Finance Schools and Programs in Japan

Finance Studies in Japan

The International University of JapanJapan is an island nation situated in the Pacific Ocean on the east coast of Asia. It shares borders with a number of water bodies such as the seas of Okhotsk, Japan, and East China. Its neighbouring countries are South Korea, Taiwan, North Korea, Russia, and China. Japan has a number of well-known universities that attract international students. The universities also offer a number of courses, finance being one of them.

Pursuing your studies in Japan is an amazing academic experience for students particularly those pursuing finance, technology, design, or science courses. The country is among the most technologically advanced in the world thus attracting students from all over the globe. Japan is also an ideal country to pursue your studies because it is the globe’s third biggest economy which is very developed industrially. Tuition and living costs are also low compared to other countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. Student fees for international students are also low and there are a number of scholarship programmes that have been put in place to financially aid foreign students. While studying in Japan, foreign students get the opportunity to study and hone their skills in the Japanese language.

With this in mind, this article will discuss in brief the study of finance in the country, some of the universities that offer the course, and employment opportunities.

Finance study in Japan

The study of finance involves investigation of how business investors and managers make financial assessments, how they handle risks, and the operation of financial markets. The course covers a number of issues for instance how the stock markets operate, how to make money by trading options and futures, how companies can decrease risks associated with foreign exchange, the advantages shareholders get from corporate takeovers, what corporate governance is, the types of securities integrated in an investment portfolio, and so on.

Finance study was introduced in the country as a result of the country’s financial system which has a few main elements that are similar to those of other highly industrialized countries. These elements include a commercial banking system which gives loans to companies, accepts deposits, and deals in foreign exchange. The other element is specialized financial institutions owned by the government which fund different segments of the domestic economy. The third element is the securities companies which underwrite government and corporate securities, provide brokerage services, and deal in securities markets. The fourth element is the capital markets which offer the means of financing private and public debt and to sell the outstanding corporate ownership. The last is money markets which offers banks a way of acquiring liquidity. It also provides the Bank of Japan a tool of implementing monetary policy.

Finance courses are offered in universities across the country in all levels of academics that is, undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD. Most of the universities have study programs that are flexible and founded on the American model of higher education. These programs allow learners to select their courses as per the course necessities, prior studies, present interests, and future goals. The courses are also structured to impact students with the financial knowledge and the technical skills required for entrepreneurial endeavours.

When enrolling in any finance course, no professional job experience is required. Students systematically obtain the essential training and education thus acquiring the skills and knowledge needed to work in the finance sector.

The universities have a curriculum that is well-balanced thus enabling the students to learn systematically and obtain a lot of knowledge in finance and other related subjects such as accounting, economics, and so on. Besides offering students the needed knowledge in finance, the curriculum also offers students a solid foundation in finance thus enabling them to select courses that are in line with their career objectives.

The courses are taught by professors who are well qualified with the needed experience to link practice and theory by using current case studies in the lecture rooms. This prepares the learners to become international leaders and manager of the future.

The classes are usually made up of a small number of students like 30. This allows the professors to interact more with the students on a one-on-one basis. The lecturers also get to use teaching techniques that are interactive thus encouraging group interaction, making group dynamics better, and establishing relations among learners that are long-lasting.

Most of the leading higher institutions of learning, particularly the private ones, offer some of the course in English thus creating an international setting with learners from all over the world. Most of the courses are, however, in Japanese. Knowledge of the Japanese language is, therefore, considered a requirement and not an asset. International students wishing to study finance in Japan in Japanese or English have to prove their fluency in the language if the language is not their local dialect.

Studying finance in Japan gives you the opportunity to transfer between universities. This is usually done on a quarterly basis and it allows students to continue their studies in other countries across Asia and Europe.

There are a number of universities in Japan where you can enroll for a finance course. Some of the best include Waseda University, Kyoto University, Tohoku University, Nagoya University,  Tohoku University,  Keio University, University of Tokyo, Hokkaido University, Osaka University, Yokohama National University, Ritsumeikan University, Meiji University, International University of Japan, Sophia University, and Hiroshima University just to mention a few.

Employment opportunities for finance graduates

There are a number of employment opportunities for finance graduates in the country. The graduates can work as financial analysts, financial controllers, equity controllers, rates strategists/ analysts/ associates, account managers, financial data analysts, investment managers, client strategists, and financial advisers among others.

All these jobs are quite competitive and with good pay and they give the students the opportunity to implement what they studied in school in the real world thus enabling them to advance in their careers.

Take this opportunity to study with the best in Japan and enjoy an amazing academic experience as you shape your career path.