“Yoshito Hori is an entrepreneur and he created GLOBIS from scratch. We are not associated to a big university. We are a startup, essentially. A startup becoming a corporation and becoming a university. We embody the entrepreneurial spirit. When Hori-san created GLOBIS, he wanted practitioners to teach, not academics. All our faculty are former CXOs, investment bankers, management consultants… We teach the nuts and bolts of business, not just theory. A lot of our students say, ‘Learning was fun. Learning was practical.'”

Sometimes, it’s hard to differentiate MBA programs. That is not the case with GLOBIS University, Japan’s number 1 MBA, which prizes entrepreneurial skills, societal impact, and helping its students find their kokorozashi (personal mission).

Professor Tomoya Nakamura, President of GLOBIS USA, discusses what makes the GLOBIS MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Started by Harvard Business School MBA graduate and entrepreneur Yoshito Hori in 1992 as a single marketing course in Tokyo, GLOBIS has grown to become Japan’s largest MBA program, consulting with 60-70% of public Japanese companies with learning hubs in 5 countries. Listen on to learn what makes getting an MBA at GLOBIS – and in Tokyo – unique.

Topics

• Introduction to GLOBIS and Tomoya Nakamura (0:00)
• Program Highlights – What Makes the GLOBIS MBA Unique? (6:30)
• GLOBIS MBA Admissions & Scholarships – How to Improve Your Chances? (33:30)
• Career Opportunities after GLOBIS – What to Know & How to Prepare (55:00)

GLOBIS English Full-time MBA Highlights

(last updated March 2024)

• Length, Intake, Size: 12-months, September intake, max 40 students/class, with 100+ students/year in English MBA (Full-time, Part-time & Online) from ~40 countries
  • Integrated Learning Projects (Internships) are available with 150 corporate partners in the final 2-3 months of the program
  • MBA Program taught entirely in English in Tokyo
• Typical Class
  • 5 years average work experience
  • 90% international (~40 countries)
  • GPA average: not available
  • GMAT average: not available
• Curriculum:
  • Academic Core:
    • 14 required “fundamental” courses and electives for core knowledge, 14 “applied” courses to hone skills, and then choose from 30 “specialized” courses to focus on areas specific to your career, plus Integrated Learning Program – Internship (100+ hours)
  • Tracks: Specialized courses are grouped by Creation, Innovation, Japan/Asia/Global, Technovate Special Courses and Special Courses
  • Study Abroad: 3-day international study programs to CEIBS (Shanghai, China) and Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok, Thailand)
  • MBA Degrees: Full-time MBA (12 months), Part-time and Online MBA (24 months)
  • Faculty: 70+ lecturers; GLOBIS prizes faculty with practical management experience
  • Student Clubs: 82 clubs for Japanese MBA and English MBA students, including GLOBIS ASEAN Business Club, GLOBIS Google Workspace Club, Mindfulness Club, One GLOBIS Networking and more
  • Students can participate in The GLOBIS Venture Challenge (G-CHALLENGE), with the winning team getting 10,000,000 JPY (~68,000 USD) and mentorship
• Admissions: 
  • Application requirements:
    • First academic degree (Bachelor or equivalent)
    • Must be at least 22 years old and have 2 years of post-graduate work experience
    • GMAT or GRE (optional, but improves chances of scholarship funding)
    • Evidence of English ability (if necessary); no minimums, but TOEIC 850, TOEFL IBT 100, IELTS 6.5, Cambridge CPE or Cambridge CAE would be preferable
    • Transcripts
    • CV (optional)
    • Copy of Passport
    • 4 Essays (250-550 words each)
    • 1 recommendation
    • Evidence of financial resources (for all non-Japanese applicants who wish to apply for a GLOBIS scholarship and/or require a student visa)
    • 30-min online interview with GLOBIS MBA alumni
  • Admissions is looking for:
    • Entrepreneurs and change agents who want to create something new
    • Applicants who have potential to become “leaders who create and innovate societies” and can inspire each other to become best versions of themselves
  • Application rounds: 3 application rounds between November and April for the Full-time MBA program; 4 application rounds between November and July for Part-time & Online MBA programs
• Scholarships: applicants can apply for GLOBIS Scholarships (up to 50% of tuition), JASSO Scholarship (48,000JPY/month), and extremely competitive MEXT Scholarship (full tuition waived, paid living expenses). Applicants can also apply for GLOBIS Education loans covering 50% of tuition and due within 5 years
• Careers:
  • Placement, Class of 2021: 85% employed w/in 3 months of graduation, graduates experienced 58% average increase in salary (Classes 2018-2022)
  • Top Destinations, Class of 2022: 75% Japan, 70% of graduates changed countries
  • Top Industries, Class of 2023: 20% manufacturing (including automotive), 15% education, 10% IT and communications; 65% of Class of 2022 graduates changed industries
  • Top Functions, Class of 2023: 25% strategy, management and business development, 10% sales and marketing, 10% human resources
  • Companies: GLOBIS has 150 corporate partners
  • Japanese student visa allows full-time MBA students to work 28 hours/week
• Rankings: GLOBIS works with 60-70% of public Japanese companies and is Japan’s largest MBA program with 1,200+ students per year
• Alumni:  9,500+ GLOBIS MBA Alumni in 70+ countries; 6 overseas chapters in USA, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and India
• Tuition: 4,425,000JPY (~29,300 USD); application fee 15,000JPY (~100 USD); estimated living costs 150,000JPY/month (~ 1,000 USD/month)
• Accreditations: Japan University Accreditation Association (JUAA), recognized by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). GLOBIS does not seek international accreditation from AACSB, EQUIS, or AMBA in order to keep practitioner-based faculty

About Our Guest

Tomoya Nakamura is President of GLOBIS USA. Tomoya started his professional career at Marubeni Corporation, reorganized an investment company at Advantage Partners (a buyout VC firm), and was the Senior Managing Director of Sun-Life Corporation. He served as Dean of the English MBA Programs at GLOBIS University while also starting the GLOBIS global training business and continues to serve as the main facilitator for various corporate clients. He primarily lectures on leadership, kokorozashi, and globalization.

Tomoya graduated from the Hitotsubashi University with a Bachelors in Social Studies before getting his MBA from Harvard Business School.

Show Notes

• GLOBIS Full-time MBA
• GLOBIS USA Pre-MBA Courses
• Schedule a personal consultation with GLOBIS MBA admissions advisors
• The Ultimate Kokorozashi Guide: How to Visualize Your Personal Mission by Tomoya Nakamura

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