Graduate School Education
The department aims to contribute to the development of pharmaceutical science through advanced and cutting-edge research on medicine and health, and to develop human resources to play leading roles as professionals and researchers in pharmaceutical science in the future by acquiring, through education supported by such research, the research skills necessary to independently carry out creative research activities, a wealth of academic knowledge to serve as the basis for such research, and an excellent personality that is always considerate of people and the environment.
Currently, there is a significant shortage of human resources to support pharmaceutical education and research in Japan, and there is a strong demand from society for people with a master's degree in pharmacy who can work in education and research at universities and companies, and in management positions at medical institutions and government agencies. The university encourages students to enter graduate school by providing financial support through challenge scholarships and RA (research assistant) programs for students who wish to enter doctoral programs.
For details, please refer to the website for each of the above majors.
Specialization in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)
Admission Policy
(1) The kind of students we are looking for
- Students who are willing to take on the challenge of solving clinical problems in the medical field as highly-specialized medical professionals.
- Students who have the desire to contribute to society by actively conducting creative research activities related to medicine, disease and its prevention.
- Students who have acquired a wealth of knowledge and excellent character, and have the desire to continue their studies as pharmacists with professional skills.
- Students who have a sense of ethics, which is the basis of medical care, and who can always be considerate of people and the environment
(2) Content and standards of knowledge to be acquired
In addition to basic academic skills in the science of medicine and scientific English skills equivalent to those required for an undergraduate degree in order to conduct research, the applicant should have basic knowledge and skills in medical pharmacy in order to conduct basic or clinical research.
(3) Selection method for admission
General entrance examination (including selection of working adults)
In addition to the screening of the application documents, the results of the scholastic ability test (presentation and questions) and the interview will be taken into consideration.
Curriculum Policy
The Department of Pharmacy offers an educational program that cultivates the skills and attitudes necessary for pharmacists to become highly specialized medical professionals, as well as the ability to conduct clinical research, basic research to support that research, and development research for superior drugs. By offering basic subjects to master research techniques and methods, specialized subjects in research fields related to the degree, and practice subjects to solve problems based on practical work at medical institutions, we develop human resources with a broad perspective, international capabilities, and the academic knowledge that is the basis for conducting research.
The following is an outline of the courses offered in this department.
(1) Special Research in Medical Pharmacy (24 credits): mainly consists of basic or clinical research toward the preparation of a dissertation, with the aim of playing a leading role as a pharmacist, specialist pharmacist, or pharmaceutical researcher who is a highly-skilled medical professional
(2) Basic elective courses include language courses aimed at improving communication skills, knowledge related to drug development and medicine, and a variety of courses on cutting-edge information.
(3) Specialized elective courses that enable students to acquire the specialized knowledge necessary for research aimed at solving clinical problems in the medical field, basic research on drugs and diseases that supports this research, and research on drug development, as well as courses that aim to develop pharmacists with the ability to conduct clinical research and work as advanced medical professionals in the medical field.
Part of the requirements for completion of the program is to acquire a total of at least 30 credits: 24 credits of special research in medical pharmacy, at least 2 credits of basic subjects, and at least 4 credits of specialized elective subjects.
Diploma Policy
(1) Achievement of goals
- The student must have the research skills necessary to carry out creative research activities independently while contributing to society through research aimed at solving clinical problems in the medical field, basic research on diseases and their prevention, and research on drug development.
- The student should have a wealth of academic knowledge, an excellent personality that is always considerate of people and the environment, and the high ethical standards required of pharmaceutical researchers and medical professionals.
(2) Degree award requirements
- In the Doctoral Program, the degree of Doctor of Pharmacy shall be conferred upon a person who has been enrolled in said course for four years or more, has acquired 30 credits or more, has received the necessary research guidance, has submitted a doctoral dissertation, and has passed the dissertation review and final examination. However, with regard to the period of enrollment, it shall be sufficient for those who have achieved excellent results to enroll in the relevant course for at least three years.
