Educational Policy of Graduate School of Health Sciences (Doctor's Course) (Advanced Medical Research Program)
Fundamental Educational Goals
At the Graduate School of Health Sciences (Doctor's Course), we are committed to enhancing our educational activities, which is our most vital mission for society. Building upon the results of advanced research conducted so far, we aim to cultivate in our students the ability to proactively engage in the “creation of knowledge”. Through close dialogue and discussion among students and faculty, we strive to support each individual in fostering rich humanity. Our education aims to develop talented individuals who possess high comprehensive capabilities and personalities, and who can actively participate in a wide range of fields, mainly in healthcare, both domestically and internationally.
Exemplary Students
We seek educators and researchers who can independently research and develop educational programs, equipment, and technologies related to health, medical care, and welfare, based on the foundation of “interprofessional work” for the practical realization and establishment of health promotion.
At the Graduate School of Health Sciences (Doctor's Course), we uphold the practice and establishment of health promotion as our objective. To achieve this goal, we base our educational philosophy on the theory of “Inter-Professional Work”. We aim to nurture educators and researchers who have the ability to independently research and develop educational programs, equipment, and technologies related to health, medical care, and welfare, responding to societal demands.
Specifically, we will foster individuals to develop the following five abilities:
○Implementation Ability: The ability to define challenges in the practice, education, research, and human resource development of health sciences, capitalize on differences, and present society with new insights and solutions for the advancement of medical science and health promotion.
○Inquiry Ability: The ability to innovatively discern and reveal the essence of issues in the practice, education, research, and human resource development of health sciences.
○Communication Ability: The ability to exhibit leadership in the practice, education, research, and human resource development of health sciences.
○Specialized Ability: The ability to conduct independent research, discover new insights, and create new equipment and technologies.
○Liberal Arts Ability: The ability to adopt a multifaceted viewpoint and flexible thinking towards various values, rapidly respond to societal changes such as globalization, and continuously develop one's own wisdom.
Degree Policy
The Graduate School of Health Sciences (Doctor's Course) awards degrees to students who have studied for the prescribed period of time, acquired the following competences and earned the credits required for graduation in order to develop exemplary students.
Abilities acquired: Implementation Ability, Inquiry Ability, Communication Ability, Specialized Ability, Liberal Arts Ability
【Implementation Ability】Can define challenges in the practice, education, research, and talent development of health science. Can utilize differences, and present new insights and solutions to society for the advancement of medical science and health promotion.
Can articulate the need for advancements in medical science and health promotion within health science.
Can understand differences with other specialties in confronting challenges in health science, and leverage them reciprocally for problem-solving.
Can continuously disseminate new insights and solutions to society throughout one's life in the realms of practice, education, research, and talent development of health science.
【Inquiry Ability】Can distinctively discern and reveal the essence of challenges in the practice, education, research, and human resource development of health science.
Using specialized knowledge in health science, can identify the essence and universality of issues from a unique perspective and discover solutions independently.
Can identify social problems and explain research findings in a clear way.
【Communication Ability】Can exhibit leadership in the practice, education, research, and talent development of health science.
Can clearly convey knowledge and techniques to others in the domains of practice, education, research, and talent development of health science.
Can identify and explain one's role in team medical care rooted in health science.
With an understanding of the respective positions, knowledge, and skills of medical professionals, can effectively engage in discussions.
Can communication smoothly to facilitate mutually beneficial relationships beyond one's expertise.
【Specialized Ability】Possesses independent research capabilities, can discover new insights, along with innovative equipment and techniques.
Can explain and utilize the knowledge and research methods as an advanced professional in health science.
Can deeply integrate knowledge and skills.
Can discover new insights and create equipment, techniques, and the like.
【Liberal Arts Ability】Can hold a multi-faceted view towards diverse values and flexible thinking, swiftly adapt to societal changes such as globalization, and strengthen one's intellect.
Can gather and analyze information, while utilizing it appropriately.
Can explain societal changes, such as globalization.
Through learning from multiple perspectives, can link it to personal growth.
Curriculum Policy
In order to cultivate the skills stipulated in the Degree Policy, the Graduate School of Health Sciences (Doctor's Course) will organize and implement its educational program based on the following policies and concepts:
Education Implementation Policy
We will implement education that develops the students' ability to continue learning proactively towards a sustainable society.
