Faculty of Education

Faculty Philosophy and Objectives

Faculty of Education aims to carry on the legacy of the father of Soka education, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi Sensei, and to conduct academic research and educational practice based on the humanism of Founding Spirit both Department of Psychology and Education and Department of Primary Education. Based on the "creative human being" indicator of Soka University's Founding Spirit and the Grand Design Initiative, Faculty of Education aims to explore "what is human education" and to develop human beings who can solve problems in various situations in the future with advanced knowledge and skills from pedagogical and psychological perspectives.

Educational goals of Faculty of Education

Faculty of Education has the following four educational goals:

1. Through the study of various disciplines related to education and psychology, we aim to develop individuals who can use this knowledge to think about education.
2. We aim to develop individuals who understand what problems are currently occurring in various educational settings, what is required to solve those problems, and who have acquired the problem-solving skills to actually solve them.
3. We aim to develop individuals who do not accept educational issues as self-evident, but who are always open to academic verification.
4. We aim to develop students who can think about educational issues at various levels - local, national and global - and who can communicate the results of their thinking in their own words and utilize them in activities in various areas of society.

Diploma Policy

Faculty of Education awards a Bachelor of Education to students who, based on the educational goals of the university and the faculty itself, have acquired the following learning outcomes in response to events and issues in various regions, societies, organizations, and groups, are enrolled for the specified period of time, earned the required credits, and met the GPA standards.

1. Acquire knowledge of education and psychology, and be able to appropriately express and communicate your own ideas based on that knowledge.
2. To logically recognize and consider problems, and to proactively work towards their resolution.
3. In addressing challenges, we aim to create new value by overcoming differences and collaborating, fostering mutual growth.

Curriculum Policy (Policy for creating and implementing the curriculum)

Based on the University-wide and the Faculty's Diploma Policy, Faculty of Education cultivates students who can acquire knowledge of education and psychology, consider problems logically or practically, and create new value to solve problems through the following curriculum.
Faculty of Education strives to meet the requirements for awarding degrees required by universities by utilizing the common courses offered by School for Excellence in Educational Development. First, through the "First Year Seminar" for Faculty of Education held in the spring semester of the first year, students are encouraged to adapt to university life and enhance their sense of belonging as Faculty of Education students. In the "Introduction to Data Science" course, which is taken in parallel, students develop a sense of mathematical processing in preparation for the coming Society 5.0 era. In response to this, in the second year, "Psychology Experiments" are established in the Department of Psychology and Education and "Data Utilization for Class Improvement" is established in the Department of Primary Education to continuously improve mathematical skills. In addition, students will focus on improving their writing skills, and the writing skills acquired in "Academic Writing I" to be taken in the fall semester of the first year will be honed in the report assignment in the assessment subject [1], and checked in the "Junior Paper" assignment in the third year of graduation research I. In addition, with a view to promoting cross-cultural understanding, students will be required to take English and a second foreign language in the first and second years, and various overseas training programs such as exchange programs will be encouraged.
In addition, by incorporating the form of active learning in many subjects, mainly in the core subjects of the first year, students develop an active and proactive attitude towards learning and the skills and skills to work collaboratively with peers to solve problems. In specialized subjects from the second year onwards, students learn theory and develop the ability to consider and analyze practical issues. In addition, in the "seminars" in the third and fourth years, students deepen their learning in small groups for each specialized area of the faculty in charge, and aim to create new value based on diverse opinions and perspectives through learning with peers.

 Department of Psychology and Education

In Department of Psychology and Education, students will consider various issues of education from a pedagogical and psychological perspective, and aim to develop human resources who can play an active role in various areas of society. Through the four years of study, students will develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will support activities to solve various problems related to education. In this department, there are core courses[1] that are expected to be taken by all students, and elective courses that individual students take according to their needs, interests, and interests.

The core subjects in the first year are "Principles of Education," "Introduction to Psychology," "Introduction to Teaching," and "Educational and School Psychology." In the second year, the subjects are "School Studies," "Educational Sociology," "Educational Philosophy," and "Developmental Psychology." In the third and fourth years, students will focus on "Specialized Seminars" and "Graduation Research." Through these subjects, students will build a foundation for thinking about various educational issues from multiple perspectives.

In parallel with the study of core subjects, several courses are offered to provide a broad and deep understanding of the fields of school education and psychology, according to the progression of the academic year and the degree of deepening and development of the content[2]. For convenience, these are broadly divided into teacher training courses and certified psychologist training courses, which serve as a guide for students when choosing courses.

• Main subjects in the teacher training program
  "Educational Methodology," "Educational Administration and Finance," "Inclusive Education Theory," etc.
• Main subjects in the training course for certified psychologists
• Courses such as "Educational Counseling," "Introduction to Clinical Psychology," and "Research Methods in Psychology" are available.

