Departments

Special Features of our Faculty
From Fundamentals to Practice: Refining Specialization Through Critical Reflection

Pharmaceutical Sciences are integrative life sciences encompassing the origin, application, and production of drugs. Drugs are chemical substances that have beneficial effects on the promotion of health and the treatment of disease. In the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the mechanisms of life and causes of disease are analyzed at the molecular level, and one can comprehensively study the cutting-edge science of developing and using new drugs. Those studying this science will bear the responsibility for handling pharmaceuticals related to human life in the future. It is vital to learn this connection between chemical substances and human life thoroughly, so that this knowledge can enable the best possible judgment on how to use pharmaceuticals. The breadth of this education is broad, it includes: the medicinal chemistry; the structure and mechanisms of biological organisms and components; diseases and medical conditions; drug design; the application of pharmaceuticals, their safety and effectiveness; the practice of health and hygiene; laws related to drugs; and more. In this Faculty, we ask that you study the creation and use of pharmaceuticals widely and deeply.

Departments, Courses
Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences: Four-Year Course to Become a Researcher

This is a four-year course intended to teach students how to become pharmaceutical researchers able to understand and study the mechanisms of life and the causes of disease. The difference between this course and the six-year course lies in its focus on learning high-level material previously only taught at the graduate level, thus creating the foundation from which to become a researcher. This replaces the practical training and courses to gain specialized knowledge and practical experience as a pharmacist (see Figure A). There is a special focus on life sciences and obtaining a deeper knowledge of research methods related to this field. Therefore, the elective courses and amount of time devoted to research is greatly increased. In this course, graduate thesis research is conducted in the fourth year. Following graduation, it is possible to progress to Master’s Course (two years) and then Doctor’s Course (three years). Completion of these programs will result in gaining the appropriate Master and Doctoral degrees. We expect that upon the attainment of these degrees, students will have become researchers possessing high-level specialized knowledge and research abilities that enable them to work in a wide variety of areas in society. This program opens the door to careers and research positions in the pharmaceutical industry or academia, both in Japan and internationally.

Division of Pharmacy: Six-Year Course to Become a Pharmacist

This course is intended to train students to become pharmacists. The professional known as the “pharmacist” is in charge of one part of medical treatment, and has a social mission to apply his or her medical knowledge as effectively as possible to protect the health of the citizenry. In the third year, the Division of Pharmacy conducted practical courses in conjunction with specialized courses, and in the fourth year, students were placed in research laboratories to instill knowledge of drugs and experimental methods. To gain specialized knowledge and practical experience as a pharmacist, training at a hospital (2.5 months) and at a health-insurance-covered pharmacy (2.5 months) occurs during the fifth and sixth years of study. Prior to practical training, students receive preliminary education in how to relate to patients, etc. Students meet pharmacists who work at hospitals and health-insurance covered pharmacies, role-play with faculty-playing patients and doctors (interview practice), and conduct small group discussions (SGDs) for planning treatment. When this practical training is not taking place, time will be devoted to conducting laboratory research (graduate thesis research) in each research area. Upon graduation and the passing of the National Pharmacist Examination, students will be able to work as pharmacists. Those who qualify as pharmacists can enter Doctor’s Course (four years) and attain a doctoral degree to become a researcher.