Three Policies

Goals for Student Development through Research and Education
The Graduate School of Business and Commerce bases its education and research on the following principles: carrying forward Yukichi Fukuzawa’s spirit of jitsugaku in the study of commerce, developing an understanding of today’s global industrial society through theory and empirical analysis, and cultivating insight into the direction of progress and transformation. Building on this foundation, the school seeks to foster independent researchers and professionals equipped with advanced knowledge and broad intellectual grounding, capable of properly addressing the complex economic challenges of today, and contributing as leaders of society.


Master's Program

Diploma Policy: Graduation Certification and Degree Conferral Policy

    <Educational Goals>
    In accordance with Keio University's graduation certification and degree conferral policy (Diploma Policy), the Graduate School of Business and Commerce aims to develop individuals who have acquired specialized knowledge in academic fields related to business and commerce, analytical skills and logical thinking, and the ability to disseminate information. In addition, a Master of Arts in Business and Commerce will be awarded to students who have fulfilled the prescribed requirements specified in the curriculum.

    <Qualities and Competencies Objectives>
    Objective 1: Specialized knowledge
    Students will be provided with advanced knowledge related to business and commerce as a foundation for reflecting on industrial society within an academic tradition.

    Objective 2: Analytical and logical thinking skills
    Students will be equipped with the analytical and logical thinking skills to understand the structure of industrial society as it undergoes significant and complex changes, together with the development of internationalization and informatization in order to see through the essence of such shifts.

    Objective 3: Information dissemination skills
    Students will have the ability to disseminate information as a leader in academia and industry who is able to contribute to society by solving complex problems in industry, along with the abovementioned specialized knowledge and analytical and logical thinking skills.

Curriculum Policy: Policies for the Organization and Implementation of the Curriculum

    <Curriculum Design>
    The Graduate School of Business and Commerce (Master's Program) aims to cultivate the qualities and abilities listed under the Diploma Policy. These skills are required of leaders of society who can perceive the realities of industrial society through both micro and macro perspectives and make decisions from a broad viewpoint. The curriculum consists of introductory courses, core program courses, major field courses, seminar courses, and selected courses from other graduate schools. They are systematically organized in 10 fields: “Commercial Science,” “Management & Organization,” “Accounting,” “Finance & Securities,” “Insurance,” “Transport, Public Policy & Industrial Organization,” “Econometrics,” “International Economics,” “Industrial History & Business History,” and “Industrial Relations.”

    (1) Introductory courses are organized to develop the most fundamental skills that all master's students require, along with specialized knowledge and skills in analytical and logical thinking.

    (2) Core program courses are organized to develop the fundamental skills that master's students need to pursue their respective field of study, along with specialized knowledge and analytical and logical thinking skills.

    (3) Major field courses are organized to develop the highly specialized qualities that master's students need to pursue their respective field of study, along with specialized knowledge and analytical and logical thinking skills.

    (4) Seminar courses are organized so that, in addition to acquiring specialized knowledge and analytical and logical thinking skills, as well as the ability to disseminate information, students develop the highly specialized qualities necessary to explore their respective field.

    (5) Selected courses from other graduate schools are organized to cultivate special interdisciplinary qualities and can be taken as necessary in addition to the group of courses listed in (1) to (4) that serve to develop the student’s specialized knowledge, analytical and logical thinking skills, and the ability to disseminate information.

    <Curriculum Implementation>
    Under this curricular structure, education will be conducted through a combination of lectures, practicums, and other pedagogical methods such as active learning, fieldwork, and PBL.

    <Evaluation and Grading Criteria>
    Student progress toward the qualities and competencies objectives in the graduate school will align with the university’s overall assessment plan. Evaluations will be based on specific grading criteria for each course as well as a combination of direct, indirect, quantitative, and qualitative measures such as surveys and other examinations. In addition, the master's thesis will be evaluated based on degree standards for the master’s program.

    <How Educational Content Connects to Qualities and Competencies Objectives>
    Objective 1: Specialized knowledge
    Through what they learn in introductory courses, core program courses, major field courses, and selected courses from other graduate schools, students will cultivate their advanced knowledge while remaining cognizant that academic tradition is the foundation for reflecting on industrial society.

    Objective 2: Analytical and logical thinking skills
    Through what they learn in introductory courses, core program courses, major field courses, seminar courses, and selected courses from other graduate schools, students will be equipped with analytical and logical thinking skills while they remain cognizant of their understanding of the structure of industrial society as it undergoes significant and complex changes in order to see through the essence of such shifts.

