Academic
Curriculum
At the College of Global Liberal Arts (GLA), all students aim to earn two bachelor’s degrees within four years — one from Ritsumeikan University (RU) and one from The Australian National University (ANU) — under an agreement between the two universities.
ANU Admission Evaluation
The Admission Evaluation by ANU is conducted after admission to Ritsumeikan University. If admitted by ANU, students will be able to begin taking courses offered by ANU and continue working toward earning degrees from both universities. Students who are not admitted through ANU's evaluation will be transferred to the RU Major (the single degree track) and may pursue the Bachelor of Global Liberal Arts degree awarded by Ritsumeikan University. In such cases, from the second year onward, the tuition fee for the RU Major will apply. This fee is the same as the first-year tuition fee for the RU-ANU Major.
Should changes in circumstances within or outside Australia, or unforeseen personal events, make it impossible for students to enroll in courses at ANU, they will still be able to continue their studies in the RU Major at Ritsumeikan University and pursue the completion of a Bachelor of Global Liberal Arts degree awarded by Ritsumeikan University.
English Language Requirement
Students must meet the English language requirements specified in the ANU Policy: English language admission requirements and post-admission support.
Details of the policy can be found here: https://policies.anu.edu.au/ppl/document/ANUP_000408
*The Admission Evaluation by ANU for the English Language Requirement is conducted shortly after admission to Ritsumeikan University. For this evaluation, only English test scores from tests taken on or after April 1, 2025 for April 2027 intake applicants, and on or after September 26, 2025 for September 2027 intake applicants, will be considered.
*Even if students have met the required English standard at the time of application to Ritsumeikan University, they may be required to submit a new English test score that satisfies the ANU policy in effect at the time of the evaluation.
Academic Requirement
Students must achieve a GPA of 2.00 or higher at Ritsumeikan University.
*Courses graded as “F” are included in the GPA calculation, while courses officially withdrawn within the designated period are not.
*The Admission Evaluation by ANU for the Academic Requirement is conducted at the end of the semester in which they have taken courses totaling 32 credits (in principle, at the end of the second semester). This evaluation is conducted only once while enrolled at Ritsumeikan University.
RU and ANU courses
College of Global Liberal Arts,
Ritsumeikan University（RU）
Foundation Courses
College Writing 1&2 / Critical Thinking 1&2 / Foundations in Research Skills 1&2
Introductory Courses
Introduction to Anthropology / Introduction to Art History / Introduction to Data Science / Introduction to Marketing / Introduction to Algorithms and Programming / Introduction to Cultural Studies / Introduction to Communication Design / Introduction to Market Economy / Introduction to Education / Introduction to Global History / Introduction to Japanese History / Introduction to Scientific Thinking and Literacy / Introduction to Biology: Ecology and Ecosystem / Introduction to Applied Linguistics / Introduction to Philosophy: Knowledge and Reality / Introduction to Philosophy: Values and Society / Introduction to Politics / Introduction to International Relations / Introduction to Psychology / Introduction to Sociology / Introductory Special Lecture (Humanities and Technology) / Introductory Special Lecture (Social Leadership and Enterprise) / Introductory Special Lecture (Governance and Society) / Liberal Arts Experience
Intermediate Courses
Reading Critical Disability Studies Texts / Global Art History / Foundations of Management Science / Services Marketing and Management / Applied Data Curation / Computational Methods for Social Sciences / Global Media Cultures / Asian Urban Cultures / Human Factors in Interaction Design / Institutionalism and Economic Growth / Intercultural and International Education / History Workshop / Modern History of Japan / Ocean Science and Sustainability / Political Philosophy / Japanese Philosophy / East Asian Politics / Theories of International Relations / Neuroscience / Cognitive Psychology / Classical Social and Political Theory / Contemporary Social and Political Theory / Intermediate Special Lecture (Humanities and Technology / Intermediate Special Lecture (Social Leadership and Enterprise / Intermediate Special Lecture (Governance and Society)
Advanced Courses
Research Seminar / Thesis
Extracurricular Courses
Japanese Language Courses
Others
Career Design / Translanguaging Experience / Internship 1&2&3
College of Asia and the Pacific,
The Australian National
University（ANU）
Introductory Courses in Asia-Pacific Affairs
The Origins of Political Order in Asia /Understanding Peace and Conflict / Pacific Encounters: An Introduction to Pacific Studies / Introduction to International Security Studies
Politics and Government
The Politics of China / Asia's Changing Politics in Comparative Perspective / Taiwanese Society and Politics / Indonesia:Politics, Society and Development, etc.
International Relations and
Security
International Relations in the Asia-Pacific / Southeast Asian Security / Security Concepts in the Asia Pacific / The Politics of Nuclear Weapons / Japanese Foreign and Security Policy, etc.
Transdisciplinary courses
Courses from across ANU that develop discipline-based knowledge in Transdisciplinary Problem Solving, equipping its graduates to make a positive difference in the world in any career path they choose
Conflict and Peace-building
Human Rights in Asia / Gender and Cultural Studies in Asia and the Pacific / Natural Resource Conflict in Asia and the Pacific / Australia and Security in the Pacific Islands, etc.
History and Cultural Identity
Asian Economies / Linguistic Histories in Asia and the Pacific / Culture and Modernity in Asia: Anthropological Perspectives / Pacific Studies in a Globalizing World / Australia in Oceania in the 19th and 20th centuries, etc.
Capstone Courses in Asia-Pacific Affairs
Humanitarianism: Principles, Politics and Practice / Global Governance in the Asia-Pacific / Politics and Development in the Contemporary Pacific / Living with Giants: Australia's Security in a Contested Asia
* ANU TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12002 (Australian University) | ANU CRICOS Provider Code: 00120C