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Master and Doctoral Programs)
Admission Policy
(1) The kind of students we are looking for
- Students with an understanding of the fundamentals of drug discovery science and a desire to play an active role on an international level
- Students who are willing to take on the challenge of research in the fields of drug discovery science, life science, and environmental science, which are becoming increasingly advanced and cutting-edge.
- Students with the ambition to work independently on creative research and the perseverance to continue.
- Students who have the humanity and ethics to always be considerate of people and the environment.
(2) Content and standards of knowledge to be acquired
a) Master's Program
The applicant should have basic academic skills in pharmaceutical sciences and scientific English skills equivalent to those required for an undergraduate degree in order to carry out the research.
b) Doctoral Program
In addition to the basic academic skills in the science of medicine required to carry out research, the student should have basic knowledge and experimental skills in the specialized research field.
English proficiency required for writing English papers and for presentations and discussions in Japan and abroad.
(3) Selection method for admission
a) Master's Program
- Recommended admission test
Oral examination, academic transcript, and recommendation letter will be taken together.
- General admission test
The results of the scholastic ability test (specialized subjects and English) and the interview will be combined.
b) Doctoral Program
General entrance examination (including selection of working adults)
In addition to the screening of the application documents, the results of the scholastic ability test (presentation and questions) and the interview will be taken into consideration.
Curriculum Policy
The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences offers an educational program that fosters research skills appropriate for researchers and technicians in the field of pharmaceutical sciences with a high level of expertise. In addition to the three basic elements of drug discovery (discovery and evaluation, synthesis, and drug delivery), students will systematically acquire advanced specialized knowledge in life and environmental sciences and regulatory sciences, and will develop into professionals with an international outlook and a broad perspective through the offering of courses in languages and different research fields.
a) Master's Program
In the Master's Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, there are compulsory basic subjects in the expectation that students will acquire a sense of ethics as researchers and engineers involved in drug discovery, health, and environmental sciences, as well as the English language skills to cope with internationalization and information technology. In addition, in order to avoid a bias toward specialized subjects in a narrow field, specialized elective subjects are categorized into groups A-D (organic, biological, physical, and medical), and students must select at least one subject from each field, for a total of at least six specialized elective subjects, with the aim of acquiring a broad range of academic knowledge.
Part of the requirements for completion is to acquire at least 30 credits in total: 3 credits for basic subjects, 1 credit for specialized elective compulsory subjects, at least 6 credits for specialized elective compulsory subjects, and 20 credits for specialized compulsory subjects (including exercises and experiments).
b) Doctoral Program
In the Doctoral Program, the main goal is to develop the research skills necessary to carry out independent and creative research activities in the field of drug discovery. In addition to the three basic elements of drug discovery (discovery and evaluation, synthesis, and drug delivery), the program offers specialized elective courses that enable students to systematically acquire advanced expertise in regulatory science.
Part of the requirements for completion is to acquire at least 20 credits in total, including 18 credits of special research in pharmacology and at least 2 credits of basic elective courses and specialized elective courses.
Diploma Policy
(1) Achievement of goals
- The student must have the research skills necessary to carry out creative research activities independently in conducting research on medicine, the environment, and health that meets the needs of the rapidly advancing life science and medical fields.
- The student should have a wealth of academic knowledge, an excellent personality that is always considerate of people and the environment, and the high ethical standards required of pharmaceutical researchers.
(2) Degree award requirements
a) Master's Program
In the Master Course, the degree of Master of Pharmaceutical Sciences shall be awarded to those who have been enrolled in the course for two years or more, have acquired 30 credits or more, received the necessary research guidance, submitted a master's thesis, and passed the thesis review and final examination.
b) Doctoral Program
In the Doctoral Program, the degree of Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences shall be awarded to those who have been enrolled in the program for three years or more, have acquired 20 credits or more, received the necessary research guidance, submitted a doctoral dissertation, and passed the dissertation review and final examination. However, with regard to the period of enrollment, for those who have achieved outstanding results, it is sufficient to enroll in the relevant course for at least one year.