Its own website (Written in Japanese)
The Graduate School of Education offers a master’s program and a professional degree program.
The master’s program contains three courses: Studies in School Education, Studies in Special-Needs Education, and Studies in Subject Education. This program aims to cultivate specialized knowledge and develop skills deemed essential for competent educators who will eventually become active members and mentors of society, contributing and cooperating with adults and children, both educationally and otherwise, wherever they happen to be located.
The master’s program focuses on:
1. Education and the cultivation of practical knowledge underpinned by deep understanding of the humanities, natural sciences, arts, social sciences, health sciences, and theories thereof.
2. Flexibility on the part of future educators, preparing them to be able to cope with the difficult issues facing schools and affecting the broader educational milieu of the region.
3. Encouragement of self-improvement and the constant quest for acquiring new knowledge in the student's specialized field through research and scholarship.
4. The program is premised upon the need for deep and sure understanding of the culture and educational environment of Okinawa.
It should be noted that the school is constantly endeavoring to increase opportunities for those who are interested in advancing their education and recently began offering evening courses to accommodate various needs of the local community and provide wider opportunities for those who work and yet seek further education. Some local school educators also take advantage of the paid educational sabbatical leave system the school has established with the district school board.
The professional degree program, generally termed “kyosyoku daigakuin” in Japanese, provides opportunities to master and cultivate specialized practical teaching skills such as subject teaching and instruction, student guidance and classroom management with the cooperation of the educational administration such as the Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education and local schools in Okinawa.
This program aims to train graduate students to overcome complicated and diverse issues facing school education. More specifically, the program strives to:
1. Develop in teachers both universal, as well as contemporary, qualities and abilities to cope with changing societal times
2. Imbue in teachers the ability to utilize their academic knowledge to hone their skills in thought, judgment and expression
3. Tackle educational issues facing Okinawa such as foundational academic ability, student guidance, and organizational development.
The school’s overarching objective is to train teachers to be lifelong learners in mastering practical teaching skills with a positive attitude to research and to overcome issues facing education in Okinawa. The school trains educators use their acquired knowledge to improve students’ motivation toward learning. The school strives to develop talent over three career stages: new teachers should possess potential to lead with fresh teaching techniques; experienced teachers should be equipped with the ability to support learning and understand the needs of students, while senior teachers should be able to provide veteran advice on academic initiatives, student supervision and organizational development. This program accepts only applicants holding teaching licenses.
Master’s Program
| Majors | Areas of Study | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| Studies in School Education |
|
Master of Education |
| Studies in Subject Education |
|
Master of Education |
