In an attempt to explore the basic question of what a human being is, this program intends to promote teaching and research under one specialization and four related research areas based on collaborative relationships among behavioral sciences dealing with human behavior, human growth and development as well as society and social welfare. In so doing, this program is expected to train two types of experts, namely, those who are capable of realizing a symbiotic society in the 21st century as members of society with advanced technical knowledge and those who can contribute greatly to our society as academic researchers with a deep understanding of the sciences. This program accepts graduates from the Master’s Programs in Human Sciences, Victimology and Community Development.

Human beings have the potential to learn experientially. Further, those who inherit the capacity of learning experientially are able to adjust to complex and fluid social situations. Thus, to understand human development and social adaptation, it is necessary to consider both the phylogenetic and ontogenetic dimensions. These processes of human evolution and development are investigated in life sciences, behavioral sciences and pedagogy, which are the foci of the coursework of this research area. Exploration of a broad range of academic disciplines, rather than a narrow focus on an individual academic discipline, gives students a greater scientific understanding of human adaptation and development.

Any individual must lead a social life through establishing relationships with other people in order to fulfill their own needs and achieve their living objectives. Our social world is formulated under such conditions and consists of groups and organizations as well as cultures where communication is one of the means to maintain such human relationships with others. Based on sociology and social psychology, this research area will explore the characteristics of the human mind, the structures and functions of groups and organizations and the features of human and social communication.