Curriculum

ITASIA is comprised of two degree programs: one that grants an M.A.S. (Master of Arts and Sciences) degree and the other a Ph.D. (Doctorate in Information Studies) degree.

Students in the M.A.S. program are trained to grasp the changing political, economic, and social realities of globalizing Asia through the study of media, communication, and information studies. The M.A.S. program is appropriate for those interested in pursuing careers in public administration, media, business, and academia.

The Ph.D. program is intended to produce high-level researchers and professionals in the fields of Asian studies and information studies. Students will acquire a broad-based knowledge of arts and sciences as well as expertise in the investigative techniques and theoretical analysis required for advanced research in politics, economics, media studies, and other social sciences.

M.A.S. Program

Degree: Master of Arts and Sciences in the field of Information Studies
Required Credits: 30
Term: 2 years

	A1 (October 3-November 28)	A2 (November 29-January 30)	S1 (April 4-June 2)	S2 (June 3-July 28)
Year 1	ITASIA 101ITASIA 102ITASIA 201ITASIA 202ITASIA 301ITASIA 302ITASIA 401			Summer Programs (optional)
Year 2	Elective Classes	Elective Classes	Thesis Writing

Ph.D. Program

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy in the field of Information Studies)
Required Credits: 20
Term: 3+ years

	A1 (October 3-November 28)	A2 (November 29-January 30)	S1 (April 4-June 2)	S2 (June 3-July 28)
Year 1	ITASIA 101ITASIA 102ITASIA 201ITASIA 202		Elective Classes	Summer Programs (optional)
Year 2	Elective Classes	Elective Classes	Elective Classes	Summer Programs (optional)
Year 3	Dissertation Writing	Dissertation Writing	Dissertation Writing

In order to master the fundamentals of the humanities and social sciences needed to research Asian society in the information age, students in the ITASIA Program may complete coursework in the four areas below. Based on this foundational knowledge, students then will go on to deepen their understanding of specific fields by taking elective courses and writing a faculty-guided Master’s thesis or Ph.D. dissertation.

The courses offered in this program are categorized into the following areas:

ITASIA 100s: Asian Studies
ITASIA 200s: Media and Communication Studies
ITASIA 300s: Theories and Methods
ITASIA 400s: Information Technologies
ITASIA 700s: Academic Project Management
ITASIA 800s: Academic Skills

Required Classes

Number	Title	Credits	Term	Instructor
ITASIA 101	Introduction to Asian Studies: History and International Relations (Lecture)	2	A1	MATSUDA Yasuhiro KURAMOTO Ryosuke OGAWA Michihiro Christopher BYRON-GERTEIS Pattajit TANGSINMUNKONG
ITASIA 102	Introduction to Asian Studies: History and International Relations (Seminar)	2	A1 A2	Christopher BYRON-GERTEIS
ITASIA 201	Introduction to Media and Communication (Lecture)	2	A1 A2	Jason G. KARLIN
ITASIA 202	Introduction to Media and Communication (Seminar)	2	A1 A2	Jason G. KARLIN
ITASIA 301	Introduction to Social Research (Lecture)	2	A2 S1	SONODA Shigeto HARADA Shiro
ITASIA 302	Introduction to Social Research (Workshop)	2	A2 S1	SONODA Shigeto HARADA Shiro
ITASIA 401	Introduction to Information Technology	2	S1	HARADA Shiro
	M.A.S. Thesis Writing	4	year-round
	Ph.D. Dissertation Writing	8	year-round

Sample Elective Classes

Number	Title	Credits	Term	Instructor
ITASIA116	Comparative Constitutional Design	2	A1 A2	Kenneth Mori MCELWAIN
ITASIA121	International Politics in East Asia: US-China Rivalry and Its Impacts on Regional Order	2	A1 A2	SAHASHI Ryō
ITASIA122	Historical Perceptions in Asia	2	S1 S2	Pattajit TANGSINMUNKONG
ITASIA124	Global Conflicts and Cooperation: Understanding Governance in a Global Era	2	S1 S2	ENDŌ Ken
ITASIA128	Surviving Cancer in Asia: Collaboration with UICC (Union for International Cancer Control)	2	A1 A2	SONODA Shigeto
ITASIA131	Japanese Foreign Policy	2	S1 S2	Phillip LIPSCY
ITASIA133	Japanese Foreign Economic Policy	4	A1 A2	IIDA Keisuke
ITASIA145	Contemporary Chinese Diplomacy	2	A1 A2	TAKAHARA Akio
ITASIA146	Contemporary Chinese Politics	2	A1 A2	LIM Jaehwan
ITASIA211	Introduction to Affect and Sensory Studies	2	A1 A2	HISANO Ai
ITASIA221	Gender and Media Theory	2	S1 S2	Jason G. KARLIN
ITASIA223	Journalism Studies	2	A1 A2	David MCNEIL
ITASIA225	Visual Culture, Technology, and the Everyday Life	2	S1 S2	ITATSU Yuko
ITASIA232	“Reinventing Japan” and Rethinking Area Studies	2	A1 A2	YAGUCHI Yujin
ITASIA311	Visual Ethnography	2	A1 A2	Dipesh KHAREL
ITASIA322	Populations, Logistics & Violence	2	S1 S2	Joshua BAXTER
ITASIA323	Issues and Methods in Cultural Anthropology and Ethnography	2	S1 S2	NAWA Katsuo
ITASIA411	Media Design	2	A1 A2	WATANAVE Hidenori KAKEHI Yasuaki Miles PENNINGTON
ITASIA415	Media Technologies, Machines, and Humanity	2	A1 A2	NISHIMURA Keiko
ITASIA416	Software Studies	2	A1 A2	Michael FACIUS
ITASIA426	ChatGPT Lab	2	S1 S2	Michael FACIUS
ITASIA801	Academic Discourse Writing	2	S1 S2	Dexter DA SILVA

* Students may take elective classes in any course of the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies or department of the University of Tokyo.

Japanese Language Classes

The University of Tokyo offers 10 different Japanese Language Programs for international students. The programs are offered through 9 School/Faculty/Department’s Japanese Language classes and the Center for Japanese Language Education. For more information, please visit the Portal Site for UTokyo Japanese Language Education.

Required classes and most elective classes in the ITASIA Program are offered in the afternoon and evening in order to allow for Japanese language study in the morning. Since intensive Japanese language classes may be too demanding to take together with required classes, M.A.S. students may elect to study intensive Japanese during their first year, graduating instead in three years. Ph.D. students may elect to study intensive Japanese at any time. Please consult with your tentative advisor regarding your study plan upon admission.