APU Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE ADMISSIONS
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Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies (Master's)
Curriculum

COURSE NAMES AND SEMESTER DISTRIBUTION

A minimum of thirty-two credits is required for program completion. All subjects in the chart below are awarded two credits upon successful completion. Basic Japanese language subjects are available for those who are interested in studying Japanese but do not fulfill any credit requirements.

*This table can be scrolled to the right.

Fundational Subjects
(4 credits or more)
Seminar Subjects
(4 credits or more)
Major Subjects
(10 credits or more)
APS
IR
DE
PS
SDE
TH
Elective Subjects
Optional Subjects

Note: These contents reflect the cirriculum from AY 2027. Please take heed that the contents may not be entirely the same as that of an actual class.

Foundational Subjects

  • Research Design and Methods

    The course provides a foundation for writing graduate research work focusing on writing a dissertation or research reports for graduate school. By the end of the course, students will have an understanding of important research concepts and methodologies useful for designing research projects and implementing them. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods used in research studies are explained (including statistics). The goal of this course is to support graduate students in their attempt to write their research reports and/or a masters' level dissertation/thesis. The course also discusses research methods and the process used to write academic papers. The main objective is to learn skills that are needed for conducting research and writing it up in the form of a dissertation or research report.

  • Quantitative Methods

    This course equips graduate students with basic skills for quantitative data analysis applicable across disciplines. Topics include the value of data in society, hypothesis testing, statistical fundamentals, and methods for accessing official statistics and open data. Students will also learn to use tools such as RESAS and Excel for data organization, analysis, visualization, and interpretation.Through lectures and exercises, students will complete the full analysis cycle̶ obtaining data, processing it, drawing insights, and delivering a final presentation. The course builds practical research skills essential for thesis writing and evidencebased decision-making in future careers.

  • Qualitative Methods

    This course introduces students to qualitative research methods used in social scientific research. The course content covers philosophical and epistemological foundations, data collection techniques, and analytical strategies. It is essential for students seeking to engage with in-depth, context-rich research that addresses realworld problems through a qualitative lens. By the end of the course, students will demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the theoretical and methodological foundations of qualitative research, equipping them with the tools necessary for advanced academic inquiry and professional practice within their field of study. They will also be able to communicate research processes and findings clearly and effectively in both oral presentations and scholarly writing. In the future, this knowledge will help students engage with interdisciplinary approaches in their continued academic studies.

  • Public Administration and Policy

    This course is a foundational subject of the Masterʼs in International Cooperation Policy. It provides a comprehensive view of public administration and public policy studies, with a particular emphasis on its international interface. The course describes the evolution of public administration institutions, their differences around the world, and the growing interaction between bureaucracies at local, national, and global levels. The course also covers the various phases of the public policy cycle, providing examples from different sectors and countries. The course aims to provide ICP students with a common, fundamental knowledge that can be applied in practice through each of the ICP divisionsʼ specific subjects and topics, as well as through policy-oriented research.

  • Social and Cultural Processes

    In this course, “culture” ‒ a wholly elusive concept ‒ is defined broadly or loosely as the sum of values, beliefs, and norms held by individual citizens, including politicians, and these peopleʼs behavioral patterns. This broad definition allows us to critically examine a variety of interesting issues that would not be accommodated if we are to adopt a more restrictive definition. The countries covered in this course (albeit to varying degrees) will be Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. In a few weeks of the semester, we will deal with the countries in Southeast Asia in general. decision-making in future careers.

Seminar Subjects

  • Reserch Project I
  • Research Project II
  • Research Project III
  • Research Project IV
  • Directed Reading I
  • Directed Reading II
  • Directed Reading III
  • Directed Reading IV*

Major Subjects

Asia Pacific Studies

  • Critical Issues in Asia Pacific Studies

    This course examines the major challenges and transformations facing the Asia- Pacific region in the 21st century from an interdisciplinary perspective. Topics will include economic development and inequality, environmental sustainability, transnational migration and the aging society, political conflicts and cooperation, ethnicity and nationalism, cultural identity, media and digitalization. The course focuses on how regional, national, and global forces intersect to shape Asia-Pacific societies.

