Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Results forProfessional Graduate Business School

Business Studies, The Graduate School of Business,
Doshisha University

Basic Information of the InstitutionOwnership: Private

Location: Kyoto, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2018
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April.01.2019 – March.31.2024）

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Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Business Studies, the Graduate School of Business,
Doshisha University
Business Studies (hereafter, BS) of the Graduate School of Business, Doshisha
University specifies its educational objective in its Admission Policy as “fostering nextgeneration businesspeople who can respond appropriately to an ever-changing economy
and society and promote the sustainable development of businesses and institutions
through tradition-based constant innovation from a global perspective based on its
founding spirit of “education of conscience” and research openly available tobusinesses and society.” In line with this objective, BS clearly defines its vision,
medium-term plan and action plan with the two pillars of “cultivating executives andsuccessors of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to enhance corporate values
as a business school in Kyoto” and “revitalizing the local economy by stimulating
innovation that creates new value.” Aspiring to be a professional business school rooted
in Kyoto, where a number of globally competitive businesses are located, BS hasdeveloped its vision, medium-term plan, and action plan for developing people of talent
who can take charge of SMEs that contribute to regional communities and economies.
BS has continued its efforts to improve its curriculum and teaching methods inaccordance with these plans as well as establish scholarships.
In April 2014, two courses of the Graduate School of Business, Doshisha
University were expanded and divided into two independent entities with their own
unique features: BS, a Japanese-language professional graduate business school
program offering classes on weeknights and Saturdays, and Global Business andManagement Studies, an English-language regular graduate school program offeringclasses during the daytime on weekdays. BS has developed a curriculum policy topursue its educational objectives and achieve goals stated in its diploma policy, andoffers a wealth of subjects belonging to the “General Subjects A and B” group and the“Specialized Subjects” group. These subjects are designed for students to acquire bothexpertise in their fields and analytical skills required to solve problems.
A variety of subjects are available for each of the six special areas. In particular,
BS offers diverse subjects in the “SME and Regional Management Field“ that allow
students to learn about traditional industries relevant to the regional economies of Kyoto
and Osaka and about SMEs with a venture spirit, focusing on education to foster SME
leaders and their successors in the region. In the “Innovation Field”, BS provides
education to cultivate people who can leverage professional technologies developed andowned by manufacturing companies in Kyoto and its neighboring areas to promote
innovation that creates new value. It is a distinctive curriculum that only a graduate
school headquartered in Kyoto can provide. BS also offers education to teach practicalabilities to devise plans for corporate activities and business structure by inviting
corporate executives and other businesspeople to speak in class for some subjects. In
these ways, students’ practical abilities are nurtured to develop measures to revitalize
local industries. In many cases, class proposals made by students are applied to actual
corporate activities, which shows that BS is contributing through its significant
educational achievements.
As one of the characteristics of its educational method, BS has introduced the“Senior Assistant System” that invites past graduates to participate in class to give
objective advice to students. The aim is not only to provide graduates with anopportunity to study anew but also to improve the quality of education. By participatingin “Project Research” seminars through this system, the graduates share their expertisewith students based on their study experiences and impart the latest business-related
information. This unique system enhances the educational program. Moreover, BS has
made arrangements to make it easier for those working fulltime to enroll. Specifically, it3

has adopted a quarter system that allows students to take two consecutive class sessions
at a time and earn two credits in eight weeks for each subject. It also offers the same
courses on the Imadegawa Campus and the satellite site in Umeda.
While BS is making creative efforts as described above, there remains someissues the school needs to address.
In terms of its educational program, methods and achievements, BS needs toreview the content of each subject as well as class size and class schedules. In
particular, it is expected that BS will consider and clarify its plans and educational
methods to pursue the university’s founding spirit of “education of conscience” andrealize a degree of internationalization as is a professional graduate school. On the basisof these considerations, BS is expected to track the career and employment situation ofgraduates to assess the effectiveness of its educational program in fulfilling its
objective, and utilize this information to improve its program. Ten issues, including
Japan University Accreditation Association (JUAA)’s suggestions for improvement,
need to be addressed to improve the quality of education and create a better educational
system as a professional graduate school. JUAA strongly expects BS to rectify theseissues.
In terms of administration, the office of the BS program closes at 19:00 eventhough classes are offered from 18:30 until 21:30 in the evening. It is particularly
desirable that this issue be addressed in view of student convenience and safety.
JUAA strongly expects that, taking these evaluation and accreditation results
into consideration, BS will continue its self-study and evaluations and work on reforms
and improvements to strengthen its unique characteristics for further development andenhancement of its program.