Undergraduate School
The undergraduate curriculum at Nagoya Zokei University is divided in five interdisciplinary programs.
Art Expression
Japanese Painting / Western Painting / Artistic Illustration / Contemporary Art
Art Expression explores a wide range of artistic expression and seeks to pursue its origins. Our goal is to create an environment where researchers and students can engage with one another, conduct in-depth research, and take on ambitious creative activities. We value individuality and encourage students to reflect on themselves while exploring new forms of artistic expression. Human beings have an innate drive to express themselves, walking through life together with art. In the Fine Arts program, we take on fundamental questions at the core of art education—What is art? What is beauty? Why do we express?—and address the essential theories that support artistic practice.
Visual Expression
Comic Illustration / Manga / Character Design / Book Illustration / Picture Books / Illustration Design / Book Design / Branding / Package Design / Advertisement / Graphic Design
Most of the messages we receive come through vision, and when those messages take the form of stories—whether through a combination of text and images or as visual expression alone—they can give rise to new knowledge, deep emotional impact, motivation for action, and even fresh perspectives on life. In fields such as entertainment and design—including illustration, manga, comic art, and graphic design—we explore the essence of “communicating and being understood.” Through critical inquiry and creative practice, students cultivate insight and learn to transform messages into powerful visual expressions that carry intention and meaning, resonating deeply with people’s hearts.
Communal Design and Architecture
Living Environments / Architectural Design / Community Development / Information Graphics / Housing Design / Renovation / Area Design / Landscape Design
Creating architecture that creates community.
Architecture and urban space are not only physical forms; they are also relationships with the surrounding society, shaped in close connection with the way towns are built and the environments around them. In the Community Architecture program, students learn about housing, architectural design, and urban planning that enrich the relationship between buildings and their communities. This involves cultivating imagination toward others and seeking ways of coexistence. Expanding our perspective to include related design fields—such as information graphics and transportation systems that serve communities—we aim to foster architecture and town-making that truly create community.
Architecture and urban space are not only physical forms; they are also relationships with the surrounding society, shaped in close connection with the way towns are built and the environments around them. In the Community Architecture program, students learn about housing, architectural design, and urban planning that enrich the relationship between buildings and their communities. This involves cultivating imagination toward others and seeking ways of coexistence. Expanding our perspective to include related design fields—such as information graphics and transportation systems that serve communities—we aim to foster architecture and town-making that truly create community.
Community Style Design
Interior Design / Interior Planning / Displays / Renovation / Product Design / UX Design / Craft Design / Branding / Spatial Graphics
Our everyday actions are not guided solely by personal intention; many arise from consideration for others. Within the spaces of daily life, actions shaped by such attentiveness are referred to as etiquette or modes of conduct. The design that accompanies these actions spans clothing, food, and shelter, but in this field we focus on the design of daily life through three perspectives: interior spatial design, product design for living, and graphic design related to the living environment. Rather than viewing design only in terms of function, we approach it as a “design of consideration for others” within shared spaces. This perspective is what we call in Japanese kūkan-sahō (空間作法), which can be loosely translated as Spatial Etiquette.
Representation Design
Communication Design / 3D Computer Graphics / Video / Animation / Game Design / Media Art / Web and Network Design / A.I.
Transforming complex statistical data or unspoken feelings into visible form means constantly asking: Who are we communicating to? What are we conveying? Why, and how? In an era of rapidly diversifying media, students gain skills across design, art, and entertainment, including video, animation, 3D graphics, games, web, programming, and artificial intelligence. By engaging proactively with advanced media technologies, they pursue creative work and research that deepens connections with society.