  • Cross-Cultural Trends in Asia Pacific Studies

    This course explores multiple contemporary socioeconomic phenomena across the Asia Pacific regions. Topics covered include migration, transnationalism, human and organ trafficking, biopolitics, environmental issues, bureaucracy, gender dynamics and the acceptance of LGBTQIA+ community.The course will include a wide range of readings that serve as the basis for in-depth discussions on various sociopolitical challenges faced by countries in the Asia Pacific region. After the completion of this course, students will deepen their understanding of the complex issues affecting both people and nations in the region. Students will also gain insight into specific case studies highlighting diverse societies and cultures. They will also refine their critical reading, discussion, research and writing skills through classroom activities and various assignments.

  • Gender Studies

    This course aims to provide students with basic knowledge and discussions of the issues regarding gender and sexuality, sexual/gendered division of labor, history of feminism, and others., It also aims to provide students with the theoretical framework from which they can consider social issues from the perspective of gender. There are two main learning goals. 1. Students will be able to understand the basic knowledge and discussions of issues regarding gender and sexuality 2. Students will be able to consider the various kinds of social issues from the viewpoints of gender.

  • Media & Communication

    This course examines media and political communication. By the 21st century, the emergence of new media technology has fundamentally transformed not only the means through which contemporary war is waged but also, and more importantly, war's visual representation through digital reporting, blogs and web 2.0 social networks. Citizen journalists, independent journalists, terrorists, and activists are using personal blogs, chat rooms, YouTube, WikiLeaks, and Twitter to sidestep the censorship barriers of traditional ʻbigʼ media (newspapers, TV, radio) and the increasingly restrictive and controlled ʻembedded system of reportingʼ for mainstream journalists. This course examines how old and new media and media audience behavior and practices shape and frame the processes and discourse of political communication.

  • Popular Culture Studies

    This course critically examines various aspects of socio-cultural scenes and practices, particularly concerning: cultural identity construction (gender, ethnicity, and national identities), (geo)political issues through popular culture production/consumption, and the concept of agency/subjectivity associated with pleasure/entertainment in a globalizing world. We will look at various cultural phenomena including media texts (representations), contexts, and receptions. Taking interdisciplinary approaches, our discussion will focus on identity politics with reference to previous studies in different contexts/backgrounds on this subject. The assigned readings are composed of both theoretical and critical analyses of popular culture and everyday cultural practices. In addition, we will also discuss whether dominant (ʻWesternʼ) theories are effective in studying popular culture practices in different parts of the world, and if not, we will seek reasons as to why they would not work to understand the phenomena in question, in order to come up with better conceptual/methodological approaches.

  • Social Organizations and Institutionse

    This course focuses on theories and methods in comparative historical sociology. Historical sociologists have been concerned with organizations and institutions. Sociologists have discussed the epistemology and ontology of historical sociology. This course will deepen your understanding on how to use sociological theories and methods.

  • Social Theory

    This course begins by asking what “social theory” means, and critically examines the major theoretical developments from classical to contemporary traditions. Starting with classical sociologists such as Marx, Durkheim, and Weber, we will explore a range of theoretical currents including structural functionalism, interactionism, phenomenological sociology, constructionism, critical theory, and systems theory. The course also incorporates recent trends such as the realist turn, post-humanist perspectives, decolonial theory, and feminist thought, highlighting ongoing efforts to reorganize and reposition social theory. Theory will be approached not merely as a tool for interpretation but as a form of intellectual practice that can contribute to rethinking social institutions and practices. Emphasis will be placed on the relationships between theory and experience, theory and ethics, and theory and politics. The course aims to equip students with the capacity to critically compare and apply theoretical frameworks to their own areas of interest.

  • Sociology of Everday Life

    This seminar examines the nature of social transformations in contemporary societies with a primary focus on the Asia Pacific. The course will examine the dynamics of social change through the lens of globalization, inequality, and multiculturalism. Any social phenomenon cannot be sufficiently understood without grasping the causes and dynamics of globalization. The study of inequality is a central academic concern of sociology. This course will therefore engage the question on how globalization is shaping inequality. Multiculturalism is a theoretical framework useful for understanding a particular form of social transformation, i.e. the global human migration and the socio-cultural issues associated with it. By focusing on these three phenomena that characterize our time, the course will deepen our understanding on the important changes happening to our everyday lives and the causal mechanisms that possibly explain the changes from a sociological perspective.

