Program Details

Master's Program
Doctoral Program

Master's Program

Features

Goals

The curriculum of the MA program is structured to allow students to be exposed to a wide range of issues and approaches in understanding peace and conflict in the contemporary world through a framework Area Studies. In addition to gaining specific knowledge and understanding of topics within the field, in keeping with the belief that each conflict is unique, the Program also stresses the in-depth and comparative study of various cases of conflict, including field research in pre-conflict, conflict, and post-conflict settings.

Students are expected to gain the ability to analyze conflict situations from a variety of perspectives, and expand their capacity to initiate and execute research critical to understanding and ameliorating such situations, and to work in the field as professionals planning, implementing, and evaluating peace-building, conflict resolution, conflict prevention, and related projects. Furthermore, the active nature of student participation expected in courses and in the program overall, for example through frequent student presentations, should prepare students for positions in education, whether at the community level in conflict areas, or at the tertiary level in their home countries.

The PCS Faculty aims to offer a diverse and engaging set of courses each term, based on their particular expertise and interests, and on the most relevant and current issues. Several Visiting Professors and Lecturers are also retained each term to broaden the course offerings, and also to allow students the opportunity to have contact with and learn from professionals active in peace-building, conflict resolution, and other areas of practice. Outside experts are also often invited for short seminars, talks, or conferences for these purposes.

Through contact with faculty, outside researchers and professionals, and other students, the students should be able to establish an international network of profession contacts for their future research and employment. Moreover, we expect that, given the small size and international nature of each entering class (approximately 10-12 students each year), as well as the fact that many of them come from conflict-affected countries, students will be able to gain valuable experience in cross-cultural contact and understanding, and in working collaboratively. Of course, studying in Japan in itself should hopefully provide students with such experience.

Program Outline

Study Period: 2 years

Commencing: Fall (no spring admission)

Language of Instruction: English

Graduation Requirements: 30 course units and an MA thesis (written in English)

Degree awarded: Master of Arts (International Studies

Intake: 12

Full-time Professors

Prof. Yasuyuki MATSUNAGA

Research keywords: Religion and Politics, Democratization, Comparative Political Regimes, Political Change, Contentious Politics, Conflict

https://www.tufs.ac.jp/research/researcher/people/english/matsunaga_yasuyuki.html

Prof. Hideaki SHINODA

Research Keywords: International Order, Conflict Resolution, Peacebuilding

https://www.tufs.ac.jp/research/researcher/people/english/shinoda_hideaki.html

Prof. Tomonori YOSHIZAKI

Research keywords: Strategic Studies, War and Peace, Peacebuilding, Security Studies, NATO, EU

https://www.tufs.ac.jp/research/researcher/people/yoshizaki_tomonori.html

Curriculum

As of 2024-2025 academic year

Core Seminar	Core Seminar Theory and Practice of Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding	SHINODA Hideaki	Fall
Global Studies	Global Studies International Order and Alliances	YOSHIZAKI Tomonori	Fall
PCS Research Methodology	PCS Research Methodology PCS Research Methodology	MATSUNAGA Yasuyuki	Fall
Foundation for Peacebuilding	Foundation for Peacebuilding 1 Theory and Practice of Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding	SHINODA Hideaki	Spring
Foundation for Peacebuilding	Foundation for Peacebuilding 1 The Politics of Difference and Inequality	HAZAMA Yasushi	Fall
Applied Peacebuilding	Applied Peacebuilding 1 Peace Building and Psychosocial Work	Appuhamilage Udeni	Fall
	Applied Peacebuilding 2 Foundation of Human violence and Group Conflict	Appuhamilage Udeni	Spring online
	Applied Peacebuilding 3 Gender and Peace	AKIBAYASHI Kozue	Winter intensive
	Applied Peacebuilding 1 Peace and Conflict in the Indo-Pacific (Part-1)	YOSHIZAKI Tomonori	Fall
	Applied Peacebuilding 1 Applied Peacebuilding	UESUGI Yuji	Spring
Conflict and Social Change	Conflict and Social Change 2 Theories of International Relations	DARWISHEH Housam	Spring online
	Conflict and Social Change 2 Advanced Seminar on Conflict and Contentious Politics	MATSUNAGA Yasuyuki	Spring
	Conflict and Social Change 1 Conflict and Social Change	KARUSIGARIRA Ian	Fall
International Relations and Cooperation	International Relations and Cooperation 1 Conflict Settlement in the Changing World	NAKAYA Sumiye	Fall
	International Relations and Cooperation 1 Peace and Conflict in the Indo-Pacific (Part-2)	YOSHIZAKI Tomonori	Spring
	International Relations and Cooperation 3 International Relations: Religion, Identity and Nationalism	SHANI Giorgiandrea	Spring online

Syllabus search

MA Thesis

MA Student Thesis

Some of the recent titles of the MA thesis

2024

The Institutional Context of Separatist Conflicts; Examining Tensions Between Federalism and Biafra Agitation in Nigeria. 2012-2023
ARMED STATE ACTORS AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE: A CASE OF MEXICO (2009-2022)
CONDITIONS FOR ACCULTURATION IN JAPAN: HOW DO THE STUDENTS FROM CIS COUNTRIES ADAPT?
ETHNIC WARFARE AND STATE BOUNDARIES: EXAMINING TERRITORIAL CONTENTION IN ILEMI TRIANGLE.
CHALLENGES OF INTEGRATION FOR TURKISH IMMIGRANTS IN JAPAN: HISTORICAL INSTITUTIONALIST AND CULTURALIST EXPLANATIONS

2023

AN EXAMINATION OF THE CASE OF FOOD INSECURITY IN RURAL SIERRA LEONE (1996-2022)
Tension among Alternatives and its Impact on Collective Identity: Dynamics of Conflicts within “Education” in the Post Reconstruction period of Rwanda
Child Soldiering: The cause of accessioning military training programs for juveniles in Eastern Europe
Ethnic Return Migration in Kazakhstan and Identity Formation, 1991-2022
Declining Youth Party Membership in Vietnam: Dynamics of Political Participation and Political Mobilization Among University Students

2022

The Two Logics of U.S. Deterrence Policy
Transitional Justice Process In Burundi: A case of political and institutional struggle
Rationality of Unitary-Executives and Extreme Political Violence: A psychosocial analysis ofthe assassination case of the Haitian President, H.E Jovenel Moise.
Explaining Electoral Violence in Africa: The Case of Ghana in the Fourth Republic (1992-2020)

Some of the titles of the MA thesis between 2011 and 2021

Doctoral Program

Features

Doctoral Degree Program Details

The Doctoral Program in the field of Peace and Conflict Studies is not an independent program.　It is situated under the Doctoral Program in Global Studies of TUFS.

As it is not a curriculum-based program, students shall pursue their research under close supervision of their supervisors. Students shall receive research guidance from the main academic supervisor and research supervisors designated by the Graduate school based on the student’s research topic. The students are required to take up to 12 credits during the years of enrollment, acquire research guidance according to the stages of research, attend and present at academic conferences, and have their papers published in the academic journals to culminate with a doctoral dissertation.

Due to the independency of the program, doctoral students shall have a firm background on the topic they are researching. Keeping close contact with the supervisors is another important factor in succeeding in our doctoral program.

Degree Awarded: Doctor in Philosophy