Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Results forProfessional Graduate Business School

Tokyo Institute of Technology, Graduate School of Innovation
Management, Department of Management of Technology

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2014
Accreditation Status: accredited（Accreditation Period: April.01.2015 – March.31.2020）

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Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor the Department of Management of Technology,
the Graduate School of Innovation Management,
the Tokyo Institute of Technology
The Department of Management of Technology (hereafter, the Department) in theGraduate School of Innovation Management at Tokyo Institute of Technology(hereafter, Tokyo Tech) has been engaged in educational activities with a particularpurpose of “fostering the business persons who can contribute to the development ofindustry and society by constructing his/her own theories through the application ofscience and technology as the leaders in creating innovations.” The Department’s
purpose meets a generally required mission for a professional graduate school in thisfield to foster personnel equipped with specialized knowledge necessary for themanagement of corporations or other organizations with high professional ethics and aglobal perspective.
The Department was established in 2005 and conducted its first self-study in2008 when it had sent out its first graduates. In 2009, it underwent its first review of theCertified Evaluation and Accreditation for Professional Graduate Business School byJapan University Accreditation Association (JUAA) and was accredited as fulfilling theestablished standards. In 2012, the Department reported its responses and improvements
regarding the previously suggested points, and is receiving its second accreditation
review this year.
The curriculum of the Department consists of “the research course group,” “thespecialized course group,” and “the liberal arts and general education course group.”
In the seminars that make up the majority of classes in research course group, students
actively engage in research activities under the supervision of the faculty members ineach field, and are expected to write project reports, which are required for completionof the program. The specialized course group consists of four subgroups that
correspond to four areas in management: technology management strategy,
intellectual property management, finance, and information and service innovation. In
addition to these subgroups reflecting the particular purpose of the Department, thiscourse group includes internships for companies and specialized courses offered byother graduate schools of Tokyo Tech. Following the standard course requirements inall the graduate schools, the liberal arts and general education course group consists ofseveral courses including “interdisciplinary course,” “international communication,”“course for international students,” “interdepartmental courses,” “arts and humanities,”and “career development courses.” In each course group, courses that offer the basis
for personnel development are classified as the basic courses, and the courses thatoffer highly specialized knowledge in management are classified as advanced. To
complete the program, students are required to earn 40 credits or more and submit aproject report. As a notable feature of the curriculum, the Department emphasizes
seminars that require active involvement of students. It is commendable that theteaching methods utilized in these classes are considered to be effective to achieve theparticular purpose of the Department. In these classes, students independently learn torecognize problems in corporations and society, gather and analyze the data, andexamine and present the results.
Regarding the faculty and the other supporting organization, eleven full-time
faculty and a graduate school administration office are organized. The full-time faculty
come from the fields of technology management strategy, intellectual property
management, finance and information, and service innovation, and they have advanced
degrees and proven research competencies in these fields. In regards to theadministration, the offices of the Innovation Management Graduate School are locatedat both the Ookayama campus and Tamachi campus, and each office houses two full-3time staffs, one part-time staff, and three assistants. The size and functions of the staff
are considered to be appropriate.
In order to achieve its particular purpose, the Department defines an admission
policy in which students “based on the knowledge acquired through one’s own
experience and learning,” are expected to “think objectively considering the current
situation and express it,” and “with rich and broad knowledge, grasp the matter fromdiverse perspectives,” “have language ability to act in international arenas,” and“display high motivation for self-improvement and the willingness to take leadershipin society.” According to this admission policy, the entrance examination involves
essay and oral examinations in addition to an external English examination thatassesses English proficiency. In 2013, the ratio of enrolled students to the student
enrollment cap was 1.15, and the Department admitted an appropriate number ofstudents. Also, as part of its efforts to support students, the Student Support Center
offers a comprehensive support system from learning support to care for student
welfare, in addition to various scholarships.
Regarding the education and research environment, the Department’s library is
located on the Tamachi campus and carries about 700 volumes of books and journals
related to technology management and intellectual property management. Tokyo
Tech’s main library carries about 800,000 volumes and more than 11,000 electricjournals. A Collection Development Committee, which takes into account the balance
between science and technology fields and the humanities and social sciences,
responds to recommendations from faculty and requests from students and selects
materials collected for the libraries. The libraries hold sufficient materials for student
learning and education and research activities of the faculty.
Based on the evaluation above, the JUAA concludes that the Department
satisfies the legal and other basic requirements for professional graduate schools inthis field. It is expected that the notable features based on the Department’s particularpurpose will be further developed with distinctive efforts.
Even so, the points suggested as issues for review this time may be used as
guidance to maintain and improve the quality of education of the Department, and are
expected to be used in the formulation of a mid- and long-term vision. By identifying
how the particular purpose of the Department has been achieved through conducting asurvey on the current situation and activities of graduates, we hope that theDepartment will further improve its educational contents in the future. Furthermore, inregards to the information posted on the website, the fact that some information is not
up-to-date causes problems for users (students, future applicants, etc.) who cannot
access accurate information. The Department should make efforts for appropriate
timely disclosure of information.
Finally, we hope that the Department makes continuous efforts for
improvement and innovation, further polishes the distinctive features of theDepartment, leads education and research in the field of technology management, anddispatches the results to the world.