International Relations

  • International Conflict Resolution

    This IR major course invites graduate students to critically think about the rationale of conflict resolution and peacebuilding as a political concept as well as a social phenomenon in international relations (IR). After a brief overview of basic concepts in the field, we first examine traditional methods to conflict resolution such as negotiation, mediation or international organization. We then explore twenty-first century approaches ranging from nonofficial diplomacy, soft power, reconciliation, and peace education. Particular attention is given to who and how, in other words, actors involved (e.g. policy makers, state leaders, civil society, international or regional organizations, NGOs, youth, historians, teachers) and methods used to facilitate the crafting of conflict resolution and sustainable peace. By studying the theoretical as well as practical aspects of conflict resolution worldwide, this course aims at building a deeper understanding of what living in peace means as a goal as well as a process to resolve inter-state or intra-state conflicts.

  • International Law

    This course conducts a deeper analysis of selected issues in international law. It covers both general international law and specialized areas of international law. The former concerns, for example, the sources of international law including treaties, statehood, international organizations, and the peaceful settlement of international disputes. The latter includes, for instance, international human rights law, international economic law, international environmental law, and international law concerning the use of force. The course expects students to develop their own reflections on relevant international legal issues based on a critical assessment of pertinent academic literature and case law (e.g., judgments and advisory opinions of the International Court of Justice).

  • International Organizations

    International Organizations are indispensable actors in international relations. In this course, we will analyze their fundamental regimes, functions and mechanism. We will also conduct an overview on the roles played by various international organizations (mainly universal and multilateral ones but also non-state actors such as international non-governmental organizations ) according to their purposes and sectors (Peace and Security, Finance and Development, Trade, Migration and Refugees, Human Rights, Global Health, Environment, etc.) paving thus the way to reflections on Global Governance. On this occasion, we will also make analytical but also policy-oriented deliberations on the basis of specific regional issues sace as Asia Pacific area and International Cooperation aspects.

  • International Political Economy

    This course aims to develop a clear understanding of the interactions between politics and economics. This objective is increasingly important in the current era, as growing cross-border economic transactions require coordination and cooperation among states to maintain a stable international economic order. The course examines theoretical perspectives on the relationship between the state and the market̶two spheres governed by different principles̶as well as concrete empirical issues in trade, investment, development, and financial affairs. Through this course, students are expected to enhance their ability to analyze how the international community and its constituent states are responding to the challenges posed by intensified economic globalization.

  • International Relations in the Asia Pacific

    This graduate-level course aims at introducing to the students key dynamics of international relations in the Indo-Pacific region in the context of simultaneous progression of globalization and regionalism. The post-Cold War Indo-Pacific has faced drastic shifts in economic and security thinking. Reduction of economic barriers and standardization of economic rules has turned the East Asia region the fastest growing economic region, yet a possible reversal of this trend through disengagement of the United States looms. On the security front, the rise of China and the relative decline of the U.S. dominance in the region urge the Asian countries to review their security strategies. Students are expected to gain multiple theoretical and national perspectives through which to understand the region and be able to interpret policy development in the region through the obtained perspectives. They will gain familiarity with the Indo-Pacific region's key political, economic, and security issues, as well as national policy of the key regional powers. Upon completing the course, they should be able to express their empirical knowledge about the region in theoretically relevant debates.

  • International Security

    International Security is a core subject of the discipline of International Relations. The study of international security encompasses a wide range of issues and subjects, including wars and conflicts, structural violence, the balance of power, alliances, nuclear deterrence and proliferation, international institutions, culture and norms, and conflict resolution. The primary objective of this course is to enhance studentsʼ understanding of major international relations theories and thereby elevate their ability to conduct theoretical analyses of international security. In addition to reviewing works on major theories, students will have the opportunity to critically review selected works that conduct case studies, enabling them to understand how to perform such analyses effectively on their own.

  • Politics and Economics in the Asia Pacific

    This course uses mainly comparative politics and political economy perspectives, but also draws on other perspectives. Students will learn about theoretical approaches to the study of countries' political and economic issues in the Asia Pacific, as well as some ideas about how different forms of political and economic development have progressed in the region. Students will also gain understanding of several more detailed case studies of countries in the region, how these countries interact in regional organizations and of their place in the world. This course will be a good basis for further studies in the International Relations, Development Economics and Society and Culture majors in particular.

