Application Guidelinesfor
Graduate School of Health and Welfare Science(Doctorate Course)
Special Application from Overseas
Okayama Prefectural University
forthe 2025 Academic Year

Admission Policy of the Graduate School of Health and Welfare Science Okayama
Prefectural University

Admission Policy of the Graduate School of Health and Welfare Science
The Graduate School of Health and Welfare Science strives to cultivate researchers and otherprofessionals equipped with advanced knowledge, skill and research competence qualified to identify andresolve issues in the field of health and welfare, and who are capable of contributing to the developmentof a healthy society in which everyone enjoys a healthy and fulfilling life.
Each course conducts entrance examinations according to the admission policy to select students fromJapan and abroad
Admission Policy of the Doctorate Course of Health and Welfare Science
The Doctorate Course of Health and Welfare Science aims to cultivate practitioners, instructors,
researchers, and educators in individual specialties equipped with highly-advanced knowledge thatenables them to address a wide range of health and welfare issues through approaches to issues weencounter from the viewpoint of life, nutrition, nursing care, and welfare using their deep sense of ethics
and comprehensive ability to make accurate judgments.
Therefore, we seek individuals with broad knowledge and skill in health and welfare as well as a deep
sense of ethics, highly rational thought and the ability to make judgments who have advanced academic
abilities as they develop and improve their communication skills, including English proficiency, and whoare capable of identifying important issues related to health and welfare around the world to develop
appropriate measures to address them.
Selection for admission is based on a comprehensive evaluation of a written examination of foreign
language proficiency (English), the applicant’s master’s thesis and Research Project Overview as well as
an interview to evaluate rational thinking and judgment, motivation, and personality.

Application Guidelines for Graduate School of Health and Welfare Sciences(Doctorate Course/Special Application from Overseas)
Okayama Prefectural University for the 2025 Academic Year
Ⅰ. Enrollment Capacity
A limited number of selected students.
Ⅱ. Qualifications for Application(1) Must be confidently recommended by the President or the Rector of International Academic
Exchange Partner Universities.
(2) Hold a master's degree or plan to hold said degree by March 31, 2025
(3) Have gained excellent grades for both bachelor's degree and master's degree.
(4) Have extensive knowledge and enthusiasm for his/her research work(5) Must be proficient in English or Japanese to perform the task necessary for research.
(6) It is preferred to have Japanese-Language Proficiency Test - N2 level or higher.
Ⅲ. Enrollment Date
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Ⅳ. Application Procedure(1) Application①Enclose the documents listed in "Application Documents" in an envelope and send byregistered international mail via the designated university which can issue therecommendation letter. Application by e-mail cannot be accepted.
②Documents required must be written in English or Japanese.
(2) Application Period
From Tuesday, September 24, 2024 to Monday, September 30, 2024
(3) Where to send
Admission Service Section
Okayama Prefectural University
111 Kuboki, Soja-City, Okayama Prefecture 719-1197
Ⅴ. Application Documents(1) Application Form
Use the form provided (Form 1) and fill out completely.
(2) Certificate of Graduation (Prospective Graduation)
Certificate must be issued and sealed by the president, the rector or the dean of the relevant
university.
(3) Transcripts
Transcripts must be issued and sealed by the president, the rector or the dean of the relevant
university. Submit the transcripts listing grades of all credits obtained while at the university.
(both undergraduate school and graduate school)-1-(4) Master's Thesis
Applicants who hold a master's degree must submit a copy of their master's thesis or theabstract thereof.
Applicants who plan to hold a master's degree by March 31, 2025 must submit a report ofresearch progress or work content.
(5) Research Project Overview
Applicants must describe a field and theme of research that they are interested in working on.
(Free format)(6) Two Recommendation Letters by the President or the Rector as well as the master's course
instructor of the designated university
Recommendation letters must be issued and sealed respectively by the relevant persons.
(7) Photo Card and Entrance Examination Admission Card
Use the form provided (Form 2 and 3) and fill out completely.
Write applicant's name on the reverse side of 4cmH x 3cmW color photo and affix it to thephoto space with glue.
(8) Others
Submit a copy of certification which proves the level of Japanese language (if applicant has
one).
Ⅵ. Interview with the Supervisor and the Dean
Prior to submitting an application, applicants are required to participate in two or more online
interviews with the prospective supervisor and the dean of the Doctorate Course of theirinterest. These interviews should be conducted in either English or Japanese, and they will beheld via web video conference platforms such as Skype, Zoom, etc. The video conference
will connect Okayama Prefectural University with the designated university.
The deadline for these interviews is September 17 (Tuesday), 2024. To schedule theseinterviews, applicants must make an appointment by sending an e-mail to the Admission
Service Section at nyushi@oka-pu.ac.jp no later than September 2 (Monday), 2024.
Among the required "Application Documents," copies of documents (1), (4), (5), (6), (7), and(8) must be submitted to Okayama Prefectural University no later than two weeks before thedate of the first interview.
The dean Director or Head of the Concentration
Nursing Science
MORIMOTO Michiko, Prof.
Concentration
Nutritional Science
YAMASHITA Hiromi ,Prof.
Concentration
Health and Welfare Science
TAKATO Jinro, Prof.
Concentration
The prospective supervisor(*This system is scheduled for the 2025 academic year. Some conditions maychange.)-2-

