Educational Policy of Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences (Master’s Course)
Fundamental Educational Goals
The Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences has the following five fundamental educational objectives:
1) To understand the needs of society and develop the fields of medical care, research, and education that can contribute to local and international communities.
2) To promote interdisciplinary research and education by providing specialized knowledge to professionals in medicine, dentistry, and pharmaceutical sciences.
3) To promote and disseminate world-leading innovative research.
4) To teach advanced knowledge of science and promote problem-solving abilities.
5) To provide opportunities to working professionals for lifelong education in the field.
Exemplary Students
Pioneers capable of advancing cutting-edge research in medicine and dental sciences and contributing to solving community issues.
The Division of Medical and Dental Sciences (Master’s Course) of the Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences aims to promote talent through research that is highly recognized in the international community and widely used in the local community. We aim to develop students with diverse expertise in natural and applied sciences and that, regardless of their academic backgrounds, are capable of advancing cutting-edge research in medical and dental sciences. We also aim to develop working professionals with practical expertise in medicine who will contribute to the community as health, medical, and welfare professionals, public officials, and others with a research mindset.
We will foster individuals with the following five abilities:
○ Implementation Ability: Ability to solve practical problems
○ Inquiry Ability: Having an autonomous and inquisitive mindset
○ Communication Ability: Communication abilities that can create positive results
○ Specialized Ability: Extensive expertise that leads to the creation of knowledge
○ Liberal Arts Ability: A liberal arts knowledge that is rich in humanity with an international outlook
Degree Policy
The Division of Medical and Dental Sciences (Master’s Course) of the Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences is a medical graduate school that plays a core role in education, research, and advanced healthcare in the field of medicine and dentistry. The Master's Course is designed to foster individuals capable of advancing cutting-edge research and medicine in medical and dental sciences, and individuals who will contribute to the community as health, medical, and welfare professionals, public officials and others with a research mindset. To accomplish this our students are expected to develop their implementation ability, inquiry ability, communication ability, specialized ability, and liberal arts ability.
【Implementation Ability】Ability to solve practical problems
The ability to initiate and lead society using their expertise while maintaining an international sensibility in response to globalization, and to realize a sustainable society by solving problems that arise every day.
【Inquiry Ability】Ability to inquire autonomously
The ability to identify long- and short-term problems and develop abilities in each phase from basic to advanced research while maintaining a strong motivation to learn and realize self-fulfillment and contribute to the development of medicine and dentistry throughout one's life.
【Communication Ability】Communication that can create positive results
The ability to properly collect, analyze and communicate information in a wide range of academic research areas, and suggest appropriate responses to this information.
【Specialized Ability】Extensive expertise that leads to the creation of knowledge
The ability to contribute to society by acquiring a wide range of specialized knowledge, abilities, and attitudes to solve problems related to medicine and dentistry.
【Liberal Arts Ability】Liberal arts knowledge rich in humanity and with an international outlook
The ability to identify academic problems, to think logically, and be creative in solving those problems, while embodying a rich knowledge underpinned by humanity and a sense of ethics.
(1) Degree Policy for Medical and Dental Sciences Program
The Medical and Dental Sciences degree program fosters independent professionals who can solve social issues from a multifaceted perspective, drawing on the expertise they have developed through their undergraduate studies and/or professional experience in the fields of medicine and dentistry. This course will produce highly skilled professionals to engage in research, development, product management, and sales engineering at health, medical, and welfare companies; public officials and secondary education teachers with advanced skills; and doctoral students aiming to become researchers or faculty members.
A Master of Medical Sciences, Master of Dental Sciences, or Master of Philosophy will be conferred to students who meet the following two requirements:
Students will earn required credits through a curriculum consisting of common subjects of each graduate school, common subjects across the graduate programs, and specialized subjects in the program and in doing so will develop their implementation ability, inquiry ability, communication ability, specialized ability, and liberal arts ability. In addition, students must compile their research results into a thesis and present and discuss them in a public forum, thereby actively demonstrating that their logical thinking ability, research execution ability, and persuasive power meet the prescribed standards.
(2) Degree Policy for the Public Health Program
In the Public Health Degree Program, students will deeply study five practical fields in public health and build their expertise through undergraduate education or practical experience as a working professional. Students who complete the course are expected to work as health, medical, dental health and welfare professionals, public officials, or corporate researchers.
A Master of Public Health or Master of Philosophy is conferred on those who meet the following two requirements:
Students will earn required credits through a curriculum consisting of common subjects of each graduate school, common subjects across the graduate programs, and specialized subjects in the program and in doing so will develop their liberal arts knowledge, subject expertise, and information literacy. In addition, students must compile their research results into a thesis and present and discuss them in a public forum, thereby actively demonstrating that their logical thinking ability, research execution ability, and persuasive power meet the prescribed standards.
Curriculum Policy
The Division of Medical and Dental Sciences (Master’s Course) of the Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences organizes and implements its educational curriculum to foster individuals who have acquired the abilities outlined in the Degree Policy.
