Kyoto Prefectural University will change the name of its Faculty of Public Policy to the Faculty of Social Sciences in April 2026. Aiming to realize "well-being for all," the school will work to discover and solve public and life issues in seven specialized fields: law, politics and policy studies, economics (Department of Public Policy), social welfare, sociology, education, and psychology (Department of Welfare Sociology). The Graduate School of Public Policy will also be renamed the Graduate School of Social Sciences.
The university's newly renamed School of Social Sciences will be launching a new minor program in "Social Science Data Analysis," which aims to help students understand the theory of data analysis, acquire skills in using statistical software, and gain the ability to engage in full-scale research in the social sciences.
In addition, the university has established an "Early Enrollment System" that allows highly motivated students to obtain a master's degree one year early. Students can take the graduate school entrance exam in their third year and begin taking graduate school courses in their fourth year, making it possible to obtain a master's degree in "four years plus one year."
Waseda University has a faculty called the "School of Social Sciences" in the Kanto region, but this will be the first university to establish such a faculty in the Kansai region.