  • Religionism and Globalization

    TThis course aims to deepen students' understanding of developments and challenges we face in the age of globalization. The first part deals with the history and theoretical frameworks of the integration of sovereign states, such as regional/international organizations, as well as their backlash such as nationalism and populism. The second part focuses on global security issues such as the proliferation of nuclear arms, regional alliances, and the role of UN peacekeeping. The third part discusses several issues with respect to the global governance, ranging from international trades to refugees and environmental problems. Students are expected to work on weekly reading assignments using either qualitative or quantitative methods to acquire basic knowledge and tools for critical thinking.

Policy Science and Transitioning Societies

  • Comparatice Politics and Government

    Comparative politics is one of the major subfields of political science and is highly interdisciplinary, overlapping with international relations, public administration, and policy studies. This course covers debates both historical and current issues related to democratic institutions, authoritarian regimes, social movements, and policymaking, ranging from representative theories, methodologies and approaches to new analytical methods. No prior specialized background is required to enroll in this course; however, the tools used for comparison and the regions covered are diverse, and regular reading of selected journal papers is required. Therefore, a serious and committed approach to learning is essential.

  • Development Fincance

    This course aims to provide postgraduate students with opportunities to understand and develop foundational knowledge, primarily in the basic theories of development finance and the political economy of institutions. It also introduces an institutional approach to analyzing Japanʼs prolonged financial slump and its transition failure. Adopting a transdisciplinary perspective, the course addresses both new and persistent issues related to public finance, banking regulations, financial fragility, and comparative financial systems. The course argues that the institutional arrangements of various financial intermediaries within a given financial system can significantly influence the performance of the broader economy in which the system operates. Moreover, the efficiency and effectiveness of a financial system may evolve over time as the economy develops. Through this course, students will develop professional skills for managing and evaluating administrative operations and policies related to financial institutions at national, regional, and global levels.

  • Disasters, Crises, and Publiic Policy

    Protection against all types of disasters and crises has become a central task of the state. Disasters used to be "natural", implying that they were "acts of god" about which the government had no responsibility, only the charitable duty to support. However, as our understanding of the causes and consequences of disasters evolved, high expectations of government support replaced this paradigm. The course focuses on the public policy challenges underlying the disaster management cycle, i.e., response, recovery, prevention, and preparedness. It provides students with applied knowledge and tools to confront the complexities of disasters, contributing towards the planning, implementation, and evaluation of sustainable solutions. Students will develop their policy analyses throughout the semester, considering disaster action and coordination at the local, regional, and global levels.

  • Environmental Policy, Law and Administration

    This lecture introduces theory of environmental risk and its communication as a core theme and use them to consider various environmental decision makings and policies in different settings (wetlands: beaches, mangroves, coral reefs, and other ecosystems are also used as examples). The course also introduces the issues of water purification, food waste and energy as examples to consider various approaches which environmental policies can be taken. The 3 principal attainment targets are as follows: 1) Students can enhance their critical thinking and decision-making skills in the arena of sustainable policymaking; 2) Students can foster an ability to understand environmental risk issues; and 3) Students can improve communication skills related to environmental risk and policy.

  • Global Enrironment and Development Challenges in Transitioning Societies

    The course aims to provide academic knowledge and develop critical thinking skills to address environmental and development-related issues and formulate creative solutions to current challenges through an integrated approach that combines global, regional, and local perspectives. Upon completing the course, students are expected to understand the concepts and issues covered and demonstrate their ability to apply the learned theories to the causes, solutions, and prevention of real-world environmental problems.

  • Global Health

    This course is a comprehensive introduction to Global Health. Much of the course will focus on five questions: What do people get sick, disabled and die from; Why do they suffer from these conditions? Which people are most affected? Why should we care about such concerns? What can be done to address key health issues, hopefully at least cost, as fast as possible, and in sustainable ways? The course will cover not only Asia Pacific area but also global issues with a focus on low- and middle-income countries, the health of the poor, and health disparities. Particular attention will be paid throughout the course to health systems issues, the linkages between health and development, and health matters related to global interdependence. The course will cover key concepts and frameworks but be practical in orientation.