Concentrations

Nursing Science
Concentration

Nutritional Science
Concentration

Health and Welfare
Science
Concentration

Ⅶ. Examination(1) Examination Date

Name of Supervisor
SUMIYOSHI Kazuko, Prof. MORINAGA Yumiko, Prof.
MIKANE Sakae, Prof. KITAMURA Shinji, ProfOKAZAKI Yuka, Associate Prof. NAGOSHI Megumi, AssociateProf. INOUE Sachiko, Associate Prof.
SASAKI Shinsuke, Associate Prof.
YAMASHITA Hiromi ,Prof. YAMAMOTO Toshiko, Prof.
IRIE Yasuyuki, Prof. ITO Hideyuki, Prof.
TAKAHASHI Yoshitaka, Prof. KAWAKAMI Takayo, Prof.
TANAKA Koichi, Prof. KAWAKAMI Yuki, Associate Prof.
IKEGUCHI Motoya, Associate Prof.
TAKATO Jinro, Prof. KONDO Rie, Prof.
NAKAMURA Hikaru, Prof. SAKANO Junko, Prof.
IWAMITSU Kenji, Prof. MURAKOSO Takashi, Prof.
TAKEMOTO Yoshihito, Prof. EGASHIRA Tomohiro, Prof.
RAKUGI Akiko, Associate Prof. KIRINO Masafumi, AssociateProf. KIMURA Hitoshi, Associate Prof. NIIYAMA Junko, Asso
ciate Prof.

Thursday, October 17, 2024

(2) Selection
Selection for admission is based on a comprehensive evaluation of the oral examination andinterview, which will be conducted in either English or Japanese via web video conference, as
mentioned above.
(3) Allocation of Points
Subject 1 Academic Proficiency Oral Examination(associated with the preferred concentration)
Points 100
Subject 2 Interview(based on applicant's master's thesis and Research Project Overview)
Points 100
Total Points 200
Ⅷ. Announcement of Successful Applicants(1) Announcement Date
Friday, November 1, 2024
(2) Announcement Procedure①Applicant will be informed of the result via the designated university which issued therecommendation letter.

-3-

②Successful applicant will receive an official letter of acceptance as well as information
about enrollment procedures via the university mentioned above.
Ⅸ. Enrollment Procedures(1) Period
Due no later than Wednesday, November 13, 2024
(2) Procedure
Send documents required for enrollment to Admission Service Section by registeredinternational mail via the designated university which issued the recommendation letter.
Applicant who fail to complete the procedure by the specified date will be deemed to havedeclined enrollment.
Ⅹ. Privileges of Successful Applicants(1) Enrollment fee will not be charged.
(2) Tuition will not be charged up to a maximum of three years.
(This can be cancelled if the candidate does not meet the guidance of academic performance.)
Ⅺ. Security Export Control
Okayama Prefectural University performs the security export control based on "Foreign Exchange
and Foreign Trade Act" so that education and study contents to foreign students do not obstructmaintenance of international peace and the security.
International applicants who fall under any of the conditions set out in said regulations may be unable
to enter their desired course or program.
Ⅻ. Others(1) Application fee will not be charged.
(2) Doctorate degree will be given according to relevant regulations of the Graduate School of
Okayama Prefectural University and the enrollment through this special application does notalways directly lead to the degree conferment.
(3) Successful applicant must acquire necessary status of resident in Japan as "college student" byenrollment date with the cooperation of Okayama Prefectural University.
(4) Even after an official letter of acceptance was issued, enrollment can be cancelled in case thecontents of Application Documents should be confirmed to be false.

