The Graduate School of Nursing was established in April 2001 coinciding with the first graduating class from the School of Nursing, which was established in April 1997. The Graduate School of Nursing was created with the goal of promoting nursing research and offering advanced specialty training, with access to both an academic and clinical environment.
Since its founding in April 2001, the Graduate School of Nursing has provided a unique curriculum that incorporates a variety of common subjects, as well as multi-disciplinary research courses in coordination with other faculties at the University of Shizuoka.
With the rapid progress and advancement in medical technology, new and unique healthcare problems such as lifestyle-related diseases and the complicated issues of an aging population with a declining birthrate are emerging and people's attitudes toward health are changing. With these changes comes the need for more diversified healthcare services. The Graduate School of Nursing provides graduates with the compassion and skills necessary for facing modern society’s complex health issues and responding to changing societal trends. The graduate school also provides an environment for collaboration in education and research thanks to its links with specialized institutions engaged in advanced medicine in Shizuoka Prefecture.

The objectives of the University of Shizuoka Graduate School of Nursing are to prepare nursing professionals so that they: become creative and highly skilled healthcare professionals; can actively face the challenges appearing in practice, education, and research; and can promote healthy lifestyles while being aware of the societal changes that are occurring in the 21st century.
In addition, as the graduate school is based at a university, the curriculum blends practice, education, and research at the university alongside close collaboration with clinical practice in various prefectural healthcare facilities.