University history

About us

     Fukuoka Women’s University was created from the former Fukuoka Prefectural College for Women (which offered humanities and home economics courses) founded in 1923. Its mission was women’s higher education, and it was the first public women’s college in Japan. It was upgraded to a four-year university in 1950 during the post-World War II educational reforms and became Fukuoka Women’s University. At first it had only one faculty (consisting of Japanese literature, English literature, and life science departments), but in 1954 this was changed to a 2 faculty system consisting of a Faculty of Literature (Department of Japanese Literature and Department of English Literature) and a Faculty of Home Economics (Home Economics Department - Food Sciences and Clothing - and Household Management Science Department).
      In 1993, a Graduate School of Literature Master’s Program (Japanese Literature and English Literature) was established. Also, in 1997 a Graduate School of Literature doctoral program specializing in English literature was established.
     Meanwhile, the Faculty of Home Economics was reorganized into the Faculty of Human Environment of Sciences (Department of Environmental of Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Health Science, Department of Living Environment Science). Also, in 2000 the Graduate School of Human Environmental of Sciences Master’s course was established (with specializations in Environmental Science, Nutrition and Health Science, and Living Environment Science).
In April of 2006, the operator of the university changed from Fukuoka Prefecture to Public University Corporation (of) Fukuoka Women’s University.
     Over a history of 97 years, more than 13,000 students have graduated from our University and our alumnae have made a wide variety of contributions to society in many varied areas.

History

1923: Fukuoka Prefectural College for Women, the first public women's college in Japan, opens on April 17th.
54 students in the Humanities Department. 54 students in the Home Economics Department. The first College President was Teraki Kobayashi. Fukuoka-shi Suzaki Uramachi (the present Chuo-ku Tenjin 5-chome)
1925: Renamed Fukuoka Women's College.
1927: The Women's Alumni Association “Tsukushimikai” is launched.
1937: The Suzaki school building burns down, leaving behind the gymnasium and lecture hall. Classes are held at the Inaba-machi school building (a former prefectural girl's high school)
1945: The school building is completely destroyed in air raids on June 19th. The Suzaki lecture hall and gymnasium are partitioned into classrooms.
1950: Permission is granted for it to be established as a four year university on February 20th. The first University President is Yuzuru Okuda.
Fukuoka Women's University opens in April. The first university entrance ceremony (with 115 participants) is held on April 24th.
1951: The University moves to the site of the former Kashii Junior High School.The first year the new school building in Kashii is completed.
Later a series of further improvements are made.
1953: On November 7th the move to Kashii (Kasumigaoka) is complete.
1954: The first Women's University graduation ceremony (with 94 graduates) is held.
The faculties are arranged into a 2-faculty system consisting of the Faculty of Literature and the Faculty of Home Economics.
1993: A Graduate School of Literature Master's Program is established.
1995: The first Master's degree is granted by the University. The Faculty of Home Economics is reorganized into the Faculty of Human Environment of Sciences (30 students each in the Department of Environment Science, the Department of Nutrition and Health Science, and the Department of Living Environment Science, respectively. )
1996: The Fukuoka Women's University Alumnae Association Tsukushimikai celebrates the 70th anniversary of its founding.
1997: Graduate School of Literature doctoral program specializing in English literature is established.
There have been 27 graduating classes from the College for Women (a total of 2297 graduates) and 44 graduating classes of the University (a total of 6636 graduates), making a sum total of 8933 graduates.
2000: Graduate School of Human Environmental Sciences Master's course is established.
2006: The operator of the university changed from Fukuoka Prefecture to Public University Corporation (of) Fukuoka Women's University.
2011: International College of Arts and Sciences with Department of International Liberal Arts, Department of Environmental Science, and Department of Food and Health Sciences established.