※日本語での説明はこちら

MA and PhD Programs

If you are interested in pursuing an MA or PhD in the Graduate School of Social Sciences at Hitotsubashi University under my supervision, you must first pass the entrance examination.

For details about the entrance examination, please refer to the following website:


https://www.soc.hit-u.ac.jp/admission/gs/nyushi.html (available only in Japanese)

I can advise on research topics related to:

(a) Political attitudes and behavior of ordinary citizens (political behavior, political communication, and political psychology)


(b) Elections and political processes in contemporary Japan and the United States


(c) Comparative politics using quantitative methods

You are not required to contact me before applying to the graduate program. 

However, if you would like to discuss your application, please reach out with a detailed research proposal, including a list of references.

Please note that the research proposal is part of the graduate admissions review process, so I will not provide evaluations or feedback on it.

Non-Degree Research Student

I will consider applications for non-degree research students under the following conditions:

1. Your research topic falls into one of the categories listed above ((a), (b), or (c)).

2. You have been awarded a MEXT scholarship through embassy recommendation.

3. You have passed the JLPT N1.

For more information on the non-degree research student program, please refer to the following website:


https://www.soc.hit-u.ac.jp/admission/gs/kenkyusei/kenkyusei.html (available only in Japanese)

Advice and Important Considerations

Japanese graduate programs do not provide stipends to students. Additionally, job openings at universities and research institutions—particularly in political science—are relatively limited. If you are considering pursuing a PhD, please keep these challenges in mind.

To conduct political science research at the graduate level, you will need the following knowledge and skills. If you are planning to apply, please use this as a reference:

• A strong understanding of existing research in political science, including studies relevant to your specific subfield.

• Proficiency in both Japanese and English for reading and writing academic papers.

• (If your research focuses on a country or region outside the Japanese- and English-speaking world) Knowledge of the language(s) used in that country or region.

• (If your research involves quantitative analysis) A background in mathematics and statistics to understand statistical methods, as well as programming skills to implement these methods.

The Graduate School of Social Sciences at Hitotsubashi has only a small number of faculty in political science. Therefore, to strengthen your research and expand your professional network, it is important to be proactive. This includes attending seminars of researchers from other fields within the Graduate School of Social Sciences, seeking advice from political scientists in other graduate schools at Hitotsubashi and other institutions, and presenting your research at academic conferences and workshops.