- How much do companies in Japan value MBAs?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of going to ICS as compared to going to a bigger U.S. school?
- Why do your students choose Hitotsubashi ICS over another Japanese business school?
- What is the difference between the 1-year MBA and the 2-year MBA program?
- Do you offer any courses by correspondence?
- Can I transfer credits from ICS’s MBA program to other MBA programs?
- What kinds of careers do Hitotsubashi ICS graduates launch into?
- Do you have a system that enables networking among ICS alumni?
How much do companies in Japan value MBAs?
Japanese companies value and desperately need employees with the skills that they learn in an MBA program, especially at Hitotsubashi ICS. Companies tell us that they need employees who are good at thinking strategically, who can see the big picture of how a company fits in local and global markets, who work well on diverse, global teams, who understand how to manage and motivate people, and who are familiar with the basics of finance and accounting. We make it clear to companies who hire are students that they are not hiring a degree, but rather, a package of extraordinary skills. This is one reason our students do very well in the job market.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of going to ICS as compared to going to a bigger U.S. school?
Because Hitotsubashi ICS has a small student body, students get much more individual attention from faculty than they would at a bigger U.S. school, or most schools around the world. Our seminar (“zemi”) system further enables students to get to know one faculty member and a small group of fellow classmates very will, both socially and intellectually. At Hitotsubashi ICS, everyone participates – in classes, in social activities, and in all of the experiences of an MBA program. This is not for everyone. If you want to sit back and be quiet, we are not the right school for you. Another advantage of Hitotsubashi ICS is we study business from a very different perspective – from Japan. Of course you will get all of the standard MBA knowledge and skills that you will get from any top business school. But, you will learn, first-hand, that business is not done the same way in every country. That the “US model” is not the only model.
Why do your students choose Hitotsubashi ICS over another Japanese business school?
Students tell us that they choose us over other Japanese business schools for many reasons. We are entirely in English, we are located in central Tokyo, and we are a part of one of the oldest and most distinguished universities in Japan. We have an outstanding faculty that mixes top academics and practitioners. Our students do very well on the job market. And, to top it off, we have a very distinctive culture – that combines hard work with lots of fun, and competition with cooperation. In one or two years at ICS, our students develop business and social networks that will last for the rest of their lives.
What is the difference between the 1-year MBA and the 2-year MBA program?
Students in both programs take the exact same courses, at the same time. All required coursework must be completed in the first year (an exception is made for students who are accepted into summer MBA internship programs by leading companies). Students in the 2-year program, in their second year, must either do an internship or attend an exchange term at one of our global partner schools, although many students do both. The 1-year program is recommended for students who are company-sponsored or in the Young Leaders Program, a government-sponsored scholarship program that recruits students in a separate application process. The reason is that in the 1-year program, students have little opportunity to work with our Career Services department, and virtually no time to conduct a job search. The 2-year program is recommended for students who are self-sponsored, and are not planning to return to their current companies after graduation.
Do you offer any courses by correspondence?
No, we do not.
Can I transfer credits from ICS’s MBA program to other MBA programs?
No. However, if you are in the 2-year program, you can participate in a one-term exchange with one of our 12 global partner schools, and participation in this program will count towards Hitotsubashi ICS credit.
What kinds of careers do Hitotsubashi ICS graduates launch into?
Our graduates have a wide range of types of careers, in many different types of industry. In very general terms, the careers of our graduates tend to be in areas that require strategic thinking and a broad outlook, and of course, global. We often hear about our graduates going to open up a new office for their company in a new market, managing a subsidiary in another country, being involved in global M&A efforts. An increasingly common career path for our non-Japanese graduates is to go to work for a Japanese company, to help expand business to their home countries. We also have numerous graduates in more “standard” post-MBA occupations, such as management consulting and investment banking. Please refer to the page on Career Services for more information on the types of companies and industries our graduates go to.
Do you have a system that enables networking among ICS alumni?
The Hitotsubashi ICS Alumni Association encourages networking among ICS alumni through various alumni events and social media. Because Hitotsubashi ICS is a relatively new school, our alumni network is still in the process development. In the very near future, this network will be one of the key assets of Hitotsubashi ICS graduates.