In addition, Department of Psychology and Education has a certified psychologist training course, which allows students to aim to become a psychologist through classroom lectures such as "Responsibilities of a Certified Psychologist", "Psychological Support Law", and "Mental Illness and Treatment", as well as practical courses such as "Psychological Exercises" and "Psychological Practice I and II"[3]. As for the teaching course, there is a junior high school teacher "Social Studies" and a high school teacher "Civics" license course. In addition, the course system for other departments is used to open the way for students to obtain elementary school, kindergarten, and special needs school teacher's licenses in Department of Primary Education and junior high and high school teachers' "English" licenses in Faculty of Letters Department of Human Studies.


[1] There are compulsory courses that cannot be completed without graduation, and elective compulsory courses that are highly desired but can be replaced by other important (equivalent to core courses) subjects.
[2] Each course has a course code. The last three digits represent the appropriate year of enrollment and the depth (difficulty) of the course. This is called numbering.
[3] If you want to become a psychologist, you must obtain the qualifications of a certified psychologist or clinical psychologist, but for this you will need to further study at a graduate school (master's program). Soka University Graduate School of Education has a course for certification, but the Certified Psychologist Course requires students to take the prescribed courses while enrolled in the university (bachelor's program).
 

Department of Primary Education

Department of Primary Education aims to develop knowledgeable individuals in the field of early childhood education, particularly for teachers at elementary schools, kindergartens, and special needs schools. To that end, we offer courses that improve and develop the expertise necessary for the teaching profession according to the progression of each grade.
First, in the first year, students are required to take the "Principles of Education" and "Introduction to Psychology" courses to acquire basic knowledge and concepts of education and psychology. After that, students are required to take the elective courses "Educational and School Psychology," "School Research," "Educational Administration and Finance," "Introduction to Special Needs Education," "Curriculum Theory," "Educational Methods and Techniques," and "Using Data to Improve Lessons," to develop the problem-finding and problem-solving skills of elementary school, kindergarten, and special needs school teachers, understand the psychology of infants, children, and students, and develop the ability and attitude to think reflectively and analytically about problems surrounding schools from educational and psychological perspectives and work to solve them. In the "Introduction to the Teaching Profession" course, students are also taught the ethics of a teacher and a sense of responsibility to contribute to the growth of children.
Department of Primary Education has three teaching courses: 1) Elementary School Teacher's License, 2) Kindergarten Teacher's License, and 3) Special Needs School Teacher's License. Subjects required to obtain each license are offered as compulsory or elective courses. Students take the subjects required for the teaching profession they are aiming for in each grade. In addition, for students aiming for the teaching course, there are courses such as "school internships" that allow them to experience school work prior to their teaching practice, and through interactions with children and teachers, they can acquire an attitude of constantly striving to grow as a teacher.
In addition to obtaining teaching licenses for elementary school and kindergarten, students can also take courses in other departments and obtain teaching licenses for junior high school (English and social studies) and high school (English and civics) while enrolled in Department of Primary Education.

Admission Policy

Faculty of Education aims to develop people with the abilities demonstrated in the faculty's philosophy and objectives. Specifically, they aim to explore and practice education based on humanism, and are able to collaborate with others through flexible thinking and communication in smooth interpersonal relationships based on basic knowledge and skills, as well as accurate reading comprehension and expression skills. The Faculty seeks students who develop in this way, and selects students based on the following criteria based on Soka University's admission policy.

1. Your motivation for applying, based on your understanding of the philosophy and objectives of this faculty, and your desire to pursue education based on humanism, will be evaluated through document review and interviews conducted in the comprehensive selection process (PASCAL entrance examination, global human resource development entrance examination, basic academic ability method, essay method), school recommendation-based selection process (designated school recommendation entrance examination), and entrance examination for international students.

2. The basic knowledge and skills required for academic activities at the university will be evaluated through document screening and academic ability tests conducted in the following entrance examinations: school recommendation-based selection, general entrance examination using the Common Test for University Admissions, university-wide unified entrance examination, general entrance examination (hereinafter referred to as general selection), and entrance examination for international students. In evaluating these entrance examinations, English proficiency will be given relative importance, and in the document screening for comprehensive selection (PASCAL entrance examination, global human resource development entrance examination, basic academic ability method, essay method) and school recommendation-based selection, preferential treatment will be given according to the results of the practical English proficiency test.

3. Reading comprehension, expressive ability, flexible thinking, and communication skills, which are essential for exploring the theories and practices of education, will be evaluated through academic ability tests conducted in the school recommendation-based selection and general selection processes, as well as through group discussions in the comprehensive selection process (PASCAL entrance examination) and essay examinations conducted in the comprehensive selection process (Global Human Resource Development Entrance Examination, Basic Academic Ability Method, Essay Method).

