Admission Policy

This program is open to students from any major field of study in any undergraduate school/faculty, whether humanities or science, in order to develop highly skilled professionals equipped with multiple perspectives. The program seeks students who:

have acquired the knowledge, skills, and attitudes appropriate to a bachelor’s degree, in accordance with the expertise of their respective undergraduate school/faculty;
have a firm intention to gain thorough knowledge of medicine and dentistry in addition to the expertise acquired in their respective undergraduate school/faculty, thereby going out into the world as highly skilled professionals as envisioned in the degree policy;
have the ability to comprehensively acquire knowledge, skills, and attitudes by learning medicine and dentistry as practical sciences and persistently conducting advanced research on their own;
are able to build relationships of trust with people around them in their effort to acquire knowledge, skills, and attitudes and achieve independence and self-realization; and
in addition, are able to understand the historical background where interdisciplinarity and internationality have become essential elements in achieving independence and self-realization, and put such understanding into practice.

Basic policy for selection of entrants

The program conducts entrance examinations twice a year: summer and winter, for successful applicants to enroll in April.

Japanese applicants
Applicants must undergo written and oral examinations. Presenting simple questions in English in the field of medical and dental sciences, the written examination is designed to comprehensively assess your abilities, including not only English language proficiency, but also bachelor’s-level general education, comprehension of logical structures, and the ability to express oneself in Japanese. In the oral examination, faculty members in your desired field of study will assess the concreteness of your career plans, your level of ambition for enrollment, the expertise you have acquired in your undergraduate school/faculty, and your personal credibility.
International applicants
Applicants must undergo an interview, and written and oral examinations. In the interview, several faculty members will confirm from various perspectives the expertise you have acquired in your undergraduate school/faculty, your career plans, and your cross-cultural adjustment and financial situations as prerequisites to enrollment. In the written examination, your abilities, including comprehension of logical structures and writing ability, will be comprehensively assessed based on your answers to questions presented in a language chosen from English or Japanese. In the oral examination, your abilities will be assessed in the same manner as for Japanese applicants.

Corresponding table of the 3 elements of academic ability

Examination category	Knowledge and skills		Ability to think, make judgments, and express oneself		Attitude to learn both independently and while collaborating with diverse people
Japanese applicants	☆	Oral examination (Specialized subjects)	◎	English	☆	Oral examination (Specialized subjects)
International applicants	☆	Interview Results of external certification exams in Japanese or English proficiency Oral examination(Specialized subjects)	◎	English or Japanese	☆	Interview Oral examination (Specialized subjects)

Notes:
◎ Element particularly emphasized　;　○ Element emphasized　;　☆ Element comprehensively assessed
Materials related to each element serve as key sources in assessing the element concerned, but may also be used for other elements.

With a view to nurturing health, medical, and welfare professionals who contribute to a community with a researcher’s mind, this program, in principle, seeks students with a medical background, more specifically students who:

have acquired specialized knowledge in a medical-related undergraduate school/faculty and possess work experience in the medical field;
have a firm intention to gain thorough knowledge of public health in this master’s course in addition to the preceding item, thereby going out into the world as highly skilled professionals as envisioned in the degree policy;
have the ability to comprehensively acquire knowledge, skills, and attitudes by learning public health as a practical science and persistently conducting advanced research on their own;
are able to build relationships of trust with people around them in their effort to acquire knowledge, skills, and attitudes and achieve independence and self-realization; and
in addition, are able to understand the historical background where interdisciplinarity and internationality have become essential elements in achieving independence and self-realization, and put such understanding into practice.

Basic policy for selection of entrants

The program conducts entrance examinations twice a year: summer and winter, for successful applicants to enroll in April.

Japanese applicants
Applicants must undergo written and oral examinations. Presenting simple questions in English in the field of medical and dental sciences, the written examination is designed to comprehensively assess your abilities, including not only English language proficiency, but also bachelor’s-level general education, comprehension of logical structures, and the ability to express oneself in Japanese. In the oral examination, faculty members in your desired field of study will assess the concreteness of your career plans, your level of ambition for enrollment, the expertise you have acquired in your undergraduate school/faculty, and your personal credibility.
International applicants
Applicants must undergo an interview, and written and oral examinations. In the interview, several faculty members will confirm from various perspectives the expertise you have acquired in your undergraduate school/faculty, your career plans, and your cross-cultural adjustment and financial situations as prerequisites to enrollment. In the written examination, your abilities, including comprehension of logical structures and writing ability, will be comprehensively assessed based on your answers to questions presented in a language chosen from English or Japanese. In the oral examination, your abilities will be assessed in the same manner as for Japanese applicants.

Corresponding table of the 3 elements of academic ability

Examination category	Knowledge and skills		Ability to think, make judgments, and express oneself		Attitude to learn both independently and while collaborating with diverse people
Japanese applicants	☆	Oral examination (Specialized subjects)	◎	English	☆	Oral examination (Specialized subjects)
International applicants	☆	Interview Results of external certification exams in Japanese or English proficiency Oral examination (Specialized subjects)	◎	English or Japanese	☆	Interview Oral examination (Specialized subjects)

Students we seek

The Doctoral Course of the Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences seeks students who:

aspire to perform innovative, interdisciplinary, and international research in the field of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceuticals;
aspire to work in cutting-edge and holistic medical care;
aspire to research while simultaneously playing an active role as a member of society with a medical background; and
possess medical qualifications following the completion of six years of medical, dental and pharmaceutical education, or have acquired the knowledge, skills, and attitude appropriate to a master’s course graduate in a related field of study.

Basic policy for selection of entrants

There are varying perspectives to rationally understand human beings, society and nature. Given this, the course conducts entrance examinations in six categories to ensure student diversity.