  • Project Management, Planning, and Evaluation

    The main goal of this course is for students interested in international development to learn about policies and suitable methods for project management, planning, and evaluation. Students are expected to gain practical knowledge and skills to plan and assess international development projects. They will also familiarize themselves with the processes and requirements of various project planning schemes, which are useful for both public and private initiatives. The course covers a broad range of sectors and social issues, including but not limited to the Sustainable Development Goals and emerging digital technologies.

Sustainable Development and Environment

  • Civil Society and Sustainable Development

    This course examines the relationship between civil society and international development, focusing on how development discourse shapes and is shaped by various societal actors. Students will explore the evolution of development theory and practice through the lens of civil society organizations, social movements, and third sector initiatives. The course critically analyzes how different conceptualizations of development influence civil society's role in social change, from grassroots activism to formal NGO interventions. Special attention is given to power dynamics within civil society itself, including questions of representation, legitimacy, and accountability in development processes.

  • Data Analysis for Sustainablity Research

    This course is designed to provide a comprehensive exploration of quantitative research methodologies within the context of sustainability. The course guides students through critically evaluating and selecting appropriate quantitative methods for analyzing complex datasets, while also exploring the theoretical principles that underpin robust data analysis. Through engagement with methodological literature and empirical case studies, students enhance their ability to design and execute research projects that yield meaningful insights into sustainability challenges. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives from environmental science, economics, and policy analysis, the course equips students with the analytical tools necessary to address dynamic sustainability issues through rigorous quantitative research.

  • Ecological Economics

    Explores the complex interdependence between ecological systems and economic activities, challenging traditional economic models that often overlook environmental constraints. This course introduces foundational theories and principles of ecological economics, including concepts such as ecosystem services, natural capital, externalities, and the circular economy. Students will examine the limits to growth, the valuation of nature, and the role of institutions and policies in promoting sustainability and equity. The course also addresses pressing global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion. Through interdisciplinary approaches, modeling exercises, and real-world case studies, students will critically analyze the trade-offs between economic development and ecological preservation. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with analytical tools and policy insights to design and evaluate sustainable economic systems that align with ecological realities and support long-term human well-being.

  • Environment and Natural Resoruces Conservation

    This course introduces Natural Resource Conservation using an interdisciplinary approach, blending fields from Environmental Studies including social science, law, planning and management approaches. The course combines three [3] subcomponents: i) Governance; ii) Co-management; iii) Sustainability. These are supported by a collection of global case studies from protected areas such as national parks, wetlands, nature reserves and world heritage sites. Through cross-cutting approaches, role play games and assignments, and real-world scenarios, students will understand and critically analyses the trade-offs between sustainable development and conservation. By the end of the course, students can gain the mindset, analytical tools and best-practice examples to design and evaluate natural resource conservation.

  • Sustainable Community Deveoploment

    This course aims at equipping students to become scholar-practitioners by integrating as well as interrogating both theories and practices of sustainable community development. This course discusses the key aspects of sustainable community development from the epistemological, critical and practical points of views. Such aspects include community resources, community capacity development, participatory development, participatory governance, and organizational issues of community development organizations. In order to delve into the epistemological and critical issues of these aspects, this course will also employ pertinent sociological theories.

  • Sustainable Energy Policy

    Sustainable Energy Policy addresses how countries can ensure a stable and affordable energy supply while advancing climate change mitigation and the energy transition. Sustainability is framed through the “3Es”: energy security, environmental sustainability, and economic efficiency. The course explores how policy can balance these objectives in practice.Key topics include global and regional challenges such as climate change, decarbonization, energy security, and the shift to renewable energy. Students will analyze major policy instruments, such as carbon pricing, feed-in tariffs (FITs), and energy efficiency standards, with a focus on their institutional design and comparative effectiveness. The course also covers a range of energy sources including fossil fuels, renewables, nuclear power, and emerging fuels like hydrogen and synthetic fuels, as well as key decarbonization technologies such as carbon capture and negative emissions.

