Doctoral Program in American Studies

REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES

The Ph.D. program offers rigorous instruction in academic inquiry in several fields of research. The Graduate School is not committed to a particular school of theory or method of analysis. Rather, it seeks to promote intellectual creativity, theoretical diversity, analytical rigor, and scholarly excellence. Students who obtain the Ph.D. degree will be in a position to teach at the university level in Japan, the United States, or other countries, or pursue career opportunities outside of academia should they so desire. Because of the small size of the Doshisha program, Ph.D. students can expect to receive the prompt and close attention of their advisers and the rest of the Graduate School faculty. The program encourages students to work closely with one another, forming a supportive and lively intellectual community. In recent years, Ph.D. students have taken the initiative in organizing their own study groups and in sponsoring guest lecturers from Japan and abroad in their areas of interest.

Currently, the Graduate School of American Studies offers support in the following fields of research. Each Doctoral student is required to register in one of these fields.

Fields of Research and Advisers

History and Society in America
Prof. Gavin Campbell

Literature and Culture in America
Prof. Takashi Sasaki

Japanese-American Relations
Prof. Masahiro Hosoya

Society and Culture in America
Prof. Keiko Ikeda

Law and Society in America
Prof. Taisuke Kamata


Enrollment Procedures

A Doctoral student receives guidance from one of the faculty supervisors in his/her field of study as listed above. Students, whether they take the Master's course(s) or not, must submit registration forms, signing up for one of these fields of study on enrollment day.

Report on Research and Accomplishment

Each year, every Doctoral student, including those studying abroad and those taking a "Leave of Absence," must submit a report on research and accomplishment (on a prescribed form) to the Office of Graduate School of American Studies by mail, fax or E-mail.

The report should include:

1. Research Title (in both English and Japanese);

2. Research progress; and

3. Article(s) and/or book review(s) [the year published and publisher(s)], and paper(s) presented [names of academic associations, dates, locations, and their summaries].

The Doctoral Degree in American Studies

A Doctoral Degree will be conferred in compliance with the Regulations of the Graduate School of Doshisha University, part of which read as follows:

Those who are seeking doctoral degrees are required to complete 5 years of doctoral program study (2 years for those who commenced the program upon completion of the Master's Program in American Studies), taking required credits, receiving specific academic guidance, presenting their doctoral dissertations and passing the final examination. The final examination deals mainly with the dissertation and its related fields.

An exception to the above guidelines may be made for those who have accomplished an exceptional achievement during an enrolled period of 3 years, including the 2 years of a Master's program. [Regulations of the Graduate School of Doshisha University, Chapter 4, Article 7]

A Doctoral Degree in American Studies will be conferred upon those who are certified as adequately meeting all requirements by the Graduate School of American Studies.