MBA Part III: Other Options

MBA Part III: Other Options

I've received a lot of email from readers interested in doing an MBA
either part-time or full-time in Japan. One, from a Mr. JY in
Singapore, asked for more information about other MBA schools in
Japan that run courses in English. One such school, well-known
because it was the first US-style Business school in Japan, is the
International University of Japan (IUJ). IUJ is based in Niigata and
was established in 1988 with funding from some major Japanese
multinationals.

I talked briefly with the Director of Career Counseling and
Services, Gretchen Shinoda, and she told me that IUJ is particularly
good at looking after the needs of overseas students coming to
Japan to study (of course, their programs are also open to people
living here). For example, they assist with visas, even providing
students with guarantors. They also provide all the facilities
needed for students to live in at the beautiful Urasu Town campus
about 230km northwest of Tokyo. The facilities include
dormitories, living and cooking areas, a fantastic library, etc. I'm
not exaggerating when I say that the IUJ campus is beautiful (yes,
I've been to visit). Have a look at the photos on their web site (see
links below) - if you value the outdoors as part of your lifestyle,
this university is almost your only choice.

Going to a MBA school full-time in Japan is an expensive exercise -
just like in other parts of the world. The Global Daigaku website
(see links below) lists Ritsumeikan University as charging
JPY3,600,000 (US$33,000) for tuition only for the two-year
course. So it is nice to know that IUJ is particularly noteworthy
for its scholarship program. Indeed, according to Shinoda, most of
the students from overseas are on some kind of assistance. The IUJ
scholarships include awards from the Asian Development Bank,
Matsushita Foundation, Mitsubishi-Yamamuro Foundation, World
Bank, and IMF, as well as from the Monbu Kagakusho (Ministry of
Education).

There is actually a list published by a semi-government
organization, the Asia Bunka Kaikan, on the schools offering MBA
programs in Japan. Although the list is not complete and tends to
ignore some of the better-established private English-language
schools, I have added the link below as it may prove helpful. It
includes such Ministry of Education (MEXT) schools as Hitotsubashi,
Keio, Ritsumeikan, and Waseda. I have a friend who attended the
English-language MBA program at Hitotsubashi, and he commented
that the quality of both the students and teachers was very high. I
have also heard good things from others about the school in
general.

Web site links:
1. IUJ university homepage: www.iuj.ac.jp
2. Global Daigaku homepage: www.globaldaigaku.com
3. List of MBA schools in Japan:
http://www.jpss.jp/eng/gguide/right3.html

If you are considering a career in the recruiting industry, you can
drop Terrie Lloyd an email for more advice at
terrie.lloyd@daijob.com. You can also see his weekly newsletter,
called Terrie's Take, at www.terrie.com.