法 学 部(ほうがくぶ)

ほうがくぶ

noun

faculty of law; law department (undergraduate)

1. faculty of law; law department

The department or faculty within a university that offers undergraduate programs in law and legal studies. In Japan, law is typically studied at the undergraduate level, unlike the US system where law school is a postgraduate program.

法学部(ほうがくぶ)に入学(にゅうがく)した。

I enrolled in the faculty of law.

彼女(かのじょ)は東京大学(とうきょうだいがく)法学部(ほうがくぶ)の出身(しゅっしん)だ。

She is a graduate of the University of Tokyo's law faculty.

法学部(ほうがくぶ)では憲法(けんぽう)や民法(みんぽう)などの基礎(きそ)科目(かもく)を学(まな)ぶ。

In the law faculty, you study foundational subjects such as constitutional law and civil law.

Combines 法学(ほうがく) (legal studies, jurisprudence) and 部(ぶ) (department, faculty). One of the most prestigious university faculties in Japan.

Common collocations

法学部(ほうがくぶ)卒業(そつぎょう): law faculty graduate
法学部(ほうがくぶ)の学生(がくせい): law student
法学部(ほうがくぶ)に進(すす)む: to go into law
法学部(ほうがくぶ)出身(しゅっしん): from the law faculty

Cultural note

In Japan, legal studies are an undergraduate discipline — students enter 法学部(ほうがくぶ) directly from high school, unlike the American system where law school follows a bachelor's degree. Many 法学部(ほうがくぶ) graduates go into government service, politics, or business rather than practicing law. To become a lawyer (弁護士(べんごし)), one usually studies further at a 法科大学院(ほうかだいがくいん) (graduate law school) or passes the preliminary exam (予備試験(よびしけん)), then passes the bar exam.

RELATED 〜学部(がくぶ) COMPOUNDS:

経済学部(けいざいがくぶ): faculty of economics
文学部(ぶんがくぶ): faculty of literature/humanities
理学部(りがくぶ): faculty of science
工学部(こうがくぶ): faculty of engineering
医学部(いがくぶ): faculty of medicine

Related Words

Related: 文学部(ぶんがくぶ) (Faculty of Letters, Faculty of Humanities)

Related: 農学部(のうがくぶ) (faculty of agriculture)

general

Added 2026.4.18 23:30 · Revised 2026.10.10 16:44

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