Psychology Department Q&A

Unfortunately, it is not psychology that can read a person's mind from their behavior, such as ``People who talk while touching their hair feel anxious.''This is because there are countless reasons behind the behavior, such as ``I touched it because I was concerned about dust falling.''
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior through methods such as experiments, observations, and surveys.Psychology deals with a wide range of topics, such as why we tend to act in certain situations, the developmental process of how we understand language, and how to support psychological problems.The real thrill of studying psychology is understanding the complexity of the human mind and behavior, which cannot be easily predicted.
Psychology is originally derived from philosophy, so it is sometimes considered a liberal arts discipline, but since it uses scientific methods, it also requires data analysis and statistical knowledge, so it also has science elements.
The special page of the Japanese Psychological Association, a major academic organization related to psychology, has content for the general public that can deepen your interest in psychology, such as an introduction to the history of psychology and Q&A, so please take a look. please.

For those interested in psychology | Japanese Psychological Association Homepage
https://psych.or.jp/public/

The Department of Psychology has a curriculum that allows students to repeatedly learn the statistical knowledge necessary for psychological research, starting from the basics.For example, in the first-year compulsory subject ``Psychology Experiments,'' students experience basic experimental equipment and tasks related to optical illusions and memory, and compile the data into a report.By receiving report feedback, you will be able to acquire data handling skills and research skills that will serve as the foundation for the four years.
After that, through classes such as "Data Analysis I and II," "Practical Practice in Psychological Experiments," and "Practice in Questionnaire Survey Methods," students will gradually acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for psychological research, such as how to use statistical software and how to test hypotheses. You can learn without any difficulty.
The university also offers a data science minor program.
Data Science Minor Program｜University homepage

Psychology is a field of study that provides a deep and practical study of the human mind and behavior, so we believe it will be useful in a variety of situations in which we interact with people in society.Opportunities to be useful are found everywhere, not only in interpersonal support jobs such as medical care, welfare, and education, but also in marketing, product planning and development, sales and sales, and administrative services such as child-rearing support and learning support.In fact, our graduates are active in these areas.
Voices of graduates who are active in the field
In addition, we are launching a new "Career Preparation Program" from 2023 to enable students to engage in independent learning with an awareness of their future careers from their first year of enrollment.
Career Preparation Program

We are employed in a variety of industries and occupations, including the information and communications industry (marketing researchers, product planning and development), finance and insurance, sales and sales (manufacturers), and civil servants (city and ward offices, National Tax Bureau).The percentage of students who go on to graduate school with the aim of becoming a psychological specialist (certified psychologist, clinical psychologist) is 10.9% (2022).
Graduate employment/admission results

The main feature of this curriculum is that students study the four main areas of psychology: cognitive, developmental, clinical, and social, and then deepen the content of their major according to their individual interests.
In addition, participants participate in various off-campus activities such as the ``Comprehensive Psychology Seminar,'' which involves project-based learning (PBL), and the ``Psychological Support Community Service Learning (CSL),'' which involves volunteering at psychological support sites. You can learn experientially how to utilize knowledge of psychology in society.
Off-campus learning
Community Service Learning｜University Homepage

Students will utilize the psychology knowledge and research skills they have learned so far to carry out research activities for their graduation thesis in line with their own interests.Seminars are made up of small groups, providing an environment where students can receive sufficient research guidance.
Each student will read papers related to their research topic, collect and analyze data, and present and discuss the data.Through these activities, students will develop skills that can be used even after graduation by researching, summarizing, and communicating what they want to know.
Please note that particularly outstanding graduation theses are selected each year as ``Excellent Graduation Thesis'' and are introduced on the department blog, so please take a look.
Excellent graduation thesis | Department blog

In order to become a psychological counselor, it is necessary to undergo specialized training and obtain qualifications.Qualifications include the nationally recognized certified psychologist qualification, as well as the clinical psychologist qualification certified by the Japan Clinical Psychologist Certification Association.If you complete our graduate school's master's program, you will be eligible to take the exam for both a certified psychologist and a clinical psychologist.
Collaboration with graduate schools
In order to obtain the qualification to take the Certified Psychologist Examination, it is essential to complete the necessary subjects at university and graduate, and also to complete the necessary subjects and complete the course at graduate school.The Department of Psychology has a curriculum that corresponds to the certified psychologist training curriculum.For more information on the qualifications for becoming a certified psychologist, please also visit the websites of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the Japan Psychological Training Center (General Incorporated Foundation).
Certified Psychologist | Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare homepage
Certified Psychologist Examination | Japan Psychological Training Center (General Incorporated Association)

Students in the Department of Psychology complete at least 4 credits of English courses by the time they graduate.English subjects are divided into classes according to proficiency level, and the curriculum is designed to allow students to learn in stages in their first and second years.
We also focus on overseas training, including a short-term program called ``Boston Summer Session'' where you can learn English while being exposed to the cutting edge of psychology for about a month during summer vacation at Showa Boston in Boston, USA, and improve your English proficiency. You can also participate in a long-term program called the ``1 Week Boston Program (Spring/Autumn)'' to further hone your expertise.
Recommendations for studying abroad in Boston from the Department of Psychology | Department blog
In addition, the university as a whole is focusing on developing global human resources, and we are targeting students in non-international departments where studying abroad is not included in the graduation requirements. We also have a program (S-GLAP: Showa Global Liberal Arts Program) where you can learn .Mind and 1.Skills.
“Showa Global Liberal Arts Program” begins to develop global human resources across the university | University homepage