  • Sustainable Tourism

    This course explores the principles and practices of sustainable tourism, focusing on the balance between economic development, environmental protection, and sociocultural integrity. Through global case studies and critical discussions, students will examine policy frameworks, destination management strategies, and stakeholder engagement in promoting responsible tourism. Emphasis will be placed on sustainable development goals (SDGs), climate action, and community-based approaches. The course equips students with analytical tools to evaluate tourism's impacts and design sustainable solutions in diverse regional contexts.

  • Urban Sustainability: Planning and Development

    Urban sustainability has increasingly become an essential agenda for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient development in a situation where urban growth and expansion have rapidly been taking place in the world, especially in the Asia Pacific region. This course will explain the following: fundamental concepts related to urban sustainability, formation processes of cities, historical changes in urban problems and emerging challenges in an era of global urbanization, historical developments of urban theory and planning, the overall methodology of sustainable urban planning and development (including implementation measures), and the latest trends of this planning and development. Examples from both developing and developed countries will be presented during this course.

Tourism and Hospitality

  • Community Based Tourism

    This course explores the principles and practices of Community-Based Tourism (CBT) with a strong focus on empowering local communities. Students will examine key theoretical frameworks, including Community Development Theory and Social Exchange Theory, to understand how tourism can generate social, cultural, and economic benefits for host communities. Through diverse global and local case studies, the course highlights real-world examples of how communities initiate, manage, and sustain tourism projects that reflect their values and identities. Emphasis is placed on participatory planning, stakeholder engagement, and the challenges of balancing conservation with development. By the end of the course, students will gain practical and critical insights into how CBT fosters inclusive, sustainable tourism rooted in community needs and aspirations. This course is ideal for students interested in sustainable development, cultural preservation, and grassroots tourism planning.

  • Cultural and Heritage Tourism

    In this course, students will learn through case studies and discussions about methods for ensuring authenticity and solutions to cultural politics that are important for those involved in heritage management and businesses that use heritage to promote tourism. As a theoretical background, this course also deals with the behavioral aspects of tourism, such as tourism as "seeking the others," the tourist gaze, and tourism and the media.

  • Current Issues in Tourism and Hospitality

    As the tourism and hospitality industry is dynamic and resilient, this course will introduce current issues in tourism and hospitality. Through covering a variety of topics such as the dilemma of tourism resources and tourism development, and tourist behavior change, the objectives of this course, include understanding tourism resources, tourism concepts and theories, identifying tourism development brought by e-commerce, and exploring how information and communications technology (ICT) has been penetrated in the tourism and hospitality industry could be achieved. Consequently, students are able to use theories and frameworks learnt in class, supported by critical and logical thinking skills to solve current issues in tourism and hospitality.

  • Health and Wellness Toursim

    Health and wellness tourism involves two aspects: therapeutics, which seeks to cure certain diseases; and relaxation and leisure. As an alternative to traditional tourism, health and wellness tourism provides a new means of achieving regional and local development from a social, environmental, and economic point-of-view. This course aims to help students to understand the theoretical and practical framework in the area of health and wellness tourism. After completion of this course, students will be able to: Identify the latest developments in the field of Health Tourism; Case studies of successful development of Health Tourism in other countries, Describe the background of practicing Health Tourism until nowadays; Discuss management and operational issues of the function of Health Tourism; • Gain knowledge about the possibility of applying this field of study in Japan and other countries.

  • Hospitality and Service Design

    This course explores the principles and practices of designing memorable and effective service experiences in the hospitality and tourism industries. Students will examine how service design thinking, customer-centered innovation, and hospitality management concepts can be applied to create value for both customers and hospitality organizations. Through a combination of lectures, case studies, and practical projects, students will learn to analyses customer needs, map service journeys, and develop innovative service concepts that enhance guest satisfaction and organizational competitiveness. Topics include customer experience management, value proposition, touchpoint design, service blueprinting, and the integration of technology in service environments.

  • Sustainable Tourism

    This course explores the principles and practices of sustainable tourism, focusing on the balance between economic development, environmental protection, and sociocultural integrity. Through global case studies and critical discussions, students will examine policy frameworks, destination management strategies, and stakeholder engagement in promoting responsible tourism. Emphasis will be placed on sustainable development goals (SDGs), climate action, and community-based approaches. The course equips students with analytical tools to evaluate tourism's impacts and design sustainable solutions in diverse regional contexts.

