Provides students the opportunity to design an interdisciplinary major in the College of Liberal Arts. It is closely related to political science and emphasizes issues affecting relations betwen East Asia and the United States. This major requires a variety of political science courses. It also has an economics, history, and East Asian studies component. Students must complete an internship and reach a level of proficiency in an East Asian language (Japanese, Chinese, or Korean).

Major Requirements

Advisor and Coordinator of International Affairs major

On one level, international affairs is the study of relations between states, but it is also about the relations between cultures. While rooted in political science, international affairs encompasses the study of history, geography and society as a means of understanding the complexity of the world we live in. TUJ’s diverse and international student body brings different experiences and information from various cultures into the classroom. This spurs wide-ranging and extremely valuable discussions.

Another wonderful thing about TUJ as a place to study international affairs is our access to practitioners. We’re located in a part of Tokyo that is home to most of the major embassies, so we can easily visit these embassies, and also persuade embassy staff to come talk to us. In addition, we have good relations with various think tanks and members of the government and the bureaucracy. We believe our ability to interact with practitioners and nongovernmental organizations is probably unrivaled anywhere else in Asia.

Studying at TUJ is interesting and compelling, but it’s also demanding and challenging. TUJ will give you an educational experience you won’t find anywhere else in the world.

Future Careers

With regard to future careers, the international affairs major is specifically designed to prepare students for work with globally oriented employers. Equipped with the combination of broad understanding of the global system as a whole, as well as particularly detailed knowledge of East Asia, our graduates are of particular interest to large international companies with a presence in Asia, as well as to government agencies and transnational nongovernmental organizations. The emphasis that our upper-level courses place on independent research and intensive debate of contemporary political controversies is also ideal preparation for postgraduate research in the field of international politics.

 

SAMPLE CURRICULUM

An overview of required courses.

 

FEATURED COURSES

A list of recently offered electives.

 The Making of American Society: Melting Pot or Culture Wars?
 Foreign Governments and Politics
 Cyberpolitics
 Japan in a Changing World Order
 Evidence and Knowledge
 Superpower America

 

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Student Voice

Marie-Claire Bagazonzya
Ugandan

Transferred from Temple Main Campus in Philadelphia
Internship with Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

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At the end of my sophomore year, I decided on International Affairs as my major, but Temple Main Campus did not have it. Fortunately, TUJ did, so here I am. Coming to Tokyo was scary and exciting. TUJ is a lot smaller than Main Campus so it is easier to get to know people and find your way around. Also, people at TUJ are friendly and eager to help. I like the class sizes as well. It allows for easier discussions between students and the professor. For my internship, I worked in Public Relations at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. I collected stories about Afghanistan for the embassy’s website as well as their newsletter. I also helped write speeches and press releases. It was a very rewarding experience. I learned it takes all staff working together for an embassy to function smoothly. I also had the opportunity to learn more about Afghanistan – its food, its culture and the language. After TUJ, I would like to go to graduate school for human rights and development, or work with an international non-profit organization.