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Founded as a means to give education to women during times where the social trend is different, the modern University of the Sacred Heart in Japan does not stray far from its purpose. Designed to give quality education, the university is dedicated to producing women leaders that can contend globally.
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The Mission of the Sacred Heart
Madeleine Sophie Barat founded the Society of the Sacred Heart during the early 1800s. To follow the principles simplified as “Spirit of the Sacred Heart.” Barat believed that academic learning must be grounded upon a profound relationship to the discipline and a commitment to other people. The educational institution shaped itself in accordance with the principles, opening schools for women in various countries and giving the graduates a sense of engagement with the rapidly changing world as well as equipping them with in-depth specialization in their respective fields.
The University of the Sacred Heart opened in Japan in 1948. As a product of a post-war effort to provide education to women, the University traces its roots back in 1908 when the Society of Sacred Heart, its founders, were able to organize the International School of the Sacred Heart in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan during the later period of Meiji Restoration. In 1916, Sacred Heart Professional Training College was founded. It served as the predecessor to the present University.
The University of Sacred Heart specializes in Liberal Arts. Since the 1940’s, the university, whose program of liberal arts was modeled after the Western methodology, was able to provide outstanding learning on fields of education, history, language, literature, philosophy, psychology, human relations, and international studies.
As one of the oldest higher educational institutions in Japan, it produced some of the noticeable women in the world including Empress Michiko, wife to Emperor Akihito who abdicated the throne in 2019, Sadako Ogata, former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and Ikumi Yoshimatsu, the first Japanese Miss International who won the title in 2012.
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Schools of the Sacred Heart
The university is included in the Sacred Heart educational network in Japan. The said network offers education from primary to collegiate levels. Within Japan, Sacred Heart has created six campuses. The education provided by Sacred Heart is exclusive for women. Typically, when a child has been enrolled in a primary school of Sacred Heart, they continue their education throughout the same academy. Here are the different schools of the Sacred Heart that offer primary and secondary education:
· Fuji Sacred Heart School
· International School of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo
· Obayashi Sacred Heart School
· Sapporo Sacred Heart School
On the other hand, the following are Sacred Heart School that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees:
· University of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo
· Sacred Heart Professional Training College
University of the Sacred Heart
Let us now focus on the university education offered by Sacred Heart. Primarily, courses offered in these two higher education constituents focus on the liberal arts. They also offer teaching certificate and license programs that mostly specialize in education.
Another important feature of an undergraduate program offered at the University of the Sacred Heart is its format. Students are only allowed to choose their majors during the second semester of their first year. During the first year, which is referred to as the Basic Program, students take general subjects from various disciplines without specified major courses. It is the belief of the institution that through such manner, students realize their independence of choosing the track they wanted to pursue.
Moving to the second year, students are now allowed to take the courses for the major they chose in order to obtain a degree. Moreover, students can pick their minor as well. Here are the disciplines that students can choose from for their major and minor:
· Education (Major in Education)
· Education (Major in Primary Education)
· English
· History
· Human Relations
· International Studies
· Philosophy
· Psychology
Undergraduate fees as of the academic year 2020-2021 are roughly ¥1,300,000 inclusive of tuition fees for a year and other expenses such as registration fees and equipment fees.
The University of Sacred Heart also offers graduate and postgraduate studies for students who intend to pursue a career in the academe or specialize in their respective fields. The format of their programs is research extensive that provides deep training within the field. Here are graduate and postgraduate courses offered:
Graduate Courses
· M.A. in English Language and Literature
· M.A. in Japanese Language and Literature
· M.A. in History
· M.A. in Human Sciences (Education and Psychology
· M.A. in Philosophy
· M.A. in Socio-Cultural Studies
Doctoral Courses
· Ph.D. in Human Science (Psychology and Education)
· Ph.D. in Literature
· Ph.D. in Psychology
· Ph.D. in Socio-Cultural Studies
As of the academic year 2020-2021, the total annual cost of graduate programs is roughly ¥1,000,000 inclusive of all the fees throughout the year.
Provided with a rough estimate of annual fees in undergraduate and graduate programs, one may consider education in such an institution would be expensive, especially without sufficient financial support to fund the training. However, the school offers various scholarship programs that may give assistance for financially constrained students. Beneficiaries could receive a monthly stipend and reduce their tuition fees.
International students
International students can enter the University of the Sacred Heart through direct application for admission. Prospective candidates can apply for the entrance examination upon fulfilling these three basic eligibility requirements:
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Foreign citizenship
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Completed a 12-year education from elementary to high school
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Passed The Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) as well as N2 or higher in the Japanese Language Proficiency Test.
Thus applicants must have a high level of Japanese ability in order to enroll.
Applicants will then directly apply for the university entrance examination that is annually held every January. The application should be submitted 2 months prior to the entrance examination schedule. Applicants will take the entrance examination in an online platform referred to as the WEB Application system. Upon completing the examination, the university admission office will notify the applicant for the results which will then proceed with the steps for the enrollment procedure.
Campus life
With all these kinds of services, international students are not left behind. Since the institution is known for its global networks, it also accommodates international students. The international center serves as the hub for international students to adapt to the new community.
Facilities of the university are distinguished for its historical and cultural relevance. Buildings such as the Marian Hall and the Palace are some of the most noticeable establishments. Each played their relevant roles to students of the university. Another valuable facility would be the residence hall. Students from outside Tokyo and foreign countries are housed within the 8-story building. Lastly, the school also has a chapel, which was built in 1958 and serves as the religious gathering place for mass and other events.
Summary
Grounded upon a historically rich upbringing, the University of Sacred Heart in Japan continues to pass on a tradition of academic excellence for women. It is impossible to realize the importance of the historical context when the institution was founded. Movements pushing for gender equality have been emerging during those times and the university itself could be seen as its manifestation. Up to this date, the University of the Sacred Heart continues to manifest the spirit that guided their foundation to its constituents. And one thing is for sure, that every student of the institution will strive to demonstrate excellence in her field.
