2026 (Current Year) Faculty Courses Liberal arts and basic science courses Entrepreneurship courses

Master's Problem-Solving Skills of Business Consultants

Academic unit or major: Entrepreneurship courses
Instructor(s): Akira Izumi / Yasushi Shigai
Class Format: Lecture (Face-to-face)
Media-enhanced courses: -
Day of week/Period (Classrooms): 5-6 Mon (S2-202)
Class: -
Course Code: ENT.C573
Number of credits: 100
Course offered: 2026
Offered quarter: 4Q
Syllabus updated: Sep 11, 2026
Language: Japanese

※ Courses with parentheses in the course number have different subject codes depending on the student's year of admission.

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

The thinking methods and problem-solving techniques that management consultants use daily in their work are valuable tools not only in the field of business management but in any activity involving problem-solving.

The objective of this course is to learn the foundational skills required in both industry and academia—such as problem identification, data analysis, and the ability to build win-win solutions—by studying the logical thinking, modeling, research/analysis techniques, communication skills, and risk management skills that management consultants develop through their experience.
These skills are applicable not only to consultants but also to business sectors such as product/service development and planning departments within companies, as well as to policy makers in central government ministries and agencies.

Lectures are delivered in Japanese, so students should have Japanese language skills enough to understand the content of the lectures.

The maximum number of registered students is 50 on a first-come, first-served basis, due to conducting group discussions or individual exercises.

Attendance will be recorded at every lecture, so please be sure to bring your student ID.

Course description and aims

1. Understand the fundamentals of problem-solving skills that management consultants develop through their experience, including logical thinking, modeling, research and analysis techniques, communication skills, and risk management.
2. Understand that these skills are applicable not only in business management but also in industry and academia, and learn how to utilize them effectively.

Student learning outcomes

実務経験と講義内容との関連 (又は実践的教育内容)

The lecturer, who graduated from a master's degree program at Tokyo Tech, worked at a consulting firm and then became a founding member of a startup, delivers the lecture.

Keywords

Management Consultant, Logical Thinking, Modeling, Research and Analysis Methods, Communication Skills, Risk Management, Problem-Solving Skills

Competencies

Specialist skills
Intercultural skills
Communication skills
Critical thinking skills
Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

Each lecture will cover fundamental knowledge while incorporating group discussions or individual exercises, depending on the number of registered students. Opportunities will be provided during lectures for each student to present their opinions and ideas, ensuring that students develop fundamental concepts and thinking skills beyond mere lecture-based learning.

Lecturer: SHINGAI Yasushi, former Board Member, Aimnext, former Accentur

※The order or content of classes may be changed.

Course schedule/Objectives

	Course schedule	Objectives
Class 1	Orientation What does it mean to explore your career path within society or academia? How do you develop the ability to explore your career path?	Students understand the necessity of developing the tools to identify and solve problems.
Class 2	The Fundamentals of logical thinking: how to identify MECE (Mutually Exclusive = no overlap, Collectively Exhaustive = no gaps) relationships	Students understand the concept of “MECE” and learn how to create a logic tree as a essential tool.
Class 3	Capturing problems and social environments through models - Model elements Players, processes, controls, states, capabilities - Process/approach for creating models - Abstraction	Students learn modeling techniques for problems and the environment surrounding them. Even if they don't yet master them, they know the tools exist.
Class 4	Research and analysis methods and procedures - Hypothesis formulation - Research and analysis methodologies - Differences from academic research and analysis	Students understand how to formulate hypotheses, conduct research and analysis to solve business problems. They master the basic tools for simple data analysis.
Class 5	Communication skills, persuasion skills - Essential elements for effective communication - What state does the other persons become to be persuaded? - Reading persons' mindset	Students understand that even when facts are clear, value only exists when the other persons agree. They know the requirements for persuading other persons.
Class 6	Risk management, overcoming failures - What is risk? - The difference between failure and success - How to avoid becoming discouraged by failures	Students understand that tackling new challenges always involves risk. They understand the difference between success and failure. They also know how to minimize the impact of failure.
Class 7	How the skills learned are being used ・The lecturer's real-world experience and the tools used	Students learn how the various tools and thinking methods they have studied are used.

Study advice (preparation and review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

No textbook. Lecture materials will be distributed during the lecture.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Instructions will be given during the class when necessary.

Evaluation methods and criteria

① Lecture reports submitted after attending every class (70%): What you learned from the lectures and/or how you apply this to your own experiences (or your current issues), etc.
② One assignments report (30%): Using what you learned in Class 1 through 7, analyze a past or current issue you are addressing, and/or make recommendations to yourself. There is no specific length requirement.
③ Class contributions (up to 20% additionally, not exceeding 100% combined with items ① and ② above)

※Using generative AI is not allowed for creating reports.

Related courses

ENT.C401(LAC.M401) ： Master's Career Development Basics

Prerequisites

The maximum number of registered students is 50 on a first-come, first-served basis, due to conducting group discussions or individual exercises.

Until Class4, where data analysis will be conducted, students should be able to use Excel pivot tables for summarizing data.
※A basic level of data summarization is sufficient.

Other

The corresponding GA（Graduate Attributes） for this course is GA1M.

For inquiries regarding Entrepreneurship Courses (for students enrolled in or after AY2024) ,and Career Development Courses (for students enrolled in or before AY2023), please contact us at: Center for Entrepreneurship Education (CEE) (e-mail: info@cee.isct.ac.jp )