The International University of Japan

The International University of Japan is a private university located in Minami-Uonuma city in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. IUJ is the first graduate school in Japan, and one of the few Japanese universities which offers all courses in English. It was founded in 1982, primarily to train global leaders effective in the globalized world, be it in business, government, world organizations, or the non-profit sector. IUJ offers Master's degrees in International Development, Economics, Public Management, International Peace Studies and International Relations, as well as an MBA in business administration and an E-business degree. IUJ is fully approved and accredited by the Ministry of Education, Japan.

The IUJ Business school is consistently ranked among the top schools in the world by leading business and education publications. The Public Management program, too, was recently noted among the best. Some of the rankings are noted below.

The IUJ campus has an extremely diverse student body, with students from all over the world. In any given academic year there are students from about 50 countries. This diversity is accentuated by the fact that there are only 330 total students on campus. The diversity was celebrated as part of IUJ's 25th Anniversary through a Guinness World Record record breaking attempt - "The most nationalities in a sauna (50)"

IUJ provides a balanced education through the discovery of Japanese and other world cultures. There are many chances to improve skills in cross-border communications, leadership, judgment and decision-making in internationally diversified groups. The spirit for volunteering too is encouraged. To celebrate its international characteristics, IUJ hosts an "International Festival" during the spring term at which students showcase their respective cultures and cuisine for the local community.

IUJ is near ski and hot spring resorts in Niigata prefecture. Its location outside of major cities such as Tokyo enhances its academic excellence and strong student friendship bonding.

History of The International University of Japan:

IUJ was founded in 1982 by bold leaders with a unique vision, and who represented business, government and world organizations. It was established with extensive support from Japan’s industrial, financial and educational communities as well as from the local community. The mission of IUJ is to teach and conduct research in academic theory and application necessary to develop proactive solutions for issues facing the international society and international businesses. The goal is to foster leaders who have a high level of specialized knowledge and skills, and a deep understanding of and respect for different cultures, so can thereby contribute to the development of the international society.

IUJ is Japan's first graduate-school-only university (no undergraduate campus), and the first to use English only in the classroom.

The Graduate School of International Relations (GSIR) was the first school at IUJ. Leading supporters IUJ’s foundation included the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, Japan Federation of Economic Organizations, Industrial Bank of Japan, Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Japan Foreign Trade Council.

In 1988, the Graduate School of International Management (GSIM) was established in collaboration with the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, USA, as the first US-style business school in Japan, and the first MBA to teach only in English. In that same year, the Matsushita Library & Information Center (MLIC) was established with an endowment from the Matsushita International Foundation, now called the Kinoshita Matsushita Memorial Foundation (KMMF).

IUJ celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2012 and now boasts over 3,200 global leaders from over 110 countries/territories who are organized into a close-knit and strong network of worldwide alumni: IUJ touts over 50 Alumni Chapters in 38 countries.

Academic programs:

Degree programs:

IUJ offers only Master’s degree programs. To apply, applicants must have finished a 4-year bachelor's program or equivalent, and be able to study in the English Language. Those applying to the MBA must also submit a GMAT form. Details can be found on the IUJ Admissions page of http://www.iuj.ac.jp/admis/

The Graduate School of International Management (GSIM) offers three graduate programs: a full-time 2-year MBA program, a 1-year MBA program targeted at company sponsored students with over 5 years of experience, and a 1-year E-Business Management (MEB) program (or "E-Biz" for short). The Business School's working Motto is "Leveraging Emerging Asia for Global Advantage."

The Graduate School of International Relations (GSIR) offers three graduate programs and 5 master's degrees: International Relations Program (IRP) with 2 tracks (MA, International Relations or MA, International Peace Studies), the International Development Program (IDP) with 2 tracks: (MA, International Development or MA, Economics), Public Management and Policy Analysis Program (PMPP) offering an MA in Public Management.

Thus, IUJ is offering 7 master's degrees from 5 interrelated programs.

Since cross-registration is encouraged, students may select 'elective' courses from othr programs to customize their graduate degree program for their individual professional goals.

All the courses are two-year programs (21 months), except the E-Biz program, and 1-year MBA which run for one year (12 months). All courses require a thesis as part of the degree requirements.

Language programs The International University of Japan:

IUJ offers two optional language programs, one in English and the other in Japanese.

The English language courses are designed for non-native English speakers who wish to develop their proficiency to the level required to participate fully in the English-medium environment of IUJ. It includes an Intensive English Program (IEP) held in the summer and academic English courses held throughout the academic year.

The Japanese Language Program (JLP) offers non-native Japanese speakers the opportunity to learn the Japanese language at four different proficiency levels, from Basic to Advanced.

Dormitory facilities The International University of Japan:

Student dormitories at IUJ: There are three single-student dormitories each housing about 100 students, and one married-student apartments (MSA) with just 18 units for married couples. Each dormitory has inexpensive coin laundry/dryer facilities. All the single dormitory rooms are well-equipped and offer LAN connectivity. MSA is unfurnished. As there is a waiting list for the units, a lottery system is used to allocate them. For those needing to bring families with school aged children, off-campus housing options are supported by an English speaking land.

There is an on-campus convenience shop, Yamazaki. There are recreational and sporting facilities available to the students.

Tennis courts in scenic surroundings:

Student Activities and Elected Offices:

Every full-time student enrolled in IUJ is automatically a member of the Graduate Student Organization (GSO), the students' union of IUJ. The GSO Executive Committee is a body of elected student representatives in-charge of general student welfare and campus life activities, plus outside events.

IUJ students are encouraged to form their own clubs and societies and the campus is alive with various academic/career building clubs, like the Finance Club, sports groups ranging from Soccer to Aikido, and religious groups including the Catholic Fellowship, and Muslim Student Association.

There is a number of annual on-campus and off-campus events organized by GSO with support from IUJ office and other clubs, such as IUJ Olympics, Ski Day, holiday parties, music nights, game nights, etc.

Two other elected student groups are the IM Council and the IR Council. These groups take care of the academic welfare of the students in their respective schools (GSIM and GSIR), and in close cooperation and communications with the Deans offices.

Internship and Job Placements:

IUJ’s career service, the Career Counseling and Services (CC&S), organizes career workshops, mock interviews and coaches and guides students in their job and internship hunt. It publishes the IUJ Resume Book and distributes it to companies. It supports students with international organization application forms and related essays/cover letters. The career service initiates and co-ordinates the on-campus selection and recruitment of candidates with an emphasis on Winter Term activities.

Close ties with Japanese industry and businesses (see above) give IUJ an added advantage. The career service leverages these strong connections to increase the number of opportunities available to IUJ students. According to the 2012 IUJ Placement Report, 87% of employment candidates in the MBA program who went through career services secured jobs before graduation or within a few months. Updated statistics and a chance to interact with the IUJ Career Counselor is available on the IUJ Career Site.