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Faculty of Health Sciences

Making the most of the opportunity to make a positive influence in people's quality of life

Due to advances in medical sciences and the rapid aging of the population, the area of medicine dealing with rehabilitation, in particular rehabilitation for the aging population and the physically handicapped, has grown rapidly. Resulting from this is a high demand for medical personnel equipped with the essential knowledge and skills.
As medical science is progressing at an unprecedented rate, it can be said that the university plays a role in the production of specialists with not only the expert knowledge and skills, the ability to conduct quality research and to develop new technology in the area, but also a deeper understanding of the importance of this field to human lives. Our curriculum is designed to provide students with the necessary skills to acquire and to apply knowledge and information in this field. Students will develop theory appropriate to the medical field and a concern for the welfare of others (a healthy respect for human life, consideration, a spirit of cooperation, a willingness to help each other and a sense of independence, essential for someone working in the field of medical science.

Department of Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy, or PT for short, as one of the basic forms of rehabilitation, consists of therapeutic exercise and physiotherapy. PT provides treatment for those who have lost motor ability due to sickness, injury or as a natural result of the aging process. It is designed to help people recover enough agility to gradually return to a normal life.
Students gain skills and knowledge in order to qualify as physical therapists through the study of a well-balanced curriculum which covers the basics as well as more applied studies. As the type of physical therapy applied depends on the ailment of the individual patient, students will study a wide range of subjects such as physical therapy for orthopedic, cardiovascular, internal and neurological diseases. Students will also gain experience in physiotherapy for patients suffering from pain, and orthotics and prosthetics for patients who have lost all or part of their upper or lower extremities. Courses of study cover a broad field from the specialist subjects such as anatomy and physiology, during which students experiment with and study specimen, nerves and muscles, to computing and foreign languages. Students gain fieldwork experience beginning in their first year, as they complete a number of clinical practices. The Department focuses on “community-based physical therapy”, in particular on nursing care for the elderly, and a “team approach in the medical field” (the cooperation between doctors, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, etc. to provide the best possible treatment), two very current topics. Four years of study will prepare students to take the national examination to gain certification as registered physical therapists.

Department of Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy, or OT for short, is another basic form of rehabilitation. Occupational Therapy is concerned with individuals who are threatened by physical injury or illness, psychosocial dysfunction, developmental disabilities, or the aging process. “Occupation” is not limited to work, but includes aspects of activities of daily living and leisure.
The goal of occupational therapy is to protect or restore the individual's physical, psychological, and social capacities to perform their occupational roles effectively. However, as people’s lifestyle and capability differs, and treatment must be based on individual needs, the most important assets for occupational therapists, aside from practical skills and knowledge, are communication skills, patience, perseverance, mental strength and compassion.
Through the study of a well-balanced curriculum, which covers the basics as well as more applied studies, students will gain the necessary skills and knowledge in order to qualify as occupational therapists. Broad subject areas include foundations of occupational therapy, motor and sensory function rehabilitation, neuropsychological rehabilitation, pediatric occupational therapy and community occupational therapy. Courses of study also cover a broad field ranging from pre-professional courses of study such as anatomy and physiology to medical sciences, computing and foreign
languages. The occupational therapy curriculum broadly overlaps with that of physical therapy, with students also participating in handicraft, recreation and other
practical courses. A great stress is placed on developing communication and counseling skills essential for occupational therapists. In the professional course of study students learn the history, scope, objectives, functions, theory (including theoretical frameworks), evaluation and treatment of occupational therapy.
In fieldwork experiences students develop and demonstrate an understanding of the skills necessary to plan, implement, evaluate and treat. They begin to integrate
and synthesize the theoretical knowledge of physical, psychosocial and developmental function/dysfunction. They design, fabricate, prescribe and apply selected orthodic and prosthetic devices, selected adaptive equipment and selected assistive technology.
Occupational therapy students gain the Level I Fieldwork experience from their first year and concentrate on the Level II Fieldwork experience and graduation thesis in their fourth year. After successful completion of the program they will be able to sit for the national certification examination for registered occupational therapists.

Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Therapy

The Speech-Language-Hearing Therapist,or ST for short, is a national qualification established in 1997 through the Speech-Language-Hearing-Therapist law. It is a relatively new qualification with approximately 10,000 qualified people in this field. They are professionals who give an evaluation for people who have communication problems such as hearing loss and perform training, guidance, advice and support. The number of people who need this kind of support is increasing due to the aging society in Japan and the spread of more highly specialized medical care.
Specialists in this field need to learn the huge impact hearing loss has on the patients mind, the inability to affectively communicate with others, and memory loss. Hearing loss can lead to problems with language, pronunciation, and even eating and swallowing. The loss may be caused from cerebral infraction, traffic accidents or developmental disabilities. The purpose of this department is to ground students in theory and practical situations to help them become Speech-Language-Hearing Therapists who hold high technical knowledge and ability to aid research.
After successful completion of the program students are able to sit for the national examination of the Speech-Language-Hearing Therapist.