Pursuing MBA in Japan

[carissa]

Hi guys, just want to seek your advice/thoughts..
i'm seriously considering taking my MBA in Japan next year. I'm looking at universities that offer the said program in the English language. So far i've found this option in the In'tl Univ of Japan; Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific; and Nagoya Univ of Commerce and Business. Would anyone know which has the best program/great reputation or if you could suggest other good universities? Other points for consideration are the location, scholarship opps.. also, i'm used to hot weather and so while i like iuj's program i'm kinda worried about the cold (i read the snow in winter reaches up to 2 or 3 metres deep!)
waiting for your reps, doumo arigatou in advance!

[envoy22]

I would like to know this two

[trunker]

there are a few universities here in nagasaki that teach in english:

Faculty of Economics, Nagasaki University Official Web Site. [Master's Course]

not sure how good it is though.

[Sangetsu]

Originally Posted by carissa

Hi guys, just want to seek your advice/thoughts..
i'm seriously considering taking my MBA in Japan next year. I'm looking at universities that offer the said program in the English language. So far i've found this option in the In'tl Univ of Japan; Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific; and Nagoya Univ of Commerce and Business. Would anyone know which has the best program/great reputation or if you could suggest other good universities? Other points for consideration are the location, scholarship opps.. also, i'm used to hot weather and so while i like iuj's program i'm kinda worried about the cold (i read the snow in winter reaches up to 2 or 3 metres deep!)
waiting for your reps, doumo arigatou in advance!

Personally, I wouldn't waste my time getting an MBA in Japan. Is there a reason you want to get your MBA here other than a desire to experience Japan and Japanese culture?

The one thing that most Japanese universities have in common is that their educational standards are universally low (unlike their primary education standards). It's exceedingly difficult to pass the university entrance exams here, but once in you'll find that the actual opportunities to learn and excel are few and far between. You'll learn more at a garden-variety American university than you will at a top school in Japan.

If you want to use your MBA to get a job, then you should get into the best American school you can find/afford. You'll actually learn something for all the tuition money you spend, and finding work after you finish will be much easier.

Be realistic.

[carissa]

Thanks for link trunker, I'll check that out.

Hi sangetsu! Thanks for the honest reply. Well, I did think about studying in the US. The very first university i got interested in was Northwestern, but full scholarships are not very much available.. I'd probably still check in case there's a good opp, but then, I also wanted to be nearer to my home country, easier and cheaper to go home for holidays/emergencies. And Asia, i believe, does have good universities for post-grad.
I was considering jap. univs vs. Singapore's (nus), and i decided to go w/ jap. Yeah, a big part of my decision comes from the desire to experience its culture and environment. I mean, why not somewhere i feel i can be at home in? I do believe that Japan, the world's 2nd largest economy wouldn't lack above-average business schools. I guess it's really difficult to ascertain w/c would be a good choice unless we live there or have first-hand info from students who are actually pursuing their degrees there. But no doubt, American b-schools have the best programs. And there seems to be a growing influence of the West b-schools on the Jap b-schools, in terms of program curriculum, teaching methods and the like, at least that's what websites say. I also plan to take advantage of the student exchange program, which most of the jap univs i checked offer in their mba. This is when i'll probably opt to go have a term in a univ in the US.
well, plans can change, que sera sera
my, this has gone long..ü thanks for your suggestions

[GTJ]

Sangetsu is completely correct. Don't get your degree in Japan, as they are worth nothing to the rest of the world.

Think about it: why do you think hordes of Japanese students are going abroad to get their undergrad or post-grad degrees? Because American or European universities have a lot of clout, and a degree from one gives YOU a lot of clout, especially when job-hunting. A Japanese degree isn't even worth the paper it's printed on, plus, like Sangetsu said, you won't hardly learn a thing.

Have you actually ever been a student at a Japanese university? I have. It's a joke.

[carissa]

believe it or not, compared to what i was deadset on the other month, i now entertain the idea of getting my MBA in the US, or Australia/canada. I realized that indeed they have the best mba programs in the world.
Thanks for the honest opinions GTJ, Sangetsu.
It now depends for the most part, where I could get a scholarship.
To start off, I plan to attend the WorldMBAFair in my country in the coming week.
(but then again, i won't be giving up my wanting to go to japan, for a leisurely trip at least, in the future)
kampai!