Program in brief

This program equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to effectively handle a wide rage of maritime challenges.

• Program Director: Associate Professor Matthew Brummer
• Degree Offered: Master of Policy Studies
• Language of Instruction: English
• Time Schedule:
  • Program duration…1 year
  • Enrollment…October
  • Graduation…September
• Financial Support
  • Applicants who belong to a maritime safety and security related organization in eligible countries can apply for financial support from JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency).
• How to Apply
  • For applicants from countries eligible for JICA scholarship, please apply as a participant of JICA's Knowledge Co-Creation Program.
    JICA office: Click here (JICA offices in Asia)
    JICA Chugoku Center: (mail to) cicttp@jica.go.jp
  • For externally funded or self-financed international applicants:
    MSP brochure Click here
    Online Application Click here

  The Maritime Safety and Security Policy Program (MSP) is a collaborative program designed and administered jointly by GRIPS and the Japan Coast Guard (JCG). The program makes it possible for students to benefit from the resources of both institutions in the fields of public policy, security studies, maritime safety, and maritime security. The students will have the opportunity to acquire professional knowledge, analytical skills, and communication skills relevant to their work while becoming members of a network of future coast guard leaders from around the world.

  Students study in Tokyo at GRIPS during the first half of the academic year and in Kure, Hiroshima at the Japan Coast Guard Academy (JCGA) during the second half.

  Study at GRIPS
  Students take required and elective courses at GRIPS from October through March. Required courses include International Relations, International Security Studies, International Law, International Relations in East Asia, and International Law of the Sea. The diverse elective courses enable students to deepen their knowledge in theie individual fields of interest. Students will develop analytical skills necessary to conduct robust study of a wide range of maritime policy issues.

  Study at the JCGA
  From April through July, the students will take courses and participate in practical training and educational programs at the JCGA. The required courses are Policy for Search and Rescue, Salvage and Maritime Disaster Prevention, and Maritime Police Policy. Students can further enhance their ability to effectively execute their duties as coast guard leaders through the study of a wide range of elective subjects designed to further develop knowledge of technology, investigations, and best practices for maritime law enforcement agencies.

  Research Paper
  During the course of one year, students write a research paper on issues relevant to the study of maritime safety and security. In order to do so, the student will work together with two academic advisors—one from each GRIPS and the JCGA—to complete the paper before graduation.

  Target Group

  Junior coast guard officers from Japan and overseas who have more than 3 years of work experience and who are under 46 years of age as of October 1, 2026.

  Maritime Safety and Security Policy Program Curriculum 2025/2026

  (as of October 2025)

  CATEGORY	COURSE NAME	INSTRUCTOR
  I REQUIRED COURSES	Independent Study	Various
  	International Relations in East Asia	Takagi
  	International Relations	Iwama
  	International Security Studies	Michishita
  	Maritime Police Policy	Okuzono
  	International Law	Shimoyama, Iwatani
  	International Law of the Sea	Furuya
  	Case Study on Maritime Safety and Security Policy I	Furuya
  	Case Study on Maritime Safety and Security PolicyⅡ	Furuya
  II RECOMMENDED COURSES	Essential Microeconomics	Kurosawa
  	Essential Macroeconomics	Yokoyama
  	Economic Development of Southeast Asia	Kudo
  	Government and Market	Okamoto
  	Development Economics	Kijima
  	East Asian Economies	Kudo
  	The Making of Modern Japan	Pressello
  	Government and Politics in Japan	Masuyama
  	International Political Economy	Chey
  	Comparative Politics	Takenaka
  	State and Politics in Southeast Asia	Lim
  	Non-Traditional Security	Cross
  	Analysis of Great Power Politics	Iwama, et al.
  	Comparative Political Economy	TBA
  	International Development Policy	Ohno
  	The World and the SDGs	Kudo
  	Introduction to Quantitative Methods	Morohosi
  	Introduction to Oceanography	Horiuchi
  	Marine Environment and Pollution	Kawamura
  	International Comparative Criminal Law	Shintani
  	Contemporary Japanese Maritime Gray Zone Securiy Policy	Furuya
  	Safety Management Systems I	TBA
  	Safety Management Systems Ⅱ	Yamada
  	Policy for Search & Rescue, Salvage and Maritime Disaster Prevention	Yamaji
  	Ship Maneuverability and Practical Operation	TBA
  	Fundamentals of Advanced Energy Engineering	Kanki
  	Information Management System I	Yamanaka
  	Information Management System Ⅱ	Isozaki
  III ELECTIVE COURSES	Selected Topics in Policy Studies I -IV
  	Courses not listed in this table
  X OTHERS	Describing Tables and Figures	TBA
  	Thesis Writing for MSP	O'Neill
  	Qualitative Writing	TBA
  	Introduction to Academic Research	Petchko
  	Introduction to Academic Writing	O'Neill
  	Other courses offered by the Center for Professional Communication