21世紀是一個知識經濟的時代，也是一個全球化的時代，更是一個競爭激烈的時代。在這巨變的世界中，高等教育的傳承功能與主導地位正面臨新的挑戰。各國為因應新的變化，無不致力於高等教育改革。日本於1980年代後開始，在內閣總理大臣中曾根康弘與文部省（現稱文部科學省）主導運作下，進行一連串的重要改革。之後由政府所推動的政策中，均能看出自1990年代起迄今，諸多教育上的重要變革都深受其影響。高等教育不僅是培育專門人才，更是推動國家現代化的核心動力，所以日本推出許多改革的方案，期盼在新的改革下，重新審視大學教育、研究等功能。本論文嘗試以「邁向學士課程教育建構」諮詢報告書為中心，探討大學對「學士課程教育」改革的因應及其所面臨的問題。經由文獻分析得知，目前已達成之成效為人才養成目的明確化、透過學生問卷等掌握學習時間和學習行為、設定學位授與方針、充實學士課程教育改善、7成上學校設置FD（FacultyDevelopment）、重視學習成果、支援學生自主學習。
The 21st century is not only the age of the knowledge economy and globalization, but even more so, an age of intense competition. In a world filled with such tremendous changes, higher education is faced with new challenges in its ability to pass on education and guide the development of future generations. In response to these new changes, countries around the world have dedicated themselves to the reform of higher education. In the 1980s, under the leadership of former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone and the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (now the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), Japan implemented a series of important reforms. The subsequent policies enacted by the government demonstrated the profound influence that such reforms have had upon the changing education system from the 1990s until today. Higher education is not simply a tool to cultivate professional and specialized talent, but more a central driving force behind the modernization of a country. In light of this, Japan has introduced a number of reform proposals in the hopes that this will provide new insight into the functions of university education and research. This study explores the changes of higher education in Japan and its corresponding countermeasures, and identifies important lessons for the future of higher education.