To Produce Able Graduates of High Caliber and Creative Minds

An understanding of different fields and an interdisciplinary approach is essential for solving deep and difficult problems around us. The basic aspects of economics are complemented by the basics of business related, humanities related, and linguistics related issues that form an organic whole in our Graduate School and it allows for a new and powerful framework for analysis. We strive to use this philosophy to produce high quality graduates. In particular the Graduate School aspires to produce highly trained able specialists who work in the local government and business community, individuals who ably contribute to the region and society, graduates those who want to proceed towards a doctorate, and those who finish lifelong learning and recurrent education with appropriate knowledge of wide range.

Special Educational Features

1. The Graduate School boasts able personnel who mainly do research on economics/management/business administration along with fields of information sciences, regional and social sciences and linguistics among others and cover a wide range of possibilities for getting the graduate level training.
2. The Graduate School offers the regular program and the flexible program. The Regular Program is more suitable for those wish to acquire advanced academic skills and pursue academic specialty, while the flexible program is more suitable for working people who wish to study practical issues which they have found in real social life.
3. The lectures for the regular program are held during the day and those for the flexible program are held in the evening to allow for students in both the streams to study well.
4. The tuition is based on a dissertation advisor system and allows the students to get personal attention and advice required in their own chosen field. The emphasis is on being able to write a good M.A. dissertation.

Admissions Policy

Expected academic abilities and intellectual capabilities

The Graduate School of Economics accepts individuals with the following academic abilities and intellectual capabilities.

(1) Knowledge, practical skills and comprehension
　　Specialized knowledge and comprehension in Economics and Business Administration at the undergraduate
　　level is expected.
(2) Intelligence, judgement and expression
　　Ability to express one's opinion on issues in Economics and Business Administration based on one's own
　　logical thinking and judgement is important.
(3) Skills in fundamental research and applications
　　Ability to undertake fundamental research and its applications in the field of Economics and Business
　　Administration is expected.
(4) Spirit of inquiry and motivation toward research
　　Strong motivation, creativity and inquiring mind toward learning and accomplishing research in the fields
　　of Economics and Business Administration is strongly valued.
(5) Sense of ethics and social responsibilities
　　Eagerness to contribute to betterment of society and a deep understanding of ethical values and social
　　responsibility is required.
(6) International perspective
　　Basic linguistic skills required for understanding issues in Economics and Business Administration, both
　　within and outside Japan, and ability to comprehend those issues from an international perspective is expected.

Screening Procedure

In the oral examination, the interviewers would ask questions based on the submitted documents such as the statement of purpose and research proposal. The interviewers will evaluate the applicant's spirit of inquiry, motivation toward research, intelligence, judgement and expression that are necessary for forming an opinion logically and expressing it in a consistent fashion. They will also evaluate the applicant's ability to accomplish research, and the understandings of social responsibilities.

Curriculum Policy

In order to foster competent human resources as shown in the diploma policy, the Graduate School of Economics offers a Program for full-time students and a more Flexible Program for working adults. Students in the former Program are required to take core courses (4 credits), advanced courses (18 credits or more), and individual seminars (8 credits). Students in the Flexible Program are required to take core courses (4 credits), advanced courses (22 credits or more), and individual seminars (4 credits). Students in the Flexible Program have an option of taking all courses in the evening. To complete the programs, students are required to take 30 credits or more as described above and successfully pass the review and the oral examination of their master's thesis. The outlines of the courses are shown in the syllabi.

The principles outlined in the diploma policy are achieved through systematic education as described below.

(1) Specialized knowledge and understandings
　　Students learn specialized knowledge on Economics and Business Administration through taking core courses and
　　advanced courses in the first year.
(2) Skills in fundamental research and applications
　　Supervisors provide individual seminars for students from the beginning of the first year until completing the program.
　　Students are to improve their presentation and discussion skills. They also need to cultivate skills in fundamental
　　research and applications through selecting an issue, making and testing hypotheses, and drawing a conclusion to
　　write their master's thesis.
(3) Sense of ethics and social responsibilities
　　Through individual seminars from their supervisors, students acquire a mature sense of ethics and independence as
　　skilled professionals.
(4) International perspective
　　Through individual seminars from their supervisors, students improve their skills in collecting information about
　　economy and business administration both within and outside Japan from an international perspective.

Students' academic achievement is evaluated in a strict grading system (5 rank grading and GPA). The grades in lectures are based on the understanding of the knowledge and the explanation capability. The grades in individual seminars are based on the students' general ability to plan and accomplish a research. Master's thesis is reviewed by a thesis committee. The committee members (a chair and two other members) are selected by the graduate school. Through a strict review and an oral examination, the committee decides whether the thesis meets the criterion prescribed by the graduate school.

Diploma Policy

Based on its educational philosophy, the Graduate School of Economics trains skilled professionals. The graduates are expected to acquire expertise and research capabilities in Economics and Business Administration. They are also expected to be active as skilled professionals in various fields both within and outside Japan, with their eagerness to contribute in making the societies better and maintain deep understanding in ethical values and social responsibility.

Students are expected to have acquired the following abilities upon completing the graduate school and receiving a master's degree.

(1) Specialized knowledge and understandings
　　Students learn advanced specialized knowledge about market functions and economic behavior, the role of economic
　　policy and institutions, management and administration of firms and other organizations. They also acquire broad
　　knowledge about human culture and societies and have an excellent insight based on their professional specialties.
(2) Skills in fundamental research and applications
　　Students are capable of planning and accomplishing research and disseminating the achievement. Students are
　　capable of recognizing problems in the societies, analyzing them and suggesting solutions through logical thinking.
(3) Sense of ethics and social responsibilities
　　Students are motivated to contribute in making the societies better and are capable of behaving actively as
　　independent skilled professionals with their deep understandings in ethical values and social responsibility.
(4) International perspective
　　Students are capable of collecting information about economy and business administration both within and outside
　　Japan in an appropriate manner and understanding them from an international perspective.