Education Implementation Policy
Our education will promote students’ ability to continue learning autonomously toward the practice of a sustainable society.
Philosophy of Educational Content and Methods
The educational content and methods offered in each degree program emphasize “what students can achieve”, rather than “what has been taught”, from the perspective of autonomous and deep learning. In the Division of Medical and Dental Sciences (Master’s Course), the Academic Affairs Committee plays a central role in continuously improving educational methods.
To develop outstanding individuals in accordance with the Degree Policy and contribute to both local and international communities, the Division of Medical and Dental Sciences (Master’s Course) of the Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences offers the Medical and Dental Sciences Degree Program, with General and Working Professional Courses, and the Public Health Degree Program.
(1) Curriculum Policy for the Medical and Dental Sciences Degree Program
The curriculum is designed for students, including international students, to smoothly acquire the abilities specified in the Degree Policy through sequentially taking the courses outlined below. In addition, taking into account the diverse backgrounds of working adults, the program offers a flexible curriculum that allows students to choose from a wide range of courses designed to help them further develop the expertise they have cultivated through their professional experience.
The educational content and methods offered in the General Course and the Working Professionals Course are as follows.
【General Course】
In the common subjects of each graduate school, students will first take introductory subjects at the graduate level such as "Introduction to Medical and Dental Sciences" and "Social Medicine and Dentistry." Furthermore, through common subjects across the graduate programs and specialized subjects in the program, students will intensively learn about the structure and function of the human body; the origins of disease; the diagnosis and treatment of disease human populations and health, medicine, and welfare; and research ethics. Students will also acquire the necessary ability for social and professional independence by participating in student support events.
The common subjects across the graduate programs and specialized subjects in the program offer practical exercises in which students collect information, develop a plan, and conduct and record their research. They will then present and discuss the purpose of research, methods, and results in seminars. In addition, some of the subjects encourage students to deliver research presentations at international conferences. These subjects will develop students’ information literacy and their ability to take on an international role. Students will create annual research plans with their academic supervisor to guide their research activities. During the two years, students will conduct their master's thesis research under a guidance system that includes a supervising professor, other faculty members in the field of education and research, and faculty members from different fields. Through this research, students will improve their critical thinking skills, creativity and problem-solving ability.
【Working Professionals Course】
In the common subjects of each graduate school, students will first select and study introductory subjects at the graduate level such as "Introduction to Practical Medical and Dental Sciences" or "Social Medicine and Dentistry". Furthermore, through common subjects across the graduate programs and specialized subjects in the program, students can select and study topics related to their own fields of expertise, including the normal structure and function of the human body, the origins of disease, the diagnosis and treatment of disease, human populations and health, medicine and welfare, and research ethics.
The common and specialized subjects include practical courses in which students collect information, design research plans, conduct studies, and record their findings, as well as seminar courses where they logically present and discuss their research objectives, methods, and results. In addition, the program offers courses that allow students to earn credits for research activities conducted in their affiliated companies or organizations, and courses that encourage them to present their research findings at international conferences. Through these courses, students cultivate active information literacy, initiative, and a global perspective. Each academic year, students discuss their annual research plans with their academic supervisors and develop a Research Guidance Plan, which serves as a guideline for their yearly research work. Over the two-year program, students carry out their master’s thesis research under a multiple-supervision system that includes their main advisor, other faculty members in the educational and research fields, and faculty members from different disciplines according to the student’s area of specialization. Through this research work, students acquire critical thinking skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.
(2) Curriculum Policy for the Public Health Degree Program
The curriculum is designed for the smooth acquisition of the abilities specified in the Degree Policy by deeply studying public health in the Master's course in addition to the knowledge, abilities and attitudes developed through undergraduate studies or practical experiences as a working professional.
In the common subjects of each graduate school, first-year students take "Introduction to Medical and Dental Sciences" and "Social Medicine and Dentistry" as the graduate level introductory course. Furthermore, from the common subjects across the graduate programs and specialized subjects in the program, students take courses including the five required areas in the Graduate School of Public Health, which reflect international standards: epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, social and behavioral science methodology, and health care management. Second-year students will expand on their studies from the first year and complete their Master's thesis research.
The common subjects across the graduate programs and specialized subjects in the program offer also include practical exercises in which students collect information, develop a research plan, conduct and record their research, and subsequently present and discuss their research objectives, methods, and results in a logical manner. In addition, the course has subjects that encourage students to deliver research presentations at international conferences. These subjects help students develop information literacy and their ability to take on an international role. Students will discuss and create annual research plans with their academic supervisor. During the two years, students conduct their master's thesis research under a multiple guidance system that includes a supervising professor, other faculty members in the field of education and research, and faculty members from different fields. Through this research, students will improve their critical thinking skills, creativity and problem-solving ability.
Academic Grading
A comprehensive evaluation is primarily conducted for lecture subjects, while a formative evaluation is mainly conducted for practical and seminar subjects.
Extracurricular Education Policy
Opportunities beyond classroom learning are provided for students to independently widen their experience.