FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

A graduate school of business is a graduate school designed to foster professional human resources (highly-skilled experts) equipped with advanced knowledge and skills regarding management. It is generally referred to as a Business School or MBA.

The Prefectural University of Hiroshima launched a Business Leadership Program, Graduate School of Business Administration, at its Hiroshima Campus in April 2016 as the first Graduate School of Business among national, public and private universities in the Chugoku Region.

Upon completion of the Graduate School of Business program, students will be granted a “keieishushi (senmonshoku)” degree, which is referred to as a “Master of Business Administration” in English and its abbreviated form is “MBA”.

General graduate schools mainly aim at fostering researchers. In contrast, a graduate school of business aims to foster professional human resources who are highly specialized in business administration and equipped with advanced knowledge and management skills.

A graduate school of business is staffed with a certain number of business professionals with front-line business experience as full-time teachers and provides practical education through case studies, group discussions, and fieldwork in addition to theory.

Moreover, to complete a master’s program at a general graduate school, you are required to write a master’s thesis presenting the results of your study after earning the necessary credits, which must pass a screening. In contrast, at a graduate school of business, you can complete the professional program and earn your degree if you have been enrolled for at least two years and have earned the necessary credits.

We welcome students that aim to become business leaders indispensable to maintaining and developing a creative and vibrant economic society and who will implement management innovation of companies and other organizations and continuously create businesses. As a precondition, students are required to have real work experience and social experience (including activities while a student) appropriate for those aspiring to become business leaders, such as serving as team leader for a certain period of time.

More specifically, we welcome the following types of business people:

• Those seeking to enhance their management knowledge, practical skills, and who want to create new businesses

• Those seeking to create an innovative business model in Hiroshima which they can share with the world

• Those seeking to enhance their planning and leadership skills for regional creation and vitalization

• Those seeking to enhance their communication skills to build a wider professional network

• Those with a high motivation to learn the field of management to create a comprehensive life plan

Courses aim at deepening basic understanding, and enhancing abilities in order to successfully realize the start of new businesses, the creation of innovation, the succession and development of businesses, and the enhancement of management skills.

The introduction of frequent group work allows for the application of insights from different perspectives and points of view.

If you are over 22 years of age and have practical work experience at a corporation or municipal organ that equates to two years or more of work and your application materials demonstrate that you have academic ability equivalent to a college graduate, you are eligible.

The application period for the MBA program (April 2018) is as follows:

• First Application Period : October 24 (Tue) - November 7 (Tue), 2017

• Second Application Period / Corporate Recommendation : January 15 (Mon) - 29 (Mon), 2018

For details, please see the 2018 application materials.

The class schedule is as follows. The extent to which you must attend depends on the nature of your studies and the times the courses you have taken are available, so there is no set amount.

Weekday (M-F) evenings, 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM (2 hours),weekend (Sat) daytime, 9:00 AM - 7:30 PM (6 hours)

In the case of the Academic Year 2017, students were basically required to attend classes on Saturdays and two or three weekdays during the first semester of the freshman year. This may not apply to AY 2018, however, because there have been changes in the timetable.

Initial admission fees are 282,000 JPY for residents of Hiroshima Prefecture and 394,800 for non-residents. Tuition fees are 535,800 JPY.
In addition, students must separately enroll in student education/research accident insurance plans and pay for textbooks and other materials.

To qualify as a resident of Hiroshima Prefecture, you must meet one of the conditions below; all others are treated as non-residents.

• A person currently possessing an address within Hiroshima Prefecture for one year or more;

• A person commuting to a place of work with an address within the Hiroshima Prefecture for one year or more;

• A person employed for a period of a year or more at a place of work with an address within Hiroshima Prefecture.

• Scholarship

  Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) -- apply through and receive decision from university organization

  Stage 1 scholarship (no interest) -- 50,000 JPY or 88,000 JPY/mo.
  Stage 2 scholarship (interest bearing) select from 50,000, 80,000, 100,000, 130,000, or 150,000 JPY/mo.

  Click here for details
  

• Loans

  Hiroshima Future Challenge Funds (For Hiroshima Prefecture Application/Decision)

  [Interest-free loan] Maximum ¥100,000 per month
  For: Individuals who are seeking employment within prefecture, who have 2 or more years of work experience, or who are under 40 years of age
  Those who work for 8 years or longer out of the first 9 years following program completion at a business within Hiroshima Prefecture will be eligible for an exemption from full repayment

  Click here for details
  

• Loans

  Hiroshima Prefecture Innovative Person Training Project Subsidiary Aid (For Hiroshima Prefecture Application/Decision)

  [Interest-free loan] Maximum ¥2,000,000 per person (Assistance Rate 2/3)
  Subsidized expenses: admissions fees, tuition, travel expenses, etc.)
  For: Hiroshima Small-to-Medium and Medium sized businesses
  As a condition, the target person for training must enroll in an applicable business within 5 years

  Click here for details
  

A plan is in place to make a separate parking space available for MBA students.