“Practical Learning” or “Jitsugaku” in our founder’s own words is not a study of worldly knowledge that is practical and useful, but it is based on a scientific approach to modern rationalism. Please see https://www.keio.ac.jp/en/about/ for further information on Jitsugaku.
At the same time, it is a study that processes criticisms from free and independent individuals, to reach a rational conclusion. “Commercial Science” isn’t necessarily useful to actual business, nor will it be something that will be passed on to future generations. Rather, “Commercial Science” is an academic field that attempts to develop methods for solving problems based on theoretical thinking and accumulates knowledge by looking at issues created by modern industrial society from a macro and micro perspective. This is done from a theoretical and empirical approach that involves recognition of constraint, cause identification, explanation of the mechanisms that cause these issues, and attempts to forecast future trends.
The Doctoral Program for Business and Commerce offers courses in 10 fields: “Market Science,” “Finance & Securities,” “Insurance,” “Transport, Public Policy & Industrial Organization,” “Econometrics,” “International Economics,” “Industrial History & Business History,” “Industrial Relations,” “Management & Organization,” and “Accounting.” The students of our Doctoral Program are expected to master skills to construct their own frameworks to analyze issues and to derive conclusions, integrating academic tools and findings in various fields. This process allows students to master the perspective, knowledge and methodology of diverse disciplines without being confined to a specific field and it opens doors to mastering the perspective, knowledge and methodology of diverse disciplines.
The assumed career path of the Master’s Course Graduate is to either become a researcher after obtaining their Ph.D. or to become an accounting specialist directly involved in the management of the economic system, an enterprise manager or a specialist like a leader in a social system. Many who have completed the Doctoral Program have become university faculty. The training program of researchers and educators and the academic training of sophisticated managers and specialists, is in line with the basic policy of the Graduate School of Business and Commerce which keeps the spirit of Jitsugaku alive. (See https://www.keio.ac.jp/en/about/ for further explanation of Jitsugaku.) Many have graduated from our university armed with diverse knowledge, the ability to make insightful analyses and the ability to transmit information to contribute to diverse fields.