The objective of the undergraduate program is that students will not only acquire a mastery of a particular field in the humanities but will also have a grasp of the humanities as a whole. In line with this objective, the curriculum is designed for students to pursue in-depth study in a particular field and at the same time to learn from a variety of disciplines.

There are 12 departments in this faculty, covering a wide range of humanities studies. This includes linguistics, literature, philosophy, psychology, history, geography, and other subjects.

In the freshman year, students do not belong to any of these departments. Rather, each student takes a variety of introductory lectures and seminars offered by the departments which interest them, so as to get an idea of those departments. Then at the end of the freshman year, each student selects a particular department to which they will belong in the sophomore, junior, and senior years.

From the sophomore year onwards, each student thus focuses on a particular field of study in the humanities, and by the end of the fourth year completes a graduation thesis under the supervision of a professor in the department.

This Department offers a curriculum that covers three fields of study: British Literature, American Literature and English Linguistics. Students entering this Department can, according to their own interests, pursue any one of the three fields. British and American Literature are studied mainly in seminar-style classes, supported by general introductions to literary theory and the literary histories of Britain and America, while English linguistics is approached through a general introduction to the field, followed up by courses in such subjects as phonology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics and sociolinguistics, providing a diversity of academic approaches. The students' four years as undergraduates reach their climax in their senior seminars, in which small groups of students study subjects of their own interest, and in so doing prepare their graduation theses and learn the basics of academic research and writing.

This Department offers interdisciplinary studies in American and British culture, as well as cultural studies of other English-speaking areas. Topics covered in lectures include but are not restricted to: cultural studies, comparative cultural studies, aesthetics, environmental philosophy, ecocriticism, culture of food and drink, art history, representation and culture, African American studies, film studies, history of ideas, British literature, postcolonial criticism, gender and sexuality studies, body culture studies and educational sociology. Having faculty from diverse natioralities and backgrounds, the Department not only seeks to develop students' English proficiency but also allows them to immerse in a truly international learning environment. In addition, our lectures and seminars are designed to help students improve their critical thinking and communication skills through discussions and presentations of reseach findings. The interactive learning process will prepare shudents for employment in a range of professions.

This Department offers two courses: a literature course that ranges from the earliest poetry and prose, through the glories of Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi writing and the wit and pathos of Edo-period best-sellers, to the modern literature of the Meiji, Taisho, Showa and Heisei periods; and a linguistics course that embraces the phonology, lexicology and etymology, and the grammar of the Japanese language. Particularly serious emphasis is placed upon seminar-work, the final result of which is the academic achievement that crowns each student's four years of endeavor, her or his graduation thesis.

This Department offers students a comprehensive study of philosophy. The disciplines that students can study here consist of philosophy, ethics, religions and aesthetics. The course program is devised for students to study essential problems of these disciplines (especially in Studies in Philosophy 1-2 and in Basic Seminars in Philosophy 1-2). After mastering the fundamental knowledge of them, students can select their major subject from them and develop their study further especially in Studies in Philosophy 3-4 and in Intermediate Seminars in Philosophy 1-2). This department serves various courses about philosophy, history of philosophy, ethics, studies of various religions, Japanese thought, aesthetics, theater studies, musicology and so on. Thus, a wide range of choice of themes of graduation theses is guaranteed. Each student elaborates her or his graduation thesis in Advanced Seminar in Philosophy and in BA Thesis Seminar in Philosophy.

The European Cultures Program offers courses in German language and culture and French language and culture, allowing students to learn about the rich culture of Europe, with a focus on Germany, France and other countries where these languages are spoken. Europe is a land of endless fascination. However, for many Japanese, Europe is a place that they would like to visit at least once, but do not know much about. In this course, we aim to provide a clearer, more detailed, and more precise understanding of the fascination of Europe. Specifically, we will begin by learning the basics of European language, literature, and culture in a well-balanced and wide-ranging way. Then, through friendly rivalry with our peers in small seminars, we pursue our own research themes in depth, leading to the writing of our graduation thesis in the fourth year. In order to improve our students' ability to use German and French, we offer many classes taught by native teachers and recommend various study abroad programs. We also strongly support the acquisition of qualifications such as the German and French examinations. We believe that training your thinking in a language and culture different from Japanese and English will help you develop a critical intellect and a soft sensitivity.

This Department was set up in 1949. Students of this Department can major in either the Japanese History or the Cultural Heritage Study, and deepen their area of specialty after learning fundamental concepts. Not only the historical document approach for research, but also methods from archeology, folklore, and the study of cultural heritages including World Heretage sites, etc. are learned. In this Department, the curriculum is kept as flexible as possible to cater for a diverse range of interests.

