Admission to an MBA program usually requires real-life work experience and a GMAT score. In Japan, the GMAT requirement is limited to business schools where the program classes are held in English—in other words, it is nearly nonexistent. So, let’s talk about the work experience required to participate in an MBA program, whether located in Japan or abroad.

First, in order to guarantee a more hands-on work environment, it is common practice in many countries (Japan included) to require “a university degree and three years or more of practical work experience” for admission to an MBA program (as a prerequisite). In the West, however, work experience is frequently not required.

Caution is necessary, however, as many MBA programs in Japan do not impose these requirements in their rush to recruit students. Even if the program accepts students with fewer than three years of work experience, depending on the characteristics of the curriculum and the candidate’s background, care must be taken to ensure that these students do not exceed a set percentage of the total program participants.

There are also two target age ranges for MBA programs: according to standard practice among business schools, standard MBA programs target candidates with at least three years of work experience, while EMBA programs, which are tailored to managers or managerial candidates, require at least 15 years of work experience.