Graduate School
The Graduate School of Human Life Science was established in response to the
sophisticated technological innovations, advancement of learning, diverse social
conditions and changes in the environment that have occurred in recent years. Its goal
lies in the comprehensive investigation of the human life style, the training of
researchers and educators who are able to apply their knowledge creatively, and the
nurturing of individuals with advanced, specialized skills.
Although the Graduate School of Human Life Science is based on the master's
program in the Graduate School of Home Economics, it disposes of the traditional home
economics framework in favor of a separately-organized second-stage, three year doctoral
program. Candidates take their research to a new plateau based on a broad, comprehensive
understanding of human life. The program consists of two Divisions: Human Development and
Living Environments.
In the Division of Human Development, students
focus their inquiry on human beings, who are the principle agents in daily life, from both
physical and mental perspectives. In particular, they aim to identify the influence of
such factors as education, culture and environment on the process of mental development in
the various stages of growth, and to investigate the basic biological theory, nutrition,
and eating habits that affect the formation and growth of the human body. Finally, they
study ways of maintaining and improving human health.
In the Division of Living Environment, students
pursue the purpose and direction of daily human life by investigating the relationships
and functions present between man and nature and between man and inanimate objects. This
is accomplished by a study of people, their natural environments, and the artificial
environments that result from the meeting of man and inanimate objects. Furthermore, since
the living environment forms a stage for human culture, it is also examined from a
historical and structural perspective.
There are eight courses within the two Divisions, allowing students to deepen
their experience in specialized research. The courses include: develop-mental education
theory, which aims to identify the relationships between the factors influencing human
development-education, culture, and environment - and individual characteristics; basic
physical development theory, which forms the basis for human life and development;
nutrition and health-related studies, which examine the nutrients essential for human
physical development in both healthy and sick individuals; life environment theory, which
ex-amines the interaction with and influence of the natural and artificial environments on
the body; life materials theory, which examines the suitability of materials for use in
daily life along with the possibility of their improvement; life functions theory, which
studies the purpose and direction of life functions from the interaction between people
and things in the process of daily life; life structural theory, which examines daily life
from a structural perspective; and life economic theory, which studies the economic
analysis of the social welfare of the people.
Students who complete any of these programs receive doctoral degrees.