-4-Invitation from the Graduate School of Health and Welfare Science (Doctorate
Course), Okayama Prefectural University

In a local society which is facing the development of low birthrate and an aging population as well
as becoming complex and diversified, the urgent problem is to improve the health and welfare
service infrastructure appropriate for such a society in order to realize a truly affluent society ofgreater welfare. Therefore, our university has been conducting more specialized education andresearch in the faculty of health and welfare science and the Master ’s Courses of the Graduate
School based on the basic principle of “Defending Human Dignity and Enhancing Welfare” tocultivate individuals who can play a role as a driving force in the field of health and welfare
science.
In addition to this, while aiming to construct an academic stronghold for further deepening ofhealth and welfare science including maintenance and promotion of local citizens’ health, it isalso important to cultivate educators and researchers with high level views so as to be able tooffer solutions to various problems concerning health and welfare. Therefore, this doctorate
course provides education and research from multiple angles utilizing the specialties of eachconcentration, nursing science, nutritional science and health and welfare science.

Composition of Concentrations & Content of Education and Research【Nursing Science Concentration】
Nursing specialized personnel must recognize variously and rapidly changing social
circumstances and find a method aimed at maintenance and promotion of people ’s health aswell as prevention and recovery from diseases. For this reason, they must clarify arisingphenomena and actual care in light of the historical transition of the concept concerning healthand nursing and through nursing practices. This concentration provides education andresearch to develop a nursing system and care practices and also to contribute to improvenursing quality which are corresponding to various problems of patients with chronic disease orcancer and their family members as well as care needs of elderly citizens.
【Nutritional Science Concentration】
As Japan has become an aging society, we need to solve various problems on food and health in order tokeep people away from chronic disease including lifestyle disease and to maintain and promote ourhealth. This concentration conducts education and research aiming to ascertain nutritional
phenomenon accompanied by meal from life science approach and apply to prevent disease in eachprocess from primary to tertiary prevention. Research field ranges over exploring new functional
food component and pursuing food safety, investigating the role of metabolic control system
including lipid metabolism in chronic disease, and investigating control system in central nervous
system of nutrition as a life phenomenon.
【Health and Welfare Science Concentration】
In a society of low birthrate and an aging population, clarification of health and welfare-related
problems from the viewpoint of social welfare and health science contributes to theimprovement of the quality of human health and life. This concentration targets mainly onchildren, disabled people, disabled children and elderly people and conducts education andresearch concerning their independence. The research fields are about (1) a theoreticalpursuit of children’s sound growth and the concept of guaranteeing ability development as well
as a review of methodology concerning childcare/development support including support for-5-disabled children; (2) a theoretical pursuit and a study of methodology concerning anevaluation method of physical, intellectual or mental disability and the associatedindependence support; and (3) a pursuit of relationship between physical and cognitive changes
associated with aging as well as a review of methodology to promote maintenance andenhancement of health of the elderly.

-6-Supervisors and Major Research Themes
Supervisor

FY 2025 preliminary curriculum
Major Research Themes

SUMIYOSHI 1. Research on patients care with diabetes
Kazuko,2. Research on patient education
Prof.
3. Research on interview methods using a solution-focused approach

MIKANE
Sakae,
Prof.

1.Research on ethical issues in practical nursing care
2.Research on end-of-life care
3.Research on extending seniors’ health life

1.Development of assessment guide for child abuse prevention from the
MORINAGA
Yumiko,Prof.

perspective of studies on fathers

2. Research on in-service training for and cultivation of public health nurses
3. Research on public health activities and support for victims at the time of

Nursing Science Concentration

disaster
4. Research on public health nursing activities (regional organization activities,
reduction of care-giving burden, etc.)

KITAMURA
Shinji,Prof.

1. Artificial intelligence research in medicine, nursing, health and welfare
2. Research on internal medical management in medicine and nursing
3. Research on chronic kidney disease and hemodialysis in medicine andnursing

OKAZAKI
Yuka,
AssociateProf.

1.Study of adolescent healthcare
2.Research on child rearing support
3.Research on the issues encountered during each stage of the female lifecycle
4. Research on midwifery education

NAGOSHI
Megumi,
Associate
Prof.
INOUE
Sachiko,
Associate
Prof.
SASAKI
Shinsuke,
AssociateProf.

1.Research on support for making decisions during therapeutic and palliative
care periods for families of and patients with chronic diseases such as cancer
and cardiac failure
2.Research on vocational identities of nurses and organizational development
3.Research on the response to sudden changes in the elderly, care givers, etc.
1. Research on the role of nursing professionals in supporting the community life ofpeople with severe mental illness, multidisciplinary collaboration, and use ofresources
2. Research on support for people with severe mental illness and autism
spectrum disorders, and their families
1. Research on scientific grounds of nursing care/nursing skills
2. Measuring method development of visualized biological information
3. Development of new nursing assistance tools-7-Supervisor
TAKAHASHI

YoshitakaProf.

YAMAMOTO

Toshiko,Prof.

