• ＪＡＳ Program（日本語）
• ＪＡＳ Program（English）
• ＪＡＳ 2012-13 Courses
• ＪＡＳ 2012-13 Schedule(PDF)
• ＪＡＳ2012-13HandbookNEW
• ＪＡＳ (Recommendation)
• ＪＡＳ Completion C.
• ＪＡＳ career tour 2011
• ＪＡＳ study tour 2009f
• ＪＡＳ study tour 2009s

Application Procedure, Submission Dates, Orientation Schedule

1．Students who enrolled in JAS in the past.
Students who enrolled in JAS courses in the past do not need to resubmit the JAS Application Form and past writing sample.
2．Students who are enrolling for the first time in JAS
Submit by email (1) JAS application form (2) past essay or research paper (or JAS writing task).
Submission Dates:
February 1 - April 12, 2012
Announcement of Enrollment Eligibility: Applications will be processed as they are submitted. All forms are available on the Faculty's website. The application form must be completed by the applicant in person.

◎Orientation for Japanese students taking JAS for the first time
　　Orientation for Japanese Students is not scheduled.
　　For any questions, please email M. Honma at 　mhonma@soka.ac.jp.

◎Orientation for Exchange Students taking JAS for the first time
　　April 4, 13:00-14:00. J406, International Exchange Center.
　　Content: JAS general explanation.

◎Mock-ITP for Exchange Students (for non-native English speakers)
　　April 4, 14:30-16:30. (Punctuality is absolutely necessary for the test.)
　　Room J208 class room (International Exchange Center 2F)

Application Form

The application form must be completed by the applicant in person. Be sure to submit by email as attachments all the following documents to mhonma@soka.ac.jp:
●JAS Application form (Excel/Download)
●Past essay or research paper(or JAS writing task)

For all your emails and attachments, please write (1) your student number, (2) name , (3) document title (i.e., JAS application form, etc.)

Contemporary Japanese Economy

Prof. Mariko J. Honma

Introduction of JAS

Offering courses in economics and related subjects for international and domestic students of Soka University, JAS program provides an excellent opportunity for students to learn academic subjects in English and engage in in-depth communication with students of diverse backgrounds and majors.

JAS is for international students enrolled in the undergraduate or exchange program of Soka University, as well as for domestic students in the undergraduate program. Courses are geared for third- and fourth-year students. Exceptions will be made for second-year students who satisfy enrollment requirements. We welcome both economics and non-economics students. Some courses have prerequisites of microeconomics and macroeconomics while others have no prerequisites. Please check the syllabus for respective courses.

JAS courses meet the needs of
●International students who wish to spend one or two semesters in Japan for an enriching international experience and take academic courses in English.
●International students who are currently enrolled in Japanese-medium undergraduate courses and would also like to enroll in a few English-medium courses.
●Domestic students with high English proficiency who wish to take an academic subject in English and engage in meaningful discussions with international students in the class.

Key Features of the Program

JAS provides an excellent opportunity for international and domestic students to study together. One of the most important aspects of fruitful international experience is the level and content of diverse students engaging in meaningful dialogues. JAS courses are all interactive in nature, where project-based learning is one of its core principles. Students will engage in group work of research and presentation to facilitate maximum interaction and exchange.

Students per class will range from five to fifteen students, where each student will get to know each other well. Through interactive classes, discussions based on critical thinking will be strongly encouraged by all faculty members. There will also be considerable amount of readings for all classes, and most classes will require either a group or individual research paper to be submitted at the end of the semester.

The academic year at Soka University begins in early April and ends in late January. The first semester is from early April to late July; the fall semester is from mid-September to late-January. JAS courses can be taken either during one of the semesters or both. Different set of courses are offered each semester, with a few exceptions. A student may choose any course of their interest in a given semester.

A Certificate of Completion is presented to those students who have successfully completed 16 or more credits within JAS courses. The student may choose to complete these courses in one or more semesters.

Courses Offered

Courses can be grouped into five major subject areas: (1) Japanese Economy, (2) Economic Theory and Statistics, (3) Japan in Asia, (4) Japan in the World, and (5) Business in Japan and Asia. A number of courses have prerequisites of introductory microeconomics and macroeconomics. Prerequisite information is given on the course syllabus.
Courses offered in the 2012-13 academic year (Syllabus)
Course Schedule(PDF)

2012 Spring Semester
　●Contemporary Japanese Economy
　●Human Resource Management in Japan and Asia
　●Japan in Asian Economy
　●Economic Development of Japan
　●Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
　●Introduction to Finance
　●Interest Rates in the Global Economy
　●Economics Laboratory I
　
2012 Fall Semester
　●Contemporary Japanese Economy
　●Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
　●International Management
　●Economic Issues of Contemporary Japan
　●Business and Japanese People
　●Socioeconomic Development in India
　●Courses by Visiting Professor to be announced later
　●Economics Laboratory II

The course syllabus for each course is attached to this general information sheet and is available on the Faculty’s website.
An Economics Laboratory course (once a week for the duration of the semester) is offered for those JAS students who need language support for research paper writing and presentation skills.

Enrollment Requirements and Application
All students interested in taking JAS courses need to submit the JAS Application Form which will assess the student’s (a) English proficiency, (b) general academic competency, (c) past English-medium courses taken, and (d) research and written communication level.

The minimum requirements include
　●English proficiency of ITP 530+ (iBT 71+)
　●GPA 3.0+(5-point scale),2.4+(4-point scale)

All students must complete the application form and submit it with one copy of a research paper or an essay completed in the past which demonstrates the student’s ability to write at an advanced level. If a sample of student’s past writing performance is unavailable, a writing task given below must be completed and submitted with the application. Native speakers of English and those students whose language of education is English are exempted from submitting a writing sample.

Writing Task:
Write a 1000- to 1500-word essay on the following topic. What event or events during the past year have had a significant impact on global society? In detail, describe the event or events and explain its or their impact on global society.

Based on the information submitted, a selection of students who satisfactorily fulfill all requirements will be announced on the web as those with JAS enrollment eligibility. Enrollment eligibility is necessary to enroll in JAS courses.

JAS courses are offered for those international students who come to study at Soka University as (a) exchange students from institutions with which Soka University has academic exchange agreement, (b) undergraduate students accepted by Soka University through its Office of Admission, and (c) non-degree students accepted by Japan Studies Center.