    Objective 3: Information dissemination skills
    Through seminar courses, students will refine their ability to disseminate information while remaining cognizant of contributing to society by solving complex problems in industry, along with the abovementioned specialized knowledge and analytical and logical thinking skills.

Admissions Policy: Policies for Admission to the University

    <What We Look for in our Students>
    (1) Those with knowledge and academic ability equivalent to a bachelor's degree in their chosen field
    In order to broaden the breadth of knowledge through innovative research in graduate school, where academic inquiry takes place, students must possess the fundamental knowledge and academic ability appropriate to their field at the time of admission.

    (2) Those with a positive attitude and the willingness to boldly take on the challenge of solving new problems
    We believe that it is essential for students not only to acquire expertise in a field but also to have a critical eye towards established practices, a willingness to discover new problems, and a positive attitude to boldly take on the challenge of solving them.

    (3) Those with a clear sense of purpose in their research
    Students should have a clear sense of purpose to complete their master's thesis and program, fully utilizing their specialized knowledge, analytical and logical thinking skills, and information dissemination skills.

    <Basic Policy for Selection>
    In order to accept a wide range of such candidates, selection will be conducted through (1) general entrance examinations and (2) AO selection examinations.

    (1) General entrance examination
    This is an entrance examination system that selects students who have acquired the academic ability equivalent to a university graduate or a special training college graduate in Japan or abroad, as well as the necessary academic background to study at the graduate school. The document screening and written examination will include an entrance examination using an English test and an individual academic test on the particular field to be studied after admission. The oral examination will involve an interview based on the student’s application documents and the results of their written examination. Through these items, we evaluate students’ specialized knowledge and academic ability, willingness and proactivity towards solving problems, and clarity of their sense of purpose.

    (2) AO Selection Examination
    This is an entrance examination system in which a broad range of outstanding students from inside and outside the university who are exceptional for their academic achievement or specialized knowledge and experience are selected after evaluating their documents and oral examination results. In the document screening, the applicant's eligibility will be reviewed—that is, whether they were self-recommended through the university (Category I), self-recommended through a graduate of the university's Faculty of Business and Commerce (Category II), or an individual with specialized knowledge or experience (Category III). In addition, a comprehensive screening will be conducted based on application documents such as the applicant's statement of purpose and academic transcripts, and from there the final decision will be reached. For the oral examination, an interview is required based on the application documents mentioned above. Through these items, we evaluate students’ specialized knowledge and academic ability, willingness and proactivity towards solving problems, and clarity of their sense of purpose.

Doctoral Program

Diploma Policy: Graduation Certification and Degree Conferral Policy

    <Educational Goals>
    In accordance with Keio University's graduation certification and degree conferral policy (Diploma Policy), the Graduate School of Business and Commerce aims to develop individuals who have acquired sufficient and multifaceted expertise in academic fields related to business and commerce, a flexible and inventive mind, creative conceptual ability, advanced analytical and logical thinking skills, and an exceptional ability to disseminate information. Students who fulfill the program’s prescribed curriculum requirements will be awarded a Ph.D. in Business and Commerce.

    <Qualities and Competencies Objectives>
    Objective 1:  Sufficient and multifaceted expertise
    Students will be provided with immense knowledge and a rich education, together with deep expertise and broad learning related to business and commerce as a foundation for thinking about industrial society in the academic tradition.

    Objective 2: Flexible thinking and creativity
    Students will be able to think flexibly and conceptualize original ideas while applying their acquired expertise and knowledge, or challenging that knowledge.

    Objective 3: Advanced analytical and logical thinking skills
    Students will be equipped with the advanced analytical and logical thinking skills to understand the structure of industrial society as it undergoes significant and complex changes together with the development of internationalization and informatization in order to see through the essence of such shifts.

    Objective 4: Exceptional ability to disseminate information
    Together with the aforementioned expertise, ingenuity, and analytical and logical thinking skills, by making significant contributions to society by providing proper solutions to complex issues in industrial society, students will be equipped with exceptional skills in information dissemination as world leaders in academia and industry.