General Admission (the 1st Round, the 2nd Round)
Applicants must undergo written and oral examinations. Presenting questions in English in the field of medical, dental and pharmaceutical sciences, the written examination is designed to comprehensively assess your abilities, including not only English language proficiency, but also comprehension of logical structures, and the ability to express oneself in Japanese. In addition, the examination also aims to assess your understanding of expertise in medicine, dentistry, and pharmaceutical sciences based on specialized subjects in your desired field of study. In the oral examination on the specialized subjects, faculty members in your desired field of study will assess your knowledge and understanding of those subjects, and your career plans.
Selection for Applicants Who Have Graduated from Master’s Course, Okayama University
Applicants must undergo written and oral examinations. Presenting questions in English in the field of medical, dental and pharmaceutical sciences, the written examination is designed to comprehensively assess your abilities, including not only English language proficiency, but also comprehension of logical structures, and the ability to express oneself in Japanese. In the oral examination on the specialized subjects, faculty members in your desired field of study will assess your knowledge and understanding of those subjects, and your career plans.
Special Selection for Advanced Research Training Program
Applicants must undergo written and oral examinations. Presenting questions in English in the field of medical, dental and pharmaceutical sciences, the written examination is designed to comprehensively assess your abilities, including not only English language proficiency, but also comprehension of logical structures, and the ability to express oneself in Japanese. In addition, the examination also aims to assess your understanding of expertise in medicine, dentistry, and pharmaceutical sciences based on specialized subjects in your desired field of study. In the oral examination on the specialized subjects, faculty members in your desired field of study will assess your knowledge and understanding of those subjects, and your career plans.
Special Selection for International Students
Applicants must undergo an interview, and written and oral examinations. In the interview, several faculty members will confirm from various perspectives the expertise you have acquired by the time of the examination, your career plans, and your cross-cultural adjustment and financial situations as prerequisites to enrollment. In the written examination, your abilities, including comprehension of logical structures and writing ability, will be comprehensively assessed based on your answers to questions presented in a language chosen from English or Japanese. In the oral examination on the specialized subjects, faculty members in your desired field of study will assess your knowledge and understanding of those subjects, and your career plans.
Special Selection for Overseas International Students
A screening of application documents and the interview will be conducted together. In the interview, several faculty members will confirm from various perspectives your knowledge and understanding of the specialized subjects acquired by the time of the examination, your career plans, and your cross-cultural adjustment and financial situations as prerequisites to enrollment.
Special Selection for International Students (Doctoral course for Post-O-NECUS Program students)
Based on your academic achievement gained in the O-NECUS program (academic ability, intention, and motivation) and the screening results of your application documents, faculty members in your desired field of study will assess your knowledge and understanding of the specialized subjects, your career plans, and your cross-cultural adjustment and financial situations as prerequisites to enrollment.

Corresponding table of the 3 elements of academic ability

Examination category	Knowledge and skills		Ability to think, make judgments, and express oneself		Attitude to learn both independently and while collaborating with diverse people
General Admission	☆	Oral examination (Specialized subjects)	◎	English Specialized subjects	☆	Oral examination (Specialized subjects)
Selection for Applicants who have graduated from master’s course, Okayama University	☆	Oral examination (Specialized subjects)	◎	English	☆	Oral examination (Specialized subjects)
Special Selection for Advanced Research Training Program	☆	Oral examination (Specialized subjects)	◎	English Specialized subjects	☆	Oral examination (Specialized subjects)
Special Selection for International Students	☆	Interview Results of external certification exams in Japanese or English proficiency Oral examination (Specialized subjects)	◎	English or Japanese	☆	Interview Oral examination (Specialized subjects)
Special Selection for Overseas International Students	☆	Interview via online Results of external certification exams in Japanese or English proficiency	☆	Screening of application documents	☆	Interview via online
Special Selection for Post-O-NECUS Program students	☆	Screening of application documents	☆	Academic achievement in the O-NECUS program	☆	Academic achievement in the O-NECUS program

Notes:
◎ Element particularly emphasized　;　☆ Element comprehensively assessed
Materials related to each element serve as key sources in assessing the element concerned, but may also be used for other elements.

1) Doctoral Degree Program in Medicine
The Doctoral Degree Program in Medicine seeks students who:

Aspire to perform innovative, interdisciplinary, and international research in the field of medicine;
Aspire to work in cutting-edge and holistic medical care;
Aspire to conduct research while playing an active role as a working professional with a medical background; and
Possess a medical qualification after completing a six-year medical, dentistry or pharmaceutical course, or have acquired the knowledge, skills, and attitude appropriate as a Master’s Course graduate in a related field of study.

2) Doctoral Degree Program in Dentistry
The Doctoral Degree Program in Dentistry seeks students who:

Aspire to perform innovative, interdisciplinary, and international research in the field of dentistry;
Aspire to work in cutting-edge and holistic dental care;
Aspire to be a specialist in the field of dental care;
Aspire to conduct research while playing an active role as a working professional with a medical background; and
Possess a medical qualification after completing a six-year medical, dentistry or pharmaceutical course, or have acquired the knowledge, skills, and attitude appropriate as a Master’s Course graduate in a related field of study.

3) Doctoral Degree Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences
The Doctoral Degree Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences seeks students who

Aspire to be a highly specialized medical professional or pharmaceutical researcher (including university teachers) who grasps the latest research trends and makes an extensive and universal contribution in both the local and international communities;
Aspire to conduct interdisciplinary research integrating their expertise in medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy;
Promote world-leading, cutting-edge, and innovative research and disseminate research results; and
Acquire advanced and extensive knowledge of pharmacology, pharmacotherapeutics, and related fields and develop problem-solving skills that can adapt to scientific advances.