ABOUT THE GSM

   The Graduate School of Management (GSM) is a regional-based business school with an MBA program focusing on comprehensive knowledge of regional development to train business leaders, public professionals, and others to promote regional development.
    The Kagawa University GSM was founded in 2004 as a “Professional Graduate School”, a new form of graduate school established in the reformation of the Japanese university system, which aims at educating individuals with more practical capabilities suitable to meeting the demands of a rapidly changing and highly competitive society and economy. It is the first business school in the Chugoku/Shikoku region of Japan.
    Many students from many types of organizations with various backgrounds in the private, public, and NPO sectors, and with backgrounds from different universities with various majors at the undergraduate level, study in the MBA program while working at companies and local governments. In consideration of these active adult graduate students, classes are often held on weekday evenings, Saturdays, and during summer vacations. The program features personalized small-group instruction; the GSM program is designed to combine the theoretical and practical realms in order to find clues to solve current issues in business and regional challenges. Interactive discussions using case materials in the classroom enable students to develop practical capabilities. The unique GSM curriculum provides students with not only the core courses in a standard business school such as management, marketing, and accounting, but also courses on public policy and regional science. The GSM faculty is composed of excellent research professors and experienced business professionals.
    Activities of the GSM attempting to expand the relation between university and regional community include: 1) public symposium, 2) the inclusion in the GSM advisory board of regional leaders and experts in the private and public sectors, 3) off-campus workshops for students and professors, and 4) excursions and fieldwork experiences on up-to-date regional topics. Through the MBA program and networking in the GSM, students can obtain the fundamental capabilities and resources necessary to find their way in the complex economic landscape of the 21st century.

Diploma Policy (principles regarding graduation requirements)
    The MBA program in the Graduate School of Management, based on our educational mission, develops people (1) who have acquired basics and expertise for contributing to regional development systematically by balancing between theory and practice, (2) who master “comprehensive capability” for planning, executing and presenting projects and researches contributing to regional development, (3) who has a strong sense of ethics and social responsibility, and (4) who have gained a wide range of abilities and can play a significant role in the field of management and regional policy domestically and internationally. Our school aims to foster the professionals who carve out new regional era, specifically such as business leaders in companies, public professionals in public sector and regional producers utilizing regional resources for regional development.

    The criteria to achieve MBA in our school are as follows:
1) Professional knowledge and understanding Graduates will gain:
* Quantitative and mathematical analysis ability necessary to analyze data and resolve general problems in society.
* Regional Problem-Finding ability to objectively identify and comprehend problems in the Shikoku region.
* Fundamental knowledge in the areas of corporate management and public policy, as well as the ability to acquire the knowledge.

2) Research and Application Ability Graduates will gain:
＊Professional knowledge, systematically mastered by balancing between theory and practice, which is essential for contributing to regional development, and the ability to apply this knowledge to various issues in a specific field and region.
＊Practical Problem-Solving ability(Comprehensive capability) needed to plan, implement, and present projects and researches contributing to regional development.

3) Ethics and social responsibility Graduates will gain
＊a strong sense and understanding of ethics and social responsibility for regional corporations and municipalities, with which they can plan and implement the strategies and policies needed for problem-solving.

4) Global-Mindedness Graduates will gain
＊an ability to plan and propose and propose policy and strategy based on global perspective, for utilizing regional resources and activating a region as a whole

Curriculum Policy
    In order to foster professionals as stipulated in the Diploma Policy, The MBA program in the Graduate School of Management (GSM) has organized a curriculum consisting of “Core Subjects: Analytical” (2 credits or more), “Core Subjects: the Region” (4 credits or more), “Core Subjects: Private and Public Management” (10 credits or more), “Advanced Subjects” (optional) and “Project Research” (8 credits).
    The requirements for the completion of the master's program are 1) obtaining 40 credits or more including above-stated courses, and 2) successful completion of the Project Research. The systematic curriculum of GSM at Kagawa University balances theory and practice, while simultaneously addressing the diverse needs of students. By assigning multiple professors to each students, academic advisors for the first-year students and project advisors for the second-year students, students are able to receive a consultation on their research and customize the course of study to meet their own goals.
    Each element stated in the Diploma Policy will be achieved as follows.
1) Professional Knowledge and Understanding
The ability to conduct mathematical analysis and to objectively identify problems in Shikoku region can be acquired through “Core Subjects: Analytical” and “Core Subjects: the Region” respectively. “Core Subjects: Private and Public Management” will help to cultivate basic skills needed for Private and Public management.

2) Research and Application Ability
Throughout 2 years, the study of “Advanced Subjects” will allow graduates to gain professional knowledge required for contributing to revitalization of region, and to apply and relate the understanding to their own individual field and varied problems of the region. Graduates will also obtain practical problem resolution skills necessary for planning, executing and presenting their research and analysis pertinent to the revitalization of the region by undertaking the second-year “Project Research”.

3) Ethics and Social Responsibility
Every subject provided by GSM is based on social needs and it incorporates contents regarding social responsibility for industries and public institutions. By completing a wide-range of subjects, graduates will develop a high ethical perspective and awareness of social responsibility which can become the underlying principles for formulating and implementing strategies and policies contributing to the revitalization of the areas.

4) Global-Mindedness
Through the study of “Advanced Subjects”, graduates will acquire an awareness of international issues which will help to design and implement strategies and policies for utilizing resources from each area and revive the entire region.

    Overall, learning outcomes will be assessed rigorously in accordance with the grading criteria set out in the syllabus. Subjects, with an exception of Project component, will be assessed based on the degree of understanding, analytical ability, explanatory ability of acquired understanding, and how well one can apply gained knowledge to solve problems in individual fields and regions. “Project Research” will assess one’s practical problem-solving ability to plan, execute and present the research and analysis related to local vitalization. Assessment of “Project Research” will be conducted comprehensively reflecting the evaluations of supervising professors and also other faculty members.

Admission Policy (principles for regarding admission requirements)
    Before the admission, the following skills and perspectives should be acquired.
1)Knowledge, skill and understanding
＊General ability to be gained by persons equivalent to 4-year college graduation (knowledge and skills in specific fields are not required)

2)Thinking, judgment and expression
＊Ability to think logically and explain to others about issues related to regional development

3)Applicability
＊Among the various issues related to regional development, the ability to focus on the subjects of concern by oneself and to organize the causes of problems and the social significance to solve them

4) Exploration, motivation and attitude
＊Strong will, motivation, attitudes to actively tackle issues related to regional development and to contribute to the region

5) Ethical and social responsibility
＊Ethics that a person who wishes to contribute to regional activation should have and the ability to understand its social responsibility

6) Global-mindedness
＊Intention to capture issues related to regional activation as problems in the international community not simply as a closed matter in the area or the country


◇Purpose of selection method
〇General selection
    In essay, general ability, comprehension ability, thought power (attention point and logic) and expressive power to be acquired by a person equivalent to a four-year college graduation are evaluated.
    In the interview, while referring to the documents to be submitted, thinking power (focus point and logic), comprehension ability, applied skill, communication skill, motivation to contribute to regional development and ethics and global-mindedness are evaluated.

〇Selection for members of society
    In the interview, while referring to the documents to be submitted, thinking power (focus point and logic), comprehension ability, applied skill, communication skill, motivation to contribute to regional development, ethics, global-mindedness and social performance are evaluated.