Educational Policy of The Graduate School of Health Sciences (Master's Course) (Medical Laboratory Science / Advanced Practical Research Course)
Fundamental Educational Goals
On the Clinical Laboratory Science and Advanced Practical Research Course, we continually improve our educational activities, which is the most important mission requested by society. Based on the results of our advanced research activities so far, we develop students' ability to actively participate in the “creation of knowledge.” At the same time, we support the development of students’ individuality through close dialogue and discussion among students and faculty, aiming to provide an education that nurtures individuals with a wide range of capabilities and personalities that can play a central role in many fields, but primarily in domestic and international healthcare.
Exemplary Students
Highly specialized professionals with research capabilities who can perform health promotion internationally through “Holistic Care” and “Team Care”.
The main goal of the Clinical Laboratory Science and Advanced Practical Research Course is “Practicing and Establishing Health Promotion”. To achieve this goal, our educational philosophies of “Holistic Care” and “Team Care” develop highly specialized professionals with research capabilities who can contribute to the establishment of specific fields, and respond to the demands of society.
Specifically, we encourage individuals to develop the following five abilities:
○ Implementation Ability: To provide comprehensive and advanced health and medical care, connect with the world, acknowledge different values, and lead to the resolution of issues in clinical laboratory science.
○ Inquiry Ability: To possess basic research ability, and approach the issues of clinical laboratory science logically from multi-perspectives.
○ Communication Ability: To collaborate at the core of a health and medical care team.
○ Specialized Ability: To integrate advanced knowledge and techniques of clinical laboratory science, and contribute to the improvement of health, medical care, and welfare.
○ Liberal Arts Ability: To deepen one’s knowledge from a wide range of learning opportunities in order to flexibly respond to changes in society and the environment.
Degree Policy
The Clinical Laboratory Science and Advanced Practical Research Course awards degrees to students who have studied for the prescribed period of time and have acquired the following competencies and credits required to develop as exemplary students.
Abilities acquired: Implementation Ability, Inquiry Ability, Communication Ability, Specialized Ability, Liberal Arts Ability
【Implementation Ability】The ability to connect with the world, acknowledge different values, and resolve issues in clinical laboratory science for comprehensive and advanced health and medical care.
Can understand different values and take the initiative to solve problems when dealing with the challenges of clinical laboratory science.
Can contribute to health promotion in local and international communities.
Can practice comprehensive and advanced health and medical care.
【Inquiry Ability】The ability to carry out basic research and approach the issues of clinical laboratory science logically and from multiple perspectives.
Can use specialized knowledge of clinical laboratory science to identify problems through a multifaceted examination and independently find solutions.
Can explain the essence of a problem in a way that professionals from other fields can understand.
【Communication Ability】As the core of a health and medical care team, can deeply collaborate with others.
As a professional in clinical laboratory science, can understand their role in team-based healthcare.
Through smooth communication, can enhance other's abilities beyond their professional domains.
【Specialized Ability】Can integrate advanced knowledge and techniques of clinical laboratory science to contribute to the improvement of health, medical care, and welfare.
Has acquired knowledge and techniques regarding the research methods of clinical laboratory science.
Can deeply integrate knowledge and skills in a practical manner.
【Liberal Arts Ability】Can deepen their knowledge from a wide range of learning sources and flexibly respond to changes in society and the environment.
Can collect and analyze information and utilize it appropriately.
Can identify directions and plan for their own and society's future.
Can connect broader and deeper learning to personal growth.
Curriculum Policy
To educate students on the Clinical Laboratory Science and Advanced Practical Research Course to acquire the abilities stated in the Degree Policy, we organize and implement an educational curriculum based on the following policies and ideas.
Education Implementation Policy
We implement educational policies to cultivate the ability of students to continue learning independently towards the practice of a sustainable society.
Education principles, methods, and evaluation
From the perspective of autonomous, dialogical, and deep learning, we prioritize not “what we taught” but “what students have become capable of,” and provide the following educational content and methods in general education, specialized education, and language education respectively.
【General Education】
We aim to cultivate general skills required of all students and provide practical activities where students can foster learning and growth together.
