working on an actual project. After learning the basics of business etiquette, idea generation, and graphic problem solving, students will carry out a project and present the results.
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Project Exercises
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This is a project-based class where students tackle real-world problems. Students will participate in the Kanagawa Industry-Academia Challenge Program, where students tackle specific management issues presented by member companies of the Kanagawa Association of Corporate Executives. Through this class, students will learn the "essence of creative collaboration."
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Rational thinking and social behavior
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This is a collaborative class created by multiple instructors from the fields of social science, humanities, and information. Students take up a problem in modern society, and instructors with different specialties lecture from their own perspectives. After that, they hold an open discussion to understand the problem from multiple perspectives.
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PROGRAM Mathematics, DS, AI Education Program
School of Social Informatics has been implementing the "School of Social Informatics Mathematics, Data Science, and AI Education Program" since the 2024 academic year. The program has been certified by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "Mathematics, Data Science, and AI Education Program Certification System (Applied Basic Level)." (Certification expiration date: March 31, 2030.)
