J-MOT

What is a professional graduate school?

Standards of professional graduate school

ObjectiveCultivation of highly sophisticated professionals
Study Duration Two years in principle. However, this duration may be reduced to no less than one year, as determined by the involved universities.
Graduation Requirements More than 30 credits
(Master's thesis is not a requisite)
Faculty Requirement At least 30% of the professors should possess some management experience in the business field.
Degree Master's degree of xxx (professional)
School Accreditation All professional graduate schools are subject to an accreditation evaluation at least once in every five years.

Course requirements of a professional graduate school

Institutional comparison between the master's course offered by a graduate school and that offered by a professional graduate school

Item Master's course offered by a graduate school Master's course offered by a graduate professional school
(from April 2003 onward)
Standard required duration of study Two years Two years or less than two years but more than one year, as determined by each individual university
Conditions governing course completion Study for longer than the minimum study period required for graduation Study for longer than the minimum study period required for graduation
Acquisition of more than 30 credits Acquisition of more than 30 credits and study of other curricula
Research guidance Research guidance not mandatory
Review of master's thesis Review of master's thesis not mandatory
Teacher organization Staffed with teachers having the necessary qualifications for education and research Staffed with teachers having the necessary qualifications for education
Staffed with more than a certain number of research teachers and teaching assistants Staffed with more than a certain number of full-time teachers competent enough to conduct advanced education
Specifies the number of students to be enrolled for guidance under each research teacher
(example: in the humanity and social science field, the enrollment number is set at less than 20)
Specifies that the number of students that are enrolled for guidance under each teacher should be three-quarters of the number specified for the master's course of the graduate school
(example: In the humanity and social science field, the enrollment number is set at less than 15)
No regulation on the required
number of teachers with experience of practical matters in professional fields
More than 30% of the required
full-time teachers should have experience of practical matters in professional fields.
Teachers recruited in the undergraduate school and research laboratory are allowed to teach (they can be included in the number of teachers specified in the standards for establishment)
The teachers included in the standards for establishment of the professional graduate school cannot be included in the number of teachers specified for establishment of the undergraduate school. However, they can teach classes in the undergraduate school (transitional measures are available until 2013).
Teaching method - Case methods, field surveys, interactive and multidirectional discussions, and questions and answers
Facilities and equipment Lecture rooms and research laboratories that are necessary for education; machinery; instruments; and materials, including books.
Note that the school area and school building can be leased.
Lecture rooms and research laboratories that are necessary for education; machinery; instruments; and materials, including books.
Note that the school area and school building can be leased on the condition that they are suitable for achieving the objectives of the professional graduate school.
Third party accreditation - Each field is obliged to renew accreditation (once in every five years)
Degree Master in xxx Master's degree of xxx (professional); a degree that differs from the master's and doctor's degrees.
Source: "Accreditation evaluation of professional graduate schools" published by the Department of Professional Education of the Higher Education Bureau of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Rationale for MOT education

Science Council of Japan
Liaison Committee on Corporate Behavior Research Council of Japan
"Establish science of management and design business," published on June 23, 2005

Classification of MOT education (at graduate level)

Degree (professional) Degree(typical) Non Degree
Professional graduate school One of the existing graduate courses Universities and private institutes
Master's degree of technology management (professional)
* the official degree name varying among the schools
Master's degree (management, engineering, science, etc.)
Required duration of study is two years (one year in some universities). Generally more than 40 credits and a project study are deemed compulsory Required duration of study is two years (one year in some universities); more than 30 credits and a master's thesis is deemed compulsory Short-term (typically between four months to one year) for the study of limited subjects
Selection examination is held Selection examination is held Some institutions require a documentary examination

List of MOT professional graduate schools

Foundation yearsGraduate Schools
2003
  • Graduate School of Engineering Management, Shibaura Institute of Technology
  • Technology Management (MOT) Program, Waseda Business School, Waseda University
  • Department of Business and Technology Management, Graduate School of Economics, Kyushu University (Kyushu University Business School - QBS)
2004
  • Management of Technology, Tokyo University of Science Graduate School
2005
  • Graduate School of Innovation Management, Tokyo Institute of Technology
  • Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT)
  • Graduate School for Management of Technology, Nippon Institute of Technology
  • Graduate School of Innovation & Technology Management, Yamaguchi University
  • Institute of Business and Accounting, Professional Graduate School, Kwansei Gakuin University
2006
  • Graduate School for Management of Technology, Niigata University
  • Department of System Safety, Professional Graduate School, Nagaoka University of Technology

Characteristics of the professional graduate school

Items Contents Remarks
1. Required duration of study Two years Some universities offer one-year courses
2. Lecture schedule Week nights and Saturdays Some subjects are lectured on Fridays
3. Degree Master of technology management
4. Conditions governing course completion More than 30 credits
(generally, more than 40 credits)
More credits are needed than in the engineering course
5. Required course Project study
(special research assignment, business plan project report, etc.)
This replaces the master's thesis in the engineering course
6. Teacher organization
  • More than 30% of the teachers possess experience of practical matters in professional fields
  • The student-teacher ratio is about 1.5 times higher than the same in the engineering course
Concentrated education conducted by teachers with abundant experience of practical matters in professional fields and flotation
7. Enrollees Mainly working people
  • Some universities accept new graduates

Core Curriculum for MOT-Education

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