The program aims to produce talented individuals equipped with research capacity and expertise in pharmaceutical sciences, who can make contributions as members of research institutions, educational institutions, companies, and public health agencies.

The educational objectives of the Master's Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences are listed below, and students who fulfill the stated completion requirements—namely, remain enrolled for at least the standard period of enrollment, earn at least 30 credits from specified subjects, and pass the master’s thesis screening based on the thesis evaluation standards stipulated by the graduate school—will be deemed as having achieved these objectives and will be awarded a Master’s Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Educational Objectives

• (1) Possess expertise in pharmacy centered on drug development to serve as the foundation of knowledge for the fields of pharmacy and life science.
• (2) Possess a highly developed ethical outlook as well as the ability to identify and solve problems and critical thinking skills required to contribute to drug research and development, academic research, and public health administration.
• (3) Be able to write and present logically structured academic papers.
• (4) Be able to utilize their expertise in the field of pharmaceutical science to engage in basic communication in English and pursue activities in the global arena.

The process of drug discovery requires a wide range of specialized knowledge. It begins with research on biopolymers, including proteins as target molecules for drug discovery and nucleic acids derived from disease genes, but also encompasses many other areas such as the search for drug candidate compounds, organic synthesis, cell and animal-based pharmacokinetics, and safety evaluation studies. For this reason, the Major divides this process into the five areas of Medicinal Chemistry, Biomolecular Science, Pharmacokinetics, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, and Pharmacology. The curriculum has been designed to allow students to acquire the basic knowledge of the discipline and cutting-edge research techniques.

The key research topics for the five specializations are as follows. Medicinal Chemistry: organic chemistry, pharmacognosy, and natural product chemistry; Biomolecular Science: physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, and pharmaceutical health science; Pharmacokinetics: physical pharmaceutics, pharmaceutic technology, and pharmaceutical safety sciences; Biochemistry and Cell Biology: biochemistry and pharmaceutical health science, and Pharmacology: pharmacology and effectiveness assessment.
Students in the Master’s Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences must choose one specialization at the time of admission and take the Special Research Experiment subject taught by their supervisor while receiving advice from multiple instructors in related fields as necessary. By pursuing studies and research centered on these five specializations, students will acquire the requisite expertise.The Curriculum Policy is outlined as follows to contribute to achieving each of the aforementioned educational objectives.

Students will achieve the following educational objectives:

Educational Objective (1): Possess expertise in pharmacy centered on drug development to serve as the fundamental knowledge for the fields of Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences.
The process of drug discovery requires a wide range of specialized knowledge. It begins with research on biopolymers, including proteins as target molecules for drug discovery and nucleic acids derived from disease genes, but also encompasses many other areas such as the search for drug candidate compounds, organic synthesis, cell and animal-based pharmacokinetics, and safety evaluation studies. The specialized knowledge that forms the basis for drug discovery is provided in the Major Core Courses (e.g., Advanced Course of Medicinal Chemistry, Advanced Course of Biomolecular Science, Advanced Course of Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacogenomics, Advanced Course of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Advanced Course of Pharmacology). The specialized knowledge in clinical areas related to pharmaceutics, safety evaluation, and drug discovery are provided in the Major Elective Courses (e.g., Advanced Course of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Advanced Course of Healthcare Informatics, Advanced Course of Pharmaceutical Safety Sciences, Advanced Course of Pharmacotherapy, and Advanced Course of Lifestyle-related Diseases). In the five major research fields, students are encouraged to take courses to acquire a high level of specialized knowledge in each field, and at the same time, they can acquire the cross-disciplinary knowledge that enables them to pursue research from a broader perspective without becoming excessively specialized in any given field. Lecture courses are evaluated on the basis of ongoing performance, including class contributions, as well as on reports and other assessments.

Educational Objective (2): Possess a highly developed ethical outlook as well as the ability to identify and solve problems and logical thinking skills required to contribute to drug research and development, academic research, and public health administration.
People working in the medical fields are expected to have exceptionally high ethical standards. Advanced Course of Property for Research is offered to provide expert knowledge on the ethics and regulations and intellectual property strategies in corporate activities. In addition, Advanced Course of Hygiene and Global Health is offered to provide expert knowledge on Japanese public health administration, regulations pertaining to public health and food sanitation, and the health situation in developing countries. Lecture courses are evaluated on the basis of ongoing performance, including class contributions, as well as on reports and other assessments.

Educational Objective (3): Be able to write and present logically structured academic papers.

Educational Objective (4): Be able to utilize their expertise in the field of pharmaceutical science to engage in basic communication in English and pursue activities in the global arena.
In the Seminar courses, active learning-based education, such as collecting academic information and giving presentations, is incorporated to cultivate the ability to identify and solve problems, logical thinking skills, logical writing skills, and presentation skills necessary for research and development. Seminars are evaluated on class contributions, reports, presentations, and other assignments (ongoing performance evaluation). In the Special Research courses, students are provided with guidance to deepen their expert knowledge on their own research topics and to acquire the advanced experimental techniques and high ethical standards necessary for research and development. A supervision framework has been put in place where debriefing sessions are held for the entire major and for each field of study, and in addition to guidance from the primary faculty supervisor, advice is provided by faculty members from related fields as needed. The Special Research courses are evaluated on class contributions, reports, presentations, and other assignments (ongoing performance evaluation). Students are encouraged to put their research into practice by giving oral and poster presentations at conferences and symposia both inside and outside Japan. In addition, the program includes active learning courses to provide students with the ability to communicate and give presentations in English (Advanced English, English Presentation Skills for Engineers). In Advanced English, the lecture-style classes are designed to ensure that students learn about the structure and characteristics of academic papers and the expressions used in presentations. There are also seminar-style classes in which students can practice and improve upon their skills. In English Presentation Skills for Engineers, students learn how to give presentations and communicate in English by participating in group work. The course is designed with the expectation that students will be conducting research or internships overseas. Students also learn the writing skills they need to write cover letters and resumes, which they will need to prepare for research abroad. The English lecture courses are evaluated on class contributions, reports, presentations, and other assignments (ongoing performance evaluation).

This major seeks individuals who agree with the program’s mission and educational objectives and who are highly motivated to study in the program. For this reason, students are expected to possess the following skills and interests at the time of admission.

• (1) Basic knowledge of the natural sciences and related fields and the ability to think scientifically.
• (2) Problem-oriented inquisitiveness, social consciousness, and communication skills.
• (3) Strong motivation to act globally as an individual engaged in basic research, clinical research, and public health administration in drug development and related fields.