Professional Graduate School
What is “Professional Graduate School” ?
A new type of graduate school demanded for the current era
“Professional Graduate School” system in Japan was established in 2003 with its objective being to respond to the demands of practical education for fostering highly-specialized professionals who can work in an international environment due to advancement in science, technology, and globalization of society and the economy.
Just after the system was established, many professional graduate schools opened in various fields such as legal (law schools), accounting, business, management of technology (MOT), public policy, and public health. In 2008, Graduate School of Teacher Education is opened to foster teachers who have practical mentoring capabilities.
These “Professional Graduate School” became to be expected to nurture highly-specialized professionals who have advanced and practical knowledge and capabilities.
Features of “Professional Graduate School”
Not focused on “research”, But on “practical education” bridging theories and practical use
Practical knowledge is different from academic knowledge taught in regular conventional universities, etc., so the curriculum is set up in a way that the students can acquire practical business competency.
Not “researcher”, But “professionals” who possess advanced and specialized capabilities to be nurtured.
By utilizing specialized knowledge and systematic technology understanding, we aim to foster highly-specialized professionals who will help revitalize industries.
Not just “academic teachers”, But “practically experienced teachers” with advanced business knowledge are placed
The curriculum is carried out by collaboration of the professors that have been working at the forefront and professors with high research achievements to achieve advanced practical education and to nurture architects in the industrial field.
*1 Academic teachers : Professors that have been pursuing their research themes in depth at graduate schools and research institutes.
*2 Practically experienced teachers : Specialists that have obtained noteworthy achievements in a special field and who have been recruited as professors and associate professors.
Difference between Conventional graduate school and Professional graduate school
|
Conventional Graduate School |
Professional Higher Degree Education system | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Graduate School (since 2003) |
Law School (since 2004) |
Graduate School of Teacher Education (since 2008) |
||
| Duration of Study | 2 years | 2 years | 3 years | 2 years |
| Completion Condition | 30 credits or over (with thesis for master degree) |
30 credits or over | 93 credits or over | 45 credits or over (including 10 credits or over in teaching practice in schools) |
| Practically experienced teachers | - | 30% or over | 20% or over | 40% or over |
| (No. of Full-time Teachers is to be regulated more than Conventional Graduate School. And concurrency with other school, i.e. undergraduate cource, is limited.) | ||||
| Teaching Method | - | (1)case study, field work, workshops in bidirection or multidirection | (1) same as left (2) Class-size reduction |
(1) same as left (2) compulsory on teaching practice in schools and common subject |
| Degree | Master of major field | Master of major field (Professional) | Juris Doctor | Master of Education (Professional) |
| Accreditation | - | Accedition, about education contents and reserch activity of teachers, by Minister-licensed organization, in every 5 years is compulsory. | ||
Flexible and practical education
At a “Professional Graduate School”, flexible and practical education is performed that corresponds to the specific job fields. Because of this, the classes consist of various types from practical work, case study, field work, workshops, and simulations to role-playing.
Furthermore, professors with advanced practical business knowledge who have actually played a major role in the industrial and business fields carry out classes after theorizing their knowledge based on their professional insight and experience in the industries. Such education bridging theories and practical use is the one of the advantages of a “Professional Graduate School”.
Consideration to Working adults
Another important role of a “Professional Graduate School” is to provide a continuous opportunity to learn for those who are already working in the real world so that they can acquire even more advanced expertise and the latest knowledge and technologies. There are now many professional graduate schools that have a system that accommodates these working people, creating many opportunities for them to enter and learn.