4. The ability to cooperate flexibly with others will be evaluated through group discussions conducted in the comprehensive selection (PASCAL entrance examination), and interviews conducted in the comprehensive selection (Global Human Resource Development Entrance Examination, Basic Academic Ability Method, Essay Method), school recommendation-based selection, and entrance examination for international students.

Curriculum for True Human Education

This course considers human education from the standpoint of pedagogy and psychology, and strengthens the ability to teach subjects and provide guidance in daily life. It also broadens the perspective of global education, and aims to produce educators who can play an active role on the world stage. Students can also study early childhood education and special needs education.

Detailed guidance system

Seminar-style classes begin in the first year, and students develop the ability to think and make decisions independently through active learning.
From the third year, students will be able to take part in full-scale seminars with small class sizes and receive detailed guidance from their professors, enabling them to acquire a high level of academic knowledge.

Fulfilling "School Internship"

This is a system where you go to public elementary and junior high schools and private kindergartens to cooperate with teachers and provide after-school supplementary learning instruction, etc. You will come into contact with the actual school environment and students and understand your own aptitude.

Strong in teacher recruitment exams

The school offers a large number of specialized subjects related to teaching, and has also established a university-wide "Career Center for Teacher Education."
We provide a wide range of support to students aspiring to become teachers, from obtaining teaching qualifications to preparing for teacher recruitment exams.
For more information, please visit the Career Center for Teacher Education website!

"STeP Lab.", a mock lesson club created in collaboration between students and faculty

Developing the teaching skills of students who aim to become effective teachers
In the extracurricular activity STeP Lab., mainly students in the third year and above participate and learn about creating elementary school lessons. In weekly activities, they conduct teaching material research and mock lessons for major subjects, with an emphasis on discussion among students.
Students have commented that "Through the activities of STeP Lab., I was able to learn how to create lessons that are easy for children to understand and that allow them to learn independently."

About the activities of the mock lesson club "STeP Lab."

Learning Support System

To help students Faculty of Education learn English thoroughly, we have a program called the​ ​Pegasus (Program for Educator in a Global Age for​ ​Soka​ ​University Students) Club, where advanced student tutors support students as they aim to become educators in the global age.

Pegasus Club

The Pegasus (Program for Educator in a Global Age for Soka University Students) Club is a training facility where students Faculty of Education can learn English intensively, and is a program for students who aim to become educators in the global age.
Tutors are senior students who have had similar experiences and overcome them, so they can help students with the unique problems they face, such as taking teaching credits, overseas experience, anxiety about teaching practice and the teacher recruitment exam, and how to deal with the language proficiency required for the teacher recruitment exam.

This is the Foreign Language Study Club of Faculty of Education

The Pegasus Program has been established as an opportunity for independent learning within Faculty of Education to support the acquisition of foreign languages and to equip students with the ability to communicate about Soka education in foreign languages. The organization that carries out this activity is the Pegasus Club.

With encouragement from seniors, students aim to improve their TOEIC scores

Participation in study sessions is optional. Students will study while receiving encouragement from seniors who have achieved high scores on TOEIC and other tests. Since students study with peers from Faculty of Education, there is no tension or anxiety.

Special benefits include priority participation in overseas training programs

Club members have priority access to overseas training programs offered by Faculty of Education. In addition, they receive various benefits, such as the ability to take mock exams as many times as they like for free in preparation for the TOEIC exam, and the ability to use many study materials for free.

Pegasus News Vol.1 2021

This is the latest issue of "Pegasus News" introducing the activities of the Pegasus Club.

List of major companies and public servants

Faculty of Education Employment of students (2022~2024 results)
[Companies and civil servants]
・National Tax Agency
・Yamato House Industry Co., Ltd.
・Dai-ichi Life Health Co., Ltd.
・YKKAP Corporation
・Chiyoda Chemical Construction Co., Ltd.
・Nippon Travel Co., Ltd.
・Taisei Construction Co., Ltd.
・Nomura Securities Corporation
・Lawson Corporation
・Saitama Prefectural Office
・Okinawa Prefectural Office
・Nagoya City Hall
【Advancement】
・Soka University Graduate School of Teacher Education
・Soka University Graduate School
・University of Tsukuba Graduate School
・Chiba University Graduate School
・Sophia University Graduate School
・Rikkyo University Graduate School
・Hakubai Gakuen University Graduate School
・University of Yamanashi Graduate School
・University of Manchester Graduate School
・Emory University Graduate School
・Tokyo Gakugei University Graduate School

Teacher Training Course

This page introduces the teacher training course in general (page of Career Center for Teacher Education a university-wide organization).

Certified Psychologist Training Course

This is an overview of the training program for certified psychologists.