  • Tourism Destination Development and Planning

    Tourism destination development is one form of development that contributes to the sustainable development of the planet. This course provides an overview of key theoretical and practical frameworks related to tourism, travel, and development, and explains the significance, objectives, research methods, and planning processes involved in tourism destination development. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to explain the concepts of tourism, travel, and tourism destination development, and articulate the reasons why such development is necessary. They will also be able to propose what should be developed in a given tourism destination, acquire concrete research methods for development, and formulate specific development plans. In addition, students will understand and be able to explain approaches to tourism destination development in accordance with Article 3 of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism (GCET), which positions tourism as a key component of sustainable development.

    • Tourism Impact Assessment

    Tourism impact assessment (TIA) entails reviewing and evaluating the impact of tourism-related activities on the environment, culture, and the economy. TIA is important as it allows planners and developers to be aware of potential negative effects, enabling them to plan and take effective and reasonable measures to prevent such impacts from occurring. The course covers a broad range of approaches and methods employed in economics (TSA), social development (SDG), environmental impact assessment (EIA), as well as emerging trends in tourism and hospitality businesses to adopt ESG reporting standards. The course is designed for city planners, analysts, and policy-makers who might be involved in tourism development projects.

Development Economics

  • Comparative Economic Development

    TThe course examines economic development theories and policies from a comparative perspective of Asia, Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe. The course focuses on the development at the country (macro), industry (sectoral), and community levels. The course introduces various development theories, including the classical theory, the neoclassical theory, the structuralist concept, the statist concept, the institutionalist concept, the business school approach, and the global value chain concept. At the sectoral level, the course focuses on the cases of the automotive industry and the apparel industry. In addition, the course also explores social and rural development issues (such as the social capital concept and one village one product).

  • Macroeconomics

    TIn this lecture, we will use the flipped classroom format to help students understand the fundamentals to intermediate-level concepts of macroeconomics from the perspective of neoclassical economics. The flipped classroom approach in this course involves students studying the content of each lecture in advance as preparation, and during class time, the focus will be on presentations and discussions. Economics cannot be applied effectively without understanding the underlying theory. In this course, students will learn macroeconomics as a foundation for understanding realworld policies, such as how and why fiscal policies are implemented by governments and central banks.

  • Microeconomics

    This course will introduce students to microeconomic theory, which covers the fundamental theories covering the consumer, the firm, markets, the efficiency and welfare of free market. Lectures will help students to understand how microeconomics can be applied as a practical tool for both managerial and public policy decision-making in the real world. Therefore, special emphasis will be placed on extended applied examples that cover such topics as the analysis of demand, cost and market efficiency, the design of pricing strategies, investment and production decisions, public policy analysis and efficiency of free market. However, fundamental microeconomic theories are explained mathematically whenever necessary.

  • Development Economics

    This subject offers knowledge and information on international development from both welfare and production point of views. The former includes issues of measurement of performance of development such as the Human Development Index, poverty indices and inequality indicator. They are worked out with both macro and micro data sets. The latter is featured by the mechanism of innovation from incentive / motivation and capacity points of view. Both economic history and worldwide case studies are mobilized for these purposes.

  • Econometrics

    This course provides an introduction to applied econometrics. It deals with applications of statistical methods to testing and estimating economic relationships. The main topics cover a review of statistical inference, the linear regression model, extensions of the basic linear regression model, and problems that arise when analyzing panel data by means of regression models. We will use the Stata software in data analysis and you will become familiar with the program by presenting Stata application for every topic covered in lectures.

  • International Economy

    This course in International Economy provides a structured exploration of key concepts and policies shaping global economic interactions. It begins with an indepth study of the foreign exchange market, exploring the relationship between exchange rates and international financial investment, and analyzing the key determinants of exchange rates in both the short-run and long-run. Next, students analyze the balance of payments, learning to interpret international financial flows and their implications. The third section focuses on macroeconomic policies for open economies, highlighting how governments manage fiscal and monetary tools in a global context. The course then shifts to trade policy analysis, evaluating tariffs, nontariff measures (NTM), and trade policies for developing countries. Finally, students investigate foreign direct investment (FDI) and multinational enterprises, exploring their role in economic development and policy implications for both host and home countries. Through these interconnected topics, the course equips students with analytical tools to assess international economic trends and policy decisions.

