Our program is composed of various modes of training: lectures, individual supervision, practicum, and field trips. We believe that a mix of different modes of training helps enhance our program by helping students learn by themselves and from each other.
- Lectures: Most courses are given in the form of lectures. Our lecture classes (modules) run with an average of five students – small enough to encourage questions and discussions.
- Individual Supervision: This is an essential training mode for thesis preparation, with required Thesis 1 (A) and (B) courses, as well as optional meetings held outside regular classroom hours by appointment.
- Practicum: The customs practicum features lectures, workshops, and seminars, and involves visits to regional customs, policy implementation/enforcement, examination, and other management issues. The practicum also involves the presentation of a paper and an additional opportunity to attend workshops led by the Japanese Customs Administration teaching staff. AGU houses the WTO Research Center (WRS) for international trade and WTO issues, which was established in 2003 and is located on Aoyama Campus. WRS studies the benefits of trade as it relates to safety, environment, and cost/price issues in the context of the world economy. This center is open to scholars pursuing WTO, FTA/EPA, or other related issues to enhance their research work.
- Field Trips: During the field trips, scholars visit private firms, public offices, and cultural sites to acquire practical knowledge and a feeling for the Japanese economy and society. In the program, we try to present scholars with the contrasting realities of the Japanese economy.
The following courses are offered during 2021-2022. Please bear the notes in mind as follows;
1. A minimum of 30 credits is required to graduate.
2. Master's Thesis I (A) & I (B) are compulsory to write the thesis under a supervisor whom students are required to choose from the full-time faculty members (Hiroshi Yasuda / Jiro Usugami / Sean M Hackett / Chie Yorozu) upon respective research themes.
3. Japanese language courses (non-credit) are offered both in Spring and Autumn semesters.
| Course Title | Credit | Semester | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic Management | |||
| Competitive Strategy Ⅰ | 2 | Spring | Takao Nomakuchi |
| Competitive Strategy Ⅱ | 2 | Autumn | Takao Nomakuchi |
| Management Ⅰ | 2 | Spring | Jiro Usugami |
| Management Ⅱ | 2 | Autumn | Jiro Usugami |
| Organizational Management Ⅰ | 2 | Spring | Chie Yorozu |
| Organizational Management Ⅱ | 2 | Autumn | Chie Yorozu |
| Multinational Financial Management Ⅰ | 2 | Autumn | Akinori Tomohara |
| Innovation Management I | 2 | Spring | Sean M Hackett |
| Innovation Management II | 2 | Autumn | Sean M Hackett |
| Intellectual Property Rights | |||
| Intellectual Property Rights Ⅰ | 2 | Spring | Tatsuya Saito/Tomoyuki Kanai/Yuichiro Shinma |
| Intellectual Property Rights Ⅱ | 2 | Autumn | Tatsuya Saito/Tomoyuki Kanai/Yuichiro Shinma |
| IPR Enforcement at the Border | 2 | Spring | Koji Sato |
| Copyright Law | 2 | Autumn | Hiroko Yamamoto/Atsushi Okada |
| Customs Administration | |||
| Practicum in Customs Administration | 2 | Spring | Takashi Matsumoto |
| Customs Law | 2 | Spring | Hiroshi Imagawa |
| Customs Tariff Law | 2 | Spring | Hiroshi Imagawa |
| Customs Reforms & Modernization | 2 | Autumn | Kazushige Saito/Saori Nojima |
| Research Methodology | |||
| Master's Thesis Ⅰ (A) *Required | 2 | Spring | Yasuda/Usugami/Hackett/Yorozu |
| Master's Thesis Ⅰ (B) *Required | 2 | Autumn | Yasuda/Usugami/Hackett/Yorozu |
| Statistical Analysis | 2 | Spring | Michiko Miyamoto |
| Academic Writing | 2 | Spring | Hitomi Ametani |
| Japanese language | No credit | Spring & Autumn | Yuko Takami |
2021-2022 Academic Year
Spring
- Date
- Event/Deadline
- April 1
- Entrance Ceremony Academic Orientation/Master Thesis Orientation
- Medical Check-up
- April 5
- Spring Semester Begins
- April 15
- Course Registration of the First Semester ends
- August 1
- Spring Semester Ends
- August 2 - September 16
- Summer Break
Autumn
- Date
- Event/Deadline
- September 17
- Autumn Semester Begins
- September 30
- Course Registration of the Second Semester ends
- Early October
- Interim Presentation
- October 29 - October 31
- Aoyama Campus Festival
- December 24 - January 5
- Winter Break
- January 6
- Autumn Semester Resumes
- January 10 (TBA)
- Submission of Master's Thesis
- February 1
- Autumn Semester Ends
- February 2
- Spring Break Begins
- End of February
- Final Presentation and Defense
- March 26
- Graduation Ceremony
For your reference, the following is a list of thesis titles during the academic year 2020-2021.
- Does the Level of Automation of Workflow Automation Systems Influence Organizational Effectiveness?
A study drawing from cross-national data from Customs Organizations - Investigating the Impact of Organizational Changes on Employee’s Motivation and Commitment:
The case of Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) under Operations Division - Innovation Implementation Effectiveness: The Role of Institutions and Organisational Independency. A Worldwide Customs Administrations Study
- The Effect of Strategic Management on Organizational performance: The case of Ethiopian Customs
- Assessing Benefits of Succession Planning and Gaps in Knowledge Sharing in Customs & Excise Department, Gambia Revenue Authority
- DIGITAL INTELLIGENCE AS A DETERMINANT OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY AND THE MODERATING EFFECT OF OUTSOURCING
- An Analysis of the Trade Logistics bottlenecks and its impact on Trade Facilitation of a country:
A Case Study on Imports Sector of Sri Lanka - Influence of Succession Planning on Knowledge Sharing: A Case of the Sagamihara City Hall
- Is Public Service Motivation (PSM) affected by job rotation?:
A case study of the Customs Department, Thailand - The Role of Organizational Culture and Control Practices in Mitigating Unethical Employee Behavior. Case Study: Uganda Revenue Authority