Major Research Themes
1. Pathological and biochemical research on metabolizing enzymes of arachidonic acid
2. Bioactive lipids and their pathophysiology

1. Study on food functionality for prevention of chronic diseases
2. Novel nutritional significance of lipid components in milk
3. Histochemical study on synthesizing enzymes of bioactive lipids in homeostasis anddiseaseTakayoProf.

1. Study of liver diseases and lipid nutrition
2. Study of the development of nutrition evaluation indictors in education of nutritionand health

IRIE
Yasuyuki,Prof.

1. Analysis of Functions of new tumor suppressor, Amida
2. Research on chronic kidney disease, CKDmodel, using extension cultivation
stimulation model

ITO
Hideyuki,Prof.

1. Isolation and characterization of bioactive natural products
2. Analysis of bioactive food components
3. Bioavailability of functional polyphenols

TANAKA
Koichi,Prof.

1. Searching for and cultivation of microorganisms to manufacture fermented foodproducts with new characteristics and functions
2.Searching for and cultivation of microorganisms for efficient biomass energy
production

KAWAKAMI

Nutritional Science Concentration

1. Skeletal muscle function on energy metabolism
YAMASHITA 2. Functional food factors associated with skeletal muscle function, energy metabolism,

Hiromi,Prof.
KAWAKAMI

Yuki,
Associate
Prof.

IKEGUCHI
Motoya,AssociateProf.

and anti-aging.
3. Functional food factors associated with prevention of muscle atrophy and life
style-related diseases
1. Research on food constituent’s mechanism of action and application tolifestyle-related disease
2.Molecular biological research on arachidonate cascade
1. Development of functional food (food with health claims, health food, dietary supplements, etc.);
Research on dose extrapolation from animals to human, Clinical research
2. Research on systematic reviews for and meta-analysis approaches to functional material search
and functional food development; Research on Japanese and overseas legal systems regarding
functional food
3. Surveys on consumer psychology and behavior, market and marketing, and development ofconcepts regarding functional food-8-Supervisor
KONDO
Rie,
Prof.

IWAMITSU
Kenji,Prof.

MURAKOSO

Takashi,Prof.

Major Research Themes
1. Research on comparison between Japan, Korea, and France of child poverty, si
ngle parent family, child abuse, DV, foster parent, adoption, and bullying
2. Research on cooperation between educational
administration and welfare
administration

Community development through support for individuals (youth and disastervictims) living in poverty

1. Research on social work related to seniors’ loneliness prevention
2. Research on employment support for with intellectual disabilities

Health and Welfare Science Concentration

1. Research on the comprehensive support model for people diagnosed with MCI (MildCognitive Impairment)
TAKEMOTO
2. Research on human resource cultivation and management models utilizing
Yoshihito,
supervision under high-stress environments
Prof.
3. Research on financial conditions of individuals with dementia and their family
caregivers, and the utilization of social security systems
NAKAMURA

Hikaru,Prof.

1.Research on the development and aging of languages and recognition
2.Research on assessment and intervention ofneurogenic communication disorders (aphasia,
higher brain dysfunction and dementia)

SAKANO
Junko,
Prof.

1. Research on Life Skill of the mentally disabled
2. Research on Sense of Coherence in mental health and welfare

TAKATO
Jinro,
Prof.

1. Research on independent mobility support for blind and visually impaired persons
2. Research on preventing or delaying the need for nursing care for the elderly

EGASHIRA 1. Research on the New Education Movement in Germany
Tomohiro, 2. Research on the education in Nazi GermanyProf.

3. Historical research on educational practices in nature

RAKUGI
Akiko,
AssociateProf.

1. Research on group dynamics for clinical-psychological problems
2. Action research regarding self-governance by residents in depopulated ruralcommunities-9-

Health and Welfare Science Concentration

KIRINO
Masafumi,
AssociateProf.

1. Research on support for family caregivers
2. Research on work-life balance and integration of family caregivers

KIMURA
Hitoshi,
AssociateProf.

1. Research on operation and management for welfare equipment service organizations
2. Research on communication with customers in welfare equipment service
organizations

NIIYAMA
Junko,
AssociateProf.

1. Research on dance curriculum
2. Practical research on the continual “Expressive Dances” seen from the viewpoint oflifelong education
3. Research on instruction methods for physical expression activities in early childhood- 10 -

Where to contact concerning application, entrance
examination and other information

Entrance Examination Team，Admissions Service Section
Okayama Prefectural University
111 Kuboki, Soja-shi, Okayama Pref. 719-1197, Japan
Phone: +81-866-94-9163 (Direct Number)+81-866-94-2111 (Main Number)
Websitee-mail address

https://www.oka-pu.ac.jp
nyushi@oka-pu.ac.jp