The objectives of the Department of Anthropology and Philosophy are to pursue a broad diversity in culture, as well as a universal quintessence in humans.

In order to meet these objectives, our department has devised a curriculum that is compatible with both a high degree of disciplinary expertise, as well as a keen alertness towards a myriad of fields. As freshmen, students begin with “General Anthropological Theories” to cultivate a fundamental academic eye for human beings. By the sophomore year, students have surveyed archeology, cultural anthropology, philosophy, and linguistics. Throughout the sophomore year, students listen and develop an area of interest from a variety of electives. As juniors, students enter specialized practicum related to archeology, cultural anthropology, philosophy, and linguistics. Upon becoming seniors, students advance into a research project. However, even after students choose an area of concentration, many electives and special lectures are set up so that contiguous classes can concurrently be taken during their junior and senior years.

Gaining knowledge through lectures is not the only part of university learning. The Department of Anthropology and Philosophy also places emphasis on the training of practical application methods. Therefore, fundamental and advanced training through close relationships with faculty are available for all students — freshmen through seniors. Especially in “Field Work (Anthropological Studies),” “Archeological Training,” and “Literature and Documentation (China and Japan),” students have the opportunity to gain actual experiences in the field, come in contact with raw documents, and cultivate an approach towards practical research. Furthermore, one very beneficial characteristic of the Department of Anthropology and Philosophy is that students have access to Nanzan University’s “Anthropological Museum,” which houses an abundant amount of archeological and anthropological resources. In addition, it can be said that the Department of Anthropology and Philosophy is the closest path to obtaining a museum curator’s license because many of the museum curator training courses are the same courses as those in the Department of Anthropology and Philosophy.