School of Management
and Information Sciences
Tama University has two departments under the Faculty of Management and Information Sciences, the Department of Management and Information Sciences and the Department of Project Design which are both exclusively taught in Japanese. The two departments share an educational philosophy of fostering students with innovative ideas. We emphasize the development and continuous improvement of critical analytical skills, problem solving, creativity, and effective communication. We have programs to facilitate students in establishing their own philosophy and in bringing their innovative ideas into practice.
Seminar-oriented Curriculum
The most prominent feature of the undergraduate program at Tama University is our emphasis on the importance of “dialog” based seminar-style education. We believe that a “dialog” based seminar-oriented university will serve as a catalyst for transforming other Japanese universities that are currently experiencing various difficulties. Seminar-style education allows one to learn knowledge or wisdom more deeply than lecture-style education through human contact and dialog. Seminars are places for students and teachers to discuss class content freely. Thus, our university is a “tutoring school” where not only “knowledge” but also “wisdom” – such as the teacher’s philosophy of life or way of thinking – is acquired.
We offer a number of styles of seminars, including the “home seminar,” where students study under the same professor from their sophomore year until graduation, the “joint seminar,” where students of different classes study together, the “compound seminar,” where students study alongside seminar members specializing in other fields, and the “project seminar,” where students complete a project proposed by themselves or a teacher.
We define an ideal human resource figure as someone who can think globally, has established his/her own value systems and philosophy, and has acquired professional knowledge and skills. We refer to these three points as GPS and define them more specifically as follows.
G = Global Mind (to have a mind capable of thinking globally): Through our compulsory “English Shower” course, not only do students acquire English communication skills, but they also acquire knowledge of foreign cultures, history, and religion as global knowledge, while at the same time deepening their understanding of and gaining insights into their own culture and history.
P = Own Philosophy (to have one’s own philosophy): Through our compulsory “Self-Discovery” course, students have the rare opportunity to contemplate such questions as “Why did I come to university?” “How should I lead my life from now on?” and “How should I understand the relationship between society and myself?” all of which are essential to consider when pursuing a university education.
S = Professional Skills (to acquire the skills required of a professional): Students acquire specialized skills related to management and information.
Department of Management and Information Sciences
Educate students to be effective in promoting positive organizational change and achieving extraordinary organizational performance
The infrastructures of business, science, and everyday life are increasingly based on computers and digital communication. Further, in today’s turbulent business environment, organizations that foster extraordinary performance and take a positive approach to change have the greatest opportunities to thrive and prosper. While helping students to gain proficiency in using the computer as a tool, the Tama University Department of Management and Information Sciences fosters business persons who can enter the workforce of an organization with a wealth of knowledge about practical business management. In addition to providing excellent computer education, the program provides a fundamental understanding of core business principles as it deals with a number of problems and challenges that are found in today’s society and business world. Through small group discussions, research projects, and presentations, the program helps to develop those positive individual qualities that will help students to eventually lead their organizations to excellence. We encourage students to develop their innovative ideas while providing objective evaluations of those ideas to help determine their likelihood for commercial success.
Department of Project Design
Educate highly principled global business leaders
The Tama University Department of Project Design trains students in facilitating new businesses and furthering the goals of established businesses.
In addition to acquiring professional level computer and foreign language skills (especially English), students will learn how to become effective, principled business leaders through educational programs that will provide them with a solid business theory background and insights that are enhanced through practical application. Students will have opportunities to examine the dynamics of organizations from a variety of perspectives while learning how to become business leaders with innovative ideas and practices.