  • Sustainable Community Development

    This course aims at equipping students to become scholar-practitioners by integrating as well as interrogating both theories and practices of sustainable community development. This course discusses the key aspects of sustainable community development from the epistemological, critical and practical points of views. Such aspects include community resources, community capacity development, participatory development, participatory governance, and organizational issues of community development organizations. In order to delve into the epistemological and critical issues of these aspects, this course will also employ pertinent sociological theories.

Elective Subjects

  • Management Information Systems

    Management Information Systems focuses on the most fundamental theories about computers. It addresses such questions as how computers work and what we should know to understand them. With these questions in mind, this course discusses binary number systems, computer codes, computer arithmetic, introductory logic, algorithms, flowcharts and programming, set theory, vectors and matrices, linear algebra, combinatorial analysis and probability.

  • Database Management

    Database Management introduces students to fundamental concepts of and helps students to understand Database Management Systems (DBMS), emphasizes on the fundamentals of database modeling and design, the languages and programming of database management systems.

  • Human Resource Management

    Students learn the key concepts in building and maintaining the human resource function in business. The course is framed within the legal and ethical issues facing management today. The objectives of this course are to: 1. Enable students to understand how HRM is a key function of any organization; 2. Develop students’ knowledge and awareness of the nature of HRM, ethics, inter-relationships and principles, 3. Learn how to implement principles as a HR practitioner.

  • Japanese Coporation and Asia Pacific

    The aim of this course is to provide knowledge of the Japanese business management system and the Japanese political economy in relation to the Asia Pacific region. The contents of the course include Japanese domestic business, economic, and political systems, such as human resource management, the keiretsu, general trading companies, and the role of the Japanese government in the business and economy, as well as the internationalization (or regionalization) of Japanese corporations.

  • Leadership and Organization Behavior

    Leadership and Organizational Behavior are designed to help students to gain a better understanding of how interactions between individuals, groups and organizational systems determine the effectiveness of leadership. In so doing, it aims to convey a better appreciation of the complexity of effective leadership and the importance of understanding the theoretical and practical implications of organizational behavior for effective leadership.

  • Negotiation for Value Creation

    Whenever we are trying to reach a goal or need the help of another party who has different preferences, we negotiate. This course focuses on value creating negotiations that allow parties to explore and integrate various sources of value and creative solutions. Students will be provided with opportunities to learn the collaborative element of negotiations and apply strategies that create value in negotiations.

  • Political Economy of Institutions

    “Institutions” can be defined as rules that constrain economic behaviours. This subject draws on the theoretical contributions of the New Institutional Economics and Transaction Cost Economics, and applies some of these contributions to an analysis of changes in the Japanese economic and management system. This subject looks at “formal” institutions as well as “informal” constraints which determine the economic efficiency or inefficiency in the traditional and contemporary Japanese mode of monitoring and management. Cultural factors and customary practices creating mutual “trust” which plays the role as lubricant for running the economic system are also argued.

  • Quality and Operation Management

    This course shows management tools mainly for improving productivity. In detail, the students study analytical tools for production operations, control procedures on demand projection influencing the flexibility of production quantities, production plan, inventory control, quality control and materials control.

  • Supply Chain Management

    Supply Chain Management is the course to organize a streamlined alliance system about complex distribution networks. Corporations are trying hard to economize and swiftly adjust themselves to market changes by making full use of these new strategies. This course provides students with tools and knowledge necessary for the planning and implementation of various supply chain issues.

  • Sustainable Business in Asia Pacific

    The demand for sustainability has increased globally. In this course, students will learn about theories and cases of sustainable business in Asia Pacific. In particular, we will discuss what lead businesses to sustainability and how businesses can create value both for their business and society.

  • Special Elective Subject I
  • Special Elective Subject II

Optional Subjects

  • Survival Japanese I
  • Survival Japanese II
  • Japanese for Communication I
  • Japanese for Communication II
  • Japanese for Communication III
  • Japanese for Communication IV

ACADEMIC CALENDAR

Spring Semester

Spring Semester

Fall Semester

Fall Semester

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies (Master's) Faculty Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies (Master's) Student Testimonials Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies (Master's) Thesis
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