Department of World History and Geography offers specialized education in both world history and geography. From the second year, students are divided into two courses—the World History course and the Geography course—and receive step-by-step advanced training in their chosen field. In addition to deepening their academic expertise, many students aim to obtain professional qualifications such as museum curator certification or teaching licenses (“Social Studies” at junior high school and “Geography and History” at high school). By studying history and geography as core disciplines, students develop a broad understanding of society and culture. Career paths after graduation are diverse. Graduates make use of their specialized knowledge to work actively in a wide range of companies and organizations.

This Department imparts a knowledge base pertaining to education inside and outside of formal schooling. We focus on human learning processes seen in groups and individuals on a micro level. We simultaneously study the theory of social factors influencing education on the macro level, especially in terms of class, ethnicity, and gender. Students can study the phenomena of education both in the classroom, and through fieldwork and school internships.

This Department offers courses concerning Philosophy of Education, Schooling, Educational Law & Administration, Lifelong Learning, Library and Information Science, Educational Anthropology, Educational Sociology, Gender Studies, Human Rights Education, and Digital Learning in both classroom and seminar-style learning situations.

Graduates from this Department have chosen to work in education, the civil service, social welfare, and a wide range of enterprises in the private sector.

Since 2007, our Department of Elementary Education has provided 50 undergraduates per grade with professional education in the elementary teacher certification program at the Faculty of Letters under the teacher certification system of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Our mission is to prepare prospective elementary school teachers who can engage in a lifetime of inquiry in teaching and provide responsible education for all children in our changing society. Creating and applying knowledge to elementary educational practices, our Department focuses on improving learning and teaching in educational settings. We believe that public education is an active agent of change in a diverse and democratic society. The undergraduates involved in our elementary teacher education program combine and connect challenging academic coursework on pedagogical practices in educational settings with guided experiences, fieldwork, and an internship to gain structured professional study through their four years of learning for teaching in elementary schools. Our Department's dedication reflects both the students' commitment to young people and professional growth. We also encourage intellectual development and a spirit of adventure in one of the most demanding and rewarding professions that is urgently needed in our society.

The Department of Psychology was originally established in 1967 in the Faculty of Letters, having the longest history of any psychology course at the Kansai University. Since then, we have kept eyes on contemporary interdisciplinary trends and aim to bring about a new form of psychological research and education that is not limited to the traditional framework. In the Department, we undertake a wide range of teaching and research in the human mind and behaviour to deepen the understanding of ourselves and others through empirical approaches to cognition, development, language, as well as cultures and arts. To better understand human beings, however, it is not sufficient to study psychology alone. In this respect, the Faculty of Letters has the great advantage of having a large variety of departments. Students have the opportunity to take unique and diverse specialised courses offered by other departments, such as philosophy, linguistics, and religious studies, as well as cross-departmental programmes. Our graduates go on to work at corporates as well as become teachers or civil servants, while others go on to graduate school to pursue careers that utilise their expertise in psychology.

The world is filled with things we have created to “express” their thoughts and feelings, such as paintings, sculptures, films, music, fairy tales, games, theme parks, aquariums, and even food. In this Department, we regard all these phenomena as “representational culture”. Together with faculty specializing in diverse fields including art history, film studies, media studies, cultural history, and cultural anthropology, students explore how various representations are born and how they relate to our daily lives.
The Department consists of three research areas: Art History, Film and Media Studies, and Cultural Symbiosis. The Art History area focuses on the history and theory of the visual arts, including painting and sculpture. The Film and Media Studies area focuses on film analysis while also examining a broader range of visual media. The Cultural Symbiosis area explores how diverse cultures can coexist and interact through comparative studies of diverse cultures in Japan and around the world.
Since these three areas overlap in many ways, students will combine multiple disciplines and engage in broad, cross-disciplinary learning while gradually delving deeper into their specific areas of interest.

It is often said that the 21st century is the age of Asia. As Asia’s economies continue to grow, their relations with Japan have become more closely knit. In Japan, however, people have less awareness and knowledge of the cultures of Asia than that of Europe and America.

Department of Asian Culture encourages students to learn not only the “traditional Asia,” but also the “contemporary Asia,” helping them to become cosmopolitan thinkers with a holistic understanding of the cultures of Asian countries.

Students taking “Asian Culture course”will study regions such as Korea, Southeast Asia, Central and Western Asia, and Japan, taking into account not only textual sources but also a wide variety of cultural phenomena relating to food, living, clothing, and popular culture. Students taking “Chinese Language and Culture course”will learn about the rapidly rising China through the study of its language and culture, exploring various fields including language, thought, literature, and intercultural contacts.

Our teaching staff, who have a diverse range of expertise, will see to fulfilling your intellectual curiosity.