Education principles, methods, and evaluation
From a perspective of autonomous, dialogic, and deep learning, we place importance on what students are capable of, rather than what they are taught. We will provide the following educational content and methods, focusing on General Education, Specialized Education, and Language Education.
【General Education】
With the aim of developing general-purpose skills for all students, we provide practical activities where they can learn and create together.
The Graduate School of Health Sciences (Doctor's Course) implements an educational program with the Degree Policy in mind. The standard course of study is three years, requiring the acquisition of credits defined in this sub-program. Students will also require necessary research guidance, an interim presentation, an examination, and a review of their doctoral thesis.
In the first year, the “Introduction to Degree Program” outlines how students can become autonomous learners and build character. The sub-program defines the learning objectives and outcomes, while guiding the learning methods necessary for research ethics, intellectual property rights, and information security, which are foundational for research. In “Inter-Professional Work”, students from different fields and supporting faculty members collaborate on regional health, medical, and welfare issues, aiming for the exploration and resolution of multiple issues. Many students are working adults employed in educational institutions or local hospitals. Through multiple evaluations during the course and final presentation, we cultivate individuals who can think critically and from multiple perspectives, can quickly respond to societal changes such as globalization, and contribute to the practice and establishment of health promotion. Students will also be able to contribute to the improvement of health, medical and welfare education along with the development of human resources in the health and medical fields.
Regarding assessment, we will clearly stipulate the standards and methods for grading course subjects in advance, and strictly evaluate the learning outcomes. For the master's theses or specific issues in graduate courses, we will clearly specify the review standards and methods. We will conduct the final review and examination of research outcomes based on these factors. For the doctoral theses, evaluations are received at the interim evaluation meeting. Students are required to pass the final review and examination. A review committee consisting of three or more members will be organized to conduct the review. (Note: It is also possible to invite researchers from outside the program to be members if budget measures are possible within the program.) The chairperson of the review committee is selected by vote of the members.
【Specialized Education】
In this program, we provide systematic exposure to the content of specialized fields for deeper understanding, and offer opportunities to integrate and share knowledge from different specialized fields.
In the first year, we conduct interdisciplinary lectures and workshops, evaluate students through reports and presentations, enabling them to acquire advanced specialized knowledge. From the first year, students will engage in research problems in close connection with faculty members. Over the course of three years, we will support the process of organizing their findings into a thesis. In the intermediate stage, we will conduct mandatory presentations and question-and-answer sessions at joint meetings with other graduate students and faculty members, enabling students to understand the problems and positions of their research. Through this process, we cultivate individuals who can take on leading roles in the practice, education, and research of health sciences. We also aim to develop individuals with independent research capabilities and contribute to health, medical, and welfare fields through the development of equipment and technology.
To cultivate students with rich liberal arts education and advanced specialization that span across specialized fields, we assign additional supervisors as needed to respond to the students' needs and manage the research process.
For students without work experience as professionals before and during their studies, participation in the “Internship practice (Doctor)” is mandatory. Students are given opportunities to practice the learning outcomes through practical experience in the region.
Through the above educational program, we cultivate individuals who can think critically and contribute to the development of human resources in the health and medical fields in an international society. We want students who can quickly respond to changes, take on leading roles in the practice, education, and research of health sciences, and contribute to the practice and establishment of medical sciences and health promotion.
The curriculum is continuously being improved by implementing the PDCA cycle in various ways, such as faculty development, organizational internal evaluation, external evaluation, and analysis of student class evaluation surveys, all of which address the SDGs.
For assessment, we predefine the standards and methods for grading course subjects and rigorously evaluate learning outcomes based on these factors.
【Language Education】
Over the course of three years, students can receive credit for giving research presentations in English at international conferences both in Japan and abroad and for conducting research activities and internships abroad. Students are encouraged to write their papers in English and develop their presentation and communication ability. There is also a focus on their debating skills, their knowledge acquisition and information dissemination in English, and their development of an international perspective.
Extracurricular Education Policy
We provide opportunities for students to experience growth beyond what they learn in class with extracurricular activities.