Undergraduate Education
Department of Pharmacy
The department aims to nurture outstanding researchers, technicians, and pharmacists in drug discovery, life sciences, and clinical pharmacy who possess a broad range of academic knowledge, advanced research capabilities backed by the latest scientific knowledge and cutting-edge technologies in pharmaceutical sciences, and a high sense of ethics and rich humanity that enables them to constantly show concern for humans and the environment.
In order to actively respond to society's demand for pharmaceutical education, we have implemented a "new six-year system" that focuses on unique research not found in other universities, starting with students entering in the 2017 academic year.
Previously, we had two departments, the Department of Pharmacy and the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, each of which promoted education and research with its own unique characteristics. However, the special system for obtaining qualifications to take the national examination was abolished for the students enrolled in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the 2018 academic year. Therefore, as a measure to respond to these changes, the University became the first of the 17 national public universities of pharmacy in Japan to discontinue the Department of Pharmacy with students entering from 2009, and to offer the Department of Pharmacy where all students can take the national examination to become pharmacists.
The new Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences will have two new courses: the Medical Pharmacy Course and the Drug Discovery and Development Course. The aim of the Medical Pharmacy Course is to develop "pharmacists who can provide safe and reliable drug therapy" and "pharmacists who can meet the needs of the community and society and contribute to building a healthy and high quality society," which was the aim of the previous Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. In addition, the Drug Discovery and Development Course aims to nurture "researchers and engineers who will play a central role in the research and development of pharmaceuticals," which was the goal of the previous Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. In addition to specialized research on pharmaceuticals, we aim to develop human resources with dynamic, high-level expertise in pharmaceutical sciences who can design pharmaceutical development, consider pharmaceutical regulations and distribution, and consider management strategies such as global expansion. Students choose to take one of the courses in the second semester of the third year to deepen their learning and research.
Through these two unique course options, we train students to be active in clinical work at hospitals and pharmacies (advanced medicine, community medicine, etc.) and in national and local pharmaceutical and health administration (Medical Pharmacy Course), as well as to be active in research, production, technology, academia, and sales at pharmaceutical companies and chemical, food, and cosmetic companies (Drug Discovery and Development Course).
Admission Policy
What kind of students does Gifu Pharmaceutical University seek?
The university is looking for students who share its philosophy and who have the following characteristics.
- Students who are motivated and eager to develop into pharmacists and pharmaceutical researchers who are active as pharmaceutical specialists in medical institutions, pharmaceutical companies, research and educational institutions, and government agencies.
- Students with sound ethical standards and basic communication skills
- Students who have acquired sufficient academic skills in high school education as a basis for studying pharmacy.
Basic Policy for Selection of Applicants
Gifu Pharmaceutical University offers multiple opportunities and a variety of entrance examinations. In order to select students who meet the educational philosophy and goals of the university, in addition to the general selection process, the university offers a school-recommended selection process. The university's entrance examinations employ the Common Entrance Test, individual academic achievement tests, research papers, and interviews to comprehensively evaluate the abilities and qualities of applicants.
Curriculum Policy
In order to develop pharmaceutical professionals based on the basic philosophy and educational goals, the school organically links basic and specialized education courses, organizes efficient and consistent curricula from the first year to the graduation year, and provides human- and environment-conscious pharmaceutical education.
- Organize basic and specialized education courses with an awareness of humanism education and ecology education to cultivate the rich humanity and solid sense of ethics and mission that are necessary for pharmacists to be considerate of people and the environment.
- The basic education curriculum consists of natural science subjects that form the basis of pharmacy, a variety of humanities and social science subjects that cultivate a broad education and a rich humanity, and foreign language subjects that emphasize English skills to cope with an internationalized and information-oriented society.
- Based on the core curriculum of the Model for Pharmaceutical Sciences Education, specialized pharmaceutical science subjects are systematically arranged from the lower grades to the upper grades in order to create a continuous professional education program. These subjects are divided into general pharmaceutical science, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, biochemistry, hygienic pharmaceutical science, basic medical pharmaceutical science, medical pharmaceutical science, and creative pharmaceutical science.
- The curriculum emphasizes practical training courses to acquire the ability to identify and solve problems based on scientific evidence, practical work in a medical setting, and the skills necessary for pharmaceutical research, as well as special practical training to acquire research skills. In addition, the curriculum is designed so that students can work on self-improvement during the curriculum and acquire the ability to develop human resources training and communication skills necessary for pharmacists and pharmaceutical researchers.
- The course is designed to provide students with not only the basic knowledge and skills necessary for pharmacists in the medical field, but also practical and research skills.
- The course is designed to provide students with the basic knowledge and skills necessary to become researchers, technicians, and educators, as well as education related to medicine, and the practical and research skills necessary in the field of research.
Diploma Policy
Students who have been enrolled in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences for the prescribed period of time, have completed the educational program based on the basic philosophy and educational goals of the university, have earned the prescribed number of credits, and have been recognized as having acquired the following abilities will be awarded a bachelor's degree (Pharmaceutical Sciences).
- Understand and practice the university's basic philosophy of human- and environment-conscious pharmacy (Green Pharmacy).
- The student will have a pharmacist's mindset, a broad education, a rich humanity, communication skills, English skills to cope with the internationalization and information society, and basic scientific skills.
- Students acquire knowledge, skills, and practical abilities in pharmacotherapy, and acquire the ability to contribute to team medicine and community health and medical care from a patient- and consumer-oriented perspective as a pharmacist.
- Medical Pharmacy Course Students use problem-solving skills to acquire practical skills and the ability to develop clinical research, which are needed mainly in the medical field.
- Drug Discovery and Development Course Students use problem-solving skills to develop research skills in mainly drug discovery science and life science.
- Students who have acquired the motivation and attitude to continue self-improvement throughout their lives and to develop the next generation of medical professionals.