Approximately 30 students are selected from six of Soka University’s faculties for the GCP, namely, the Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Business Administration, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Letters, Faculty of Education, and Faculty of Science and Engineering. This means that it is not just one organization or lecturers from only one field of study who are involved in the program, but rather the GCP students are supported by the whole of Soka University. We also hope that by bringing students from various faculties together will promote diversity.

GCP provides its own intensive English course, in which students aim to acquire English skills of the standard required for graduate school overseas as well as a high standard of English communication skills that they would need to obtain employment at a leading company in Japan or overseas, or an international organization. After enrollment, GCP students take four intensive classes per week (two subjects each taught twice a week) for the first two years to hone their English skills. In this way, they develop comprehensive skills in reading comprehension, writing, logical thinking, discussion, and presentation skills, which are all required for graduate school overseas.
All GCP students also take part in a short-term overseas study tour, paid for with scholarships that are granted to all students in the program. During this GCP study tour, students visit developing countries, where they attend lectures, delivered in English, about the various problems those countries are facing in areas such as politics, economics, the environment, and education. They also visit schools and other facilities in poverty-stricken areas to gain a deeper understanding of the current situation regarding development, the environment, and education.

To play an active role in the international community and elite corporations, the ability to efficiently use the massive volume of diverse data that accumulate every day to speedily carry out calculations, research and high-level analysis is critical. In the subject, “Social System Solutions I,” GCP students acquire the data analysis skills that will allow them to comprehend current circumstances in society and make decisions. In “Social System Solutions II,” they acquire basic mathematical knowledge for the detection and solution of various problems, so they can tackle social, management, and information systems that are changing drastically day by day.

There are four specialized seminars, one for each semester. GCP students will study in the following four seminars over two years.

1. 1st Year Spring Semester Program Seminar I: Career & Leadership
— Develop leadership and vision planning skills —
Along with tutorials, students will form a plan for the career path and educational paths that best suit them.

2. 1st Year Fall Semester Program Seminar II: Basic Research
— Develop skills in research and presentation —
Students will conduct fieldwork during the overseas study tour, which is held in February of the 1st Year.

3. 2nd Year Spring Semester Program Seminar III: Policy Studies
— Brush problem-solving skills and the ability to work as a team —
GCP students will acquire skills to understand problems systematically and comprehensively from expert perspectives and to analyze them.

4. 2nd Year Fall Semester Program Seminar IV: Global Issues
— Develop problem-solving and proposal skills —
In December of 2nd Year, GCP students will hold an open seminar to present their achievements, where they will present proposals to society.

In GCP, students will be given finely detailed, individual guidance tailored to each student’s field of study and educational direction. The first two years of the program are a time for the students to explore their own possibilities for the future and find their own path. With small classes consisting of five to ten students per lecturer, students are supported fully in their student lives through weekly tutorials, individual counselling, and guidance. With the skills they have acquired in those first two years, from the third year, they will start on the path to achieving their future goals and become Soka University students who will contribute to society. In other words, third and fourth year are a period of time in which GCP students will decide their future goals and work towards making their dreams come true. During those two years, students begin preparations to follow their future dreams, such as searching for employment, taking the public servant examinations, or enrolling in graduate school overseas, all under the guidance of lecturers who have a wealth of experience that is most suited to the students’ diverse future plans.