Results for Certified Evaluation and Accreditation
for Professional Graduate School of Global Communications

Akita International University Professional Graduate School,
Graduate School of Global Communication and Language,
Graduate Program in Global Communication and Language Practices

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Public

Location: Akita, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2022
Accreditation Status: accredited（Accreditation Period: April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2028）

Akita International University Professional Graduate School,
Graduate School of Global Communication and Language,
Graduate Program in Global Communication and Language Practices

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Akita International University Professional Graduate School,Graduate School of Global Communication and Language,
Graduate Program in Global Communication and Language Practices

The purpose of Akita International University Professional Graduate School is “toprovide the kind of education and research opportunities in advanced theories andpractices of communication suitable for meaningful contribution to (today’s)
globalized world” and to develop “teachers and professionals with advanced
knowledge, communication capabilities, and teaching skills.” The institution strives
to impart in its professional degree programs the deep academic knowledge andsuperior skills required of highly specialized professionals. With the mission “toprepare students for careers in professional communication fields that make positive
contributions to today’s global society” by developing theoretical and practicalknowledge and skills required for advanced communication in English and Japanese,
the Graduate Program in Global Communication and Language Practices (GSGCL)
offers discipline-specific education for the three sub-programs under its purview:
English Language Teaching Practices (ELT), Japanese Language Teaching Practices(JLT), and Global Communication Practices (GCP).
Education in each sub-program centers around integrating theory andpractice to ensure students acquire specialized and practical knowledge and skills.
With the exception of the JLT specialized courses, all GSGCL courses are conducted
in English, a key characteristic of this program, with the aim of producing highlyskilled professionals who can succeed in the globalized world using English. TheGSGCL curriculum consists of common core courses, in which students learn thebasics of global communication, and advanced and practical discipline-specificcourses. All sub-programs emphasize practical training that prepare students for theirpost-graduation careers and require a practicum or internship under the supervisionof faculty members with extensive work experience. It is commendable that each
sub-program cultivates practicum partners and provides strong individual counselingthat suits their respective student needs. On the other hand, the Graduate School
should further build the capability to meet the needs of the growing number ofinternational students who require careful, personalized counseling with course
selection, internship application, and other areas that prepare them for their futurecareers.

1Akita International University Professional Graduate School,
Graduate School of Global Communication and Language,
Graduate Program in Global Communication and Language Practices

All course in the ELT program are taught in English with the goal ofpreparing students to be able to teach English (using English) immediately aftergraduation. In addition to imparting theoretical context, the ELT program is designed
to develop practical English language skills of non-native speakers of English. By
enrolling both people who have no teaching experience and current English teachers,
the program offers an environment where students with different experience levels
can share knowledge and experience. Such a learning environment promotes
effective learning and is one of the notable features of the ELT program. Furthermore,teacher training includes opportunities outside the class to teach English at local
junior and senior high schools to nurture skills other than teaching, and a teacher
employment exam preparation course. The required teaching practicum at junior andsenior high schools is effectively developing the skills required as an English
language teacher through having students experience the whole teaching processfrom lesson preparation and delivery to observation and reflection. In the future, thetraining sites should be expanded to include a wider range of educational institutions,such as elementary schools and technical colleges. There is also room for improving
the quality of support offered to the growing number of international students seeking
teaching jobs in Japan.
The JLT program aims to prepare students to teach immediately aftergraduation. First-year students mainly study theory, while second-year students focus
on practical training divided into three stages. In the first stage, the students teachAIU international students who volunteer as mock students, and in the second, theyteach exchange students from AIU’s overseas partner institutions. Third-stage
students travel abroad to teach at AIU’s partner institutions. Through action research,
the practical training provides opportunities to experience the teaching process from
instructing at the beginner level to running programs, and is a commendable programthat well prepares students for their future work. The teaching practicum at overseas
partner institutions, in particular, is a project planned and carried out by students
themselves, and includes a component where students compile the results of theiractivities in a report or presentation. These are notable features instrumental inequipping students with practical teaching abilities in the short duration of two years.
Given there are many students who wish to work abroad, the Graduate School isadvised to make further efforts to cultivate potential employers for its graduates.
The purpose of the GCP program is to train professionals who will thriveinternationally in such fields as media and public relations. The sub-program, which
previously consisted of the three study areas of interpretation skills, journalism, and2

Akita International University Professional Graduate School,
Graduate School of Global Communication and Language,
Graduate Program in Global Communication and Language Practices

organizational public relations, has been reorganized to focus on journalism andorganizational public relations, and aims to train highly-skilled professionals in theseareas. With the goal of further building expertise in each of these areas, in addition
to practical courses integrating theory and practice, the GCP program has launchedadvanced courses designed to develop digital tool skills and comprehensiveanalytical skills. These are commendable initiatives that respond to today’s needs. It
should be pointed out, however, that because the program covers such extensive areasof study, the specific qualities and attributes GCP aims to develop in its students as aprofessional graduate program are vague. While some teachers meet regularly toshare and discuss class content, this information is not necessarily shared among all
the teaching staff concerned. To help better establish the definition of global
communication as a field of study, the program is advised to ensure the contents ofthese faculty discussions are shared and understood by everyone, and promote closer
coordination and information sharing especially with visiting and adjunct instructors
through faculty development (FD) and other such opportunities. Also, there are noteachers who currently teach the GCP program exclusively, and expanding theteaching capacity should help to further increase the distinctiveness of the program.
Regarding student admissions, GSGCL, which takes in new students twicea year, has a number of highly commendable programs that flexibly meet diverse
student needs, namely the Pre-Graduate Student System that recognizes students’
gap-year activities for course credits; the recurrent courses that allow students withwork experience to shorten their time in school; and an intensive English programfor applicants with insufficient English proficiency. It is also worth noting that
English-speaking staffers are available to provide language assistance and smooth
the way for international students and faculty members joining the school community.
In evaluating the faculty’s education and research activities, the Graduate
School varies the weight of each evaluation criterion by area of specialty, which is asound practice that makes the assessment more targeted and tailored to the individual
characteristics of the teachers being evaluated. On the other hand, it should be pointed
out that there are only two full-time female teachers on the faculty. The Graduate
School is advised to encourage greater diversity by promoting a better gender balancein the makeup of the faculty.
In conclusion, as the nation’s sole professional graduate school of global
communication practices, GSGCL provides original, innovative educational
programs with the unique mission to train highly-skilled global communication
professionals. Going forward, the Graduate School may want to define the distinct

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Akita International University Professional Graduate School,Graduate School of Global Communication and Language,
Graduate Program in Global Communication and Language Practices

features and goals of the global communication field, communicate how it seeks topromote these features and goals as a professional graduate school specializing inthis field, and clearly disseminate its unique objectives and educational programs
domestically and abroad. We look forward to the Graduate School making further
public relations efforts to help advance the field of global communication.

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