(1) Admissions Policy
The Doctoral Programs at the Graduate School of Health, Medicine and Welfare cultivates independent-minded researchers, educators and professionals who possess sophisticated expertise. It aims to develop human resources who work on the development of theories and technical development in the fields of nursing, rehabilitation, health and social services for the overall community and improve the quality of life for its residents, develop systems needed in the community, promote personnel development with holistic standpoints, and will to contribute to the ultra-aging society to come within the next few decades in Saitama.
Following this, the Doctoral Programs at the Graduate School implements a curriculum that offers the following for students who have completed a Master's degree program: (1) Practice and research on health, medical and social services that supports the health longevity of residents; (2) Insight on specialized fields that researched and developed; (3) Supporting skills, theories and system development that contribute to the health of local residents. By additionally providing multifaceted research guidance by multiple faculty members from multiple fields of study, SPU will develop researchers, educators and professionals with leadership skills who can respond to the societal issue of maintaining and improving the health of local residents.
Based on the above, the doctoral programs at the Graduate School hopes to accept students who satisfy the following requirements:
- Individuals who pursue issues with profound interest and interest towards the health sciences, and conduct research to build scientific evidence based on specialized fields in the health sciences
- Individuals capable of responding to issues on health longevity that pertain to all realms of health science, and able to continue clinical practice, education and research
- Individuals who seek to further contribute to the society through research, education and clinical practice as researchers, educators and professionals with sophisticated expertise on the health science fields
(2) Curriculum Policy
The doctoral program curriculum aims to equip students with various capabilities necessary as researchers, educators and professionals who will play a central and leading role in the health and sciences fields with advanced expertise. The curriculum is generally classified into common subjects, specialized subjects, practicum and research.
The common subjects comprise subjects based on SPU's philosophy of "Collaboration and Integration," and electives teach students advanced interdisciplinary knowledge contributing to research for doctoral dissertations.
Specialized subjects pertain to nursing, rehabilitation, and health and social services. Each intends to have students to acquire interdisciplinary perspectives in each realm of the health and science field in addition to mastering sophisticated knowledge on their research subject. Students are required to take subjects of at least two fields.
Practicum subjects are designed to refine the advanced knowledge and interdisciplinary perspectives acquired from the specialized subjects, and enhance research abilities in their specializing field.
Research subjects include all research guidance provided to complete the doctoral dissertation.
In addition to structuring and implementing the curriculum based on the above as SPU'S policy, the curriculum will be run while always being checked if they comply with this policy.
(3) Diploma Policy
Students who complete the doctoral program at the Graduate School of Health, Medicine and Welfare will be awarded a degree in health sciences. Because there are an outstandingly broad array of realms in the health science field, its issues are also diversified.
Knowledge, skills, research capabilities, vivid creativity and flexible mindsets are required in order to link different health science fields to higher dimensions and resolve these issues as researchers, educators and professionals with sophisticated expertise.
Together with the abovementioned capabilities fostered in SPU's curriculum, students are expected to have the practical abilities to actually resolve these issues in earning a degree from this program.
SPU awards the doctorate degree in health sciences to those who fulfill these standards, complete designated credits, submit doctoral dissertations, pass examinations, and capable of playing central leadership roles as researchers, educators and professionals with sophisticated expertise to maintain and improve people's health and lifestyles.
* The major used for the doctorate degree (Health Sciences) is used as a comprehensive term for Behavioral Sciences, Laboratory Sciences and Oral Health Sciences in the Department of Health Sciences of SPU'S School of Health and Social Services; however, Health Sciences in the doctoral programs at the Graduate School of Health, Medicine and Welfare refer to the interdisciplinary field that encompasses the three fields of Nursing, Rehabilitation, and Health and Welfare.