The Graduate School of Medical Sciences was remodeled and established in April 2003 as a graduate school education-al institution with the aim of cultivating medical researchers, educators, and advanced medical staff.

The graduate school consists of a four-year doctoral course and a two-year master’s course that was established in 2002. The master’s course (in Medical Sciences) was created in response to the upsurge in medical and biological research, as well as societal needs. The course is designed for graduates of 4-year undergraduate programs. Each academic year sees 20 students enrolled, for a total of 40 students. Graduates of the master’s course are encouraged to continue their education by enrolling in the doctoral course. The doctoral course (Medical Sciences specialty) contains 88 students per academic grade, for a total of 352 students. Personalized education with research guidance is supplemented by courses in experimental medicine and graduate school seminars. Students complete the course by publishing their original research results in an international academic journal and writing a comprehensive thesis.

The Graduate School has many special courses and programs such as “Course for Researchers of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine,” “Course of Educational Program for Advanced Research in Infectious Diseases and AIDS,” “Course of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine,” “Program for Experts of Metabolism, Circulation and Related Informatics,” and “Course of Educational Program for Extension of Healthy Life Expectancy,” and a unique MD/PhD course, the Shibasaburo Program.
The school has concluded the academic exchange agreement including double degree program with many universities overseas.

All courses are taught by instructors who belong to approximately 90 diverse research areas and medical care fields from the following: the Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University Hospital, the Health Care Center, the Institute of Resource Development and Analysis, the Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus Infection, the Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, the International Research Center for Medical Sciences, and the Center for Metabolic Regulation of Healthy Aging.

URL: http://www.medphas.kumamoto-u.ac.jp/en/medgrad/