On the Clinical Laboratory Science and Advanced Practical Research Course, we implement an educational program to realize the Degree Policy. The standard period of study for the Master's program is two years. During this period, students must obtain more than the completion requirement credits set in this sub-program, receive necessary research guidance, submit a degree thesis and pass a final examination.
In the first year, in the “Introduction to Degree Program,” we outline our learner-centered degree program and share our image of an exemplary student; list learning objectives and learning outcomes; teach about research ethics, intellectual property rights, and information security; and, encourage students to learn independently. In “Leadership and SDGs,” students learn about SDGs, UN agencies, JICA, local community issues, business ideas, fundraising, policy making, innovation, and entrepreneurship as ways to contribute continuously to society throughout life. In the elective courses “Topics in Health Promotion Science” and “Topics in Medical Bioethics,” we conduct discussion and debate of various issues, and by studying past cases and countermeasures in “Risk Management,” we develop advanced professionals who can flexibly respond to changes in society and the environment. In doing so they can provide comprehensive and advanced health and medical care as members of health and medical teams and can contribute to public health and health promotion. In “Topics in Research Methodology,” we teach the latest research methods.
Concerning learning evaluation, we clearly specify the standards and methods for course grade evaluations in advance, and strictly evaluate learning outcomes based on these standards. For master's theses or specific issues in graduate courses, we conduct a final review and examination of research outcomes based on specified review criteria and methods. Students are required to pass the final review and examination of their degree thesis. For this final review and examination, we organize a review committee consisting of at least two members (however, if budget measures allow, it is also possible to invite external researchers to the committee). The chair of the review committee is elected by mutual selection of the members.
【Specialized Education】
We offer a systematic provision of specialized content, as well as opportunities to integrate and create knowledge from other specializations.
In the first year, through attendance on interdisciplinary courses and seminars, and evaluations by reports and presentations, we aim to nurture students who acquire advanced professional knowledge and skills that will contribute to improvements in health, medical care, and welfare. Through the implementation of 'Thesis Research' over the course of two years, we foster fundamental research abilities and a spirit of inquiry that encourages lifelong learning. We help students take on challenges in close interaction with faculty that will result in them writing a thesis at the end of two years. During this process we aim to improve students’ problem-solving and logical thinking abilities alongside the acquisition of cutting-edge knowledge and techniques in their research fields. At the intermediate stage, evaluations are conducted in presentations with other graduate students and faculty, allowing students to understand related issues and the positioning of their research.
To develop students with a rich liberal arts background and specializations that cut cross different disciplines, in addition to a main supervisory faculty, associate supervisory faculty are assigned as needed. This instruction system can respond finely to student needs and help them manage the research process. For students who do not have practical professional experience the “Internship Practice (Master)” course is mandatory with opportunities to implement the results of their learning through practical experiences in the community.
During the two years of the Clinical Laboratory Science and Advanced Practice Research Course, we incorporate practical training and exercises at Okayama University Hospital, regional core hospitals, and other advanced medical facilities. In addition to professional knowledge and skills, we also equip students with basic research abilities and knowledge and skills that can be used outside of their specialty. Each field's experts evaluate knowledge and skills from a clinical perspective, and assign credits accordingly.
Through the implementation of such an educational curriculum, we can teach students to provide holistic and advanced health care as core members of a health care team. This is based on extensive professional knowledge and skills which means that students can flexibly respond to changes and challenges throughout their lifetime and can contribute positively to health promotion.
This educational curriculum executes the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle from various perspectives such as faculty development (FD), internal evaluation, external evaluation, and an analysis of class evaluation questionnaires by students. Through this process we can also make regular improvements that lead to achieving SDGs.
For learning evaluation, we strictly evaluate learning outcomes based on clearly stipulated criteria and methods for grading course subjects.
【Language Education】
We provide education to enhance English skills required for living in a global society.
We assign credits to presentations of research results in Japan and overseas, and internships and research activities overseas over two years. We aim to improve students’ presentation, communication, and debate skills, and support their acquisition of knowledge and information dissemination in English.
Extracurricular Education Policy
We offer various extracurricular opportunities for students to experience growth beyond what they can learn in class.