Curriculum Policy: Policies for the Organization and Implementation of the Curriculum

    <Curriculum Design>
    The Graduate School of Business and Commerce (Doctoral Program) systematically manages an educational curriculum consisting of lecture courses, seminar courses, and selected courses from other graduate schools in order to cultivate the qualities and abilities listed under the Diploma Policy. Such qualities are required of researchers and educators who are autonomously engaged in research and advanced professional work.

    (1) Lecture courses are organized to cultivate the highly specialized qualities necessary to pursue the student’s field of study by having students acquire sufficient and multifaceted expertise, flexible ingenuity and creativity, and advanced analytical and logical thinking skills.

    (2) Seminar courses are organized to cultivate the highly specialized qualities necessary to pursue the student’s field of study by having students acquire an exceptional ability to disseminate information, together with sufficient and multifaceted expertise, flexible ingenuity and creativity, and advanced analytical and logical thinking skills.

    (3) Selected courses from other graduate schools are offered in addition to the courses listed in (1) and (2), and can be taken as needed to cultivate the highly interdisciplinary special skills necessary to explore the student’s field of study by having students acquire an exceptional ability to disseminate information, together with sufficient and multifaceted expertise, flexible ingenuity and creativity, and advanced analytical and logical thinking skills.

    <Curriculum Implementation>
    Under this curricular structure, education will be conducted through a combination of lectures, practicums, and other pedagogical methods such as active learning, fieldwork, and PBL.

    <Evaluation and Grading Criteria>
    Student progress toward the qualities and competencies objectives in the graduate school will align with the university’s overall assessment plan. Evaluations will be based on specific grading criteria for each course as well as a combination of direct, indirect, quantitative, and qualitative measures such as surveys and other examinations. In addition, the doctoral dissertation will be evaluated based on degree standards for the doctoral program.

    <How Educational Content Connects to Qualities and Competencies Objectives>
    Objective 1:  Sufficient and multifaceted expertise
    Through what they learn in lectures and selected courses from other graduate schools, students will cultivate rich knowledge and education combining deep expertise and broad generality related to business and commerce while remaining cognizant that academic tradition is the foundation for reflecting on industrial society.

    Objective 2: Flexible thinking and creativity
    Through what they learn in their lecture courses or selected courses from other graduate schools, students will be able to think flexibly and conceptualize original ideas while applying their acquired expertise and knowledge, or challenging that knowledge.

    Objective 3: Advanced analytical and logical thinking skills
    Through lecture courses or selected courses from other graduate schools, students will be equipped with advanced analytical and logical thinking skills while they remain cognizant of their understanding of the structure of industrial society as it undergoes significant and complex changes together with the development of internationalization and informatization in order to see through the essence of such shifts.

    Objective 4: Exceptional ability to disseminate information
    Together with the aforementioned expertise, ingenuity, and analytical and logical thinking skills, while remaining cognizant of making significant contributions to society by providing proper solutions to complex issues in industrial society, students will be equipped with exceptional skills in information dissemination as world leaders in academia and industry, made possible through the knowledge attained through lectures, seminars, and selected courses from other graduate schools.

Admissions Policy: Policies for Admission to the University

    <What We Look for in our Students>
    (1) Those with in-depth specialized knowledge and academic ability equivalent to a master's degree in their chosen field
    For graduate school, a place of academic inquiry, students must possess the appropriate expertise and academic ability at the time of admission in order to work their innovative research into a doctoral dissertation within a certain period of time.

    (2) Those who want to further refine their knowledge through research
    Students must be motivated to acquire knowledge not only in their specialization but also in peripheral areas and to thoroughly develop their critical thinking, analytical, and communication skills.

    (3) Those with a passion and motivation to seek the truth
    Students must have a constant passion for searching for truth in order to complete their doctoral dissertation, which will ultimately lead them to be an independent researcher and educator in the future.

    <Basic Policy for Selection>
    In order to accept a wide range of such candidates, selection will be conducted through general entrance examinations.

    ・General entrance examination
    This is an entrance examination system, involving screening documents and oral examination, to select students who have acquired a high level of specialized academic ability equivalent to a master's degree or professional degree from a graduate school in Japan or abroad, and who have acquired the rich academic background necessary to study at graduate school. For the document screening, a decision will be made based on a comprehensive review of the application documents. For the oral examination, an interview will be conducted based on the application documents. Through these procedures, we evaluate the applicant’s sufficient and multifaceted expertise and academic ability, their desire to further refine their knowledge, and their passion to search for the truth.

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