About the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
The University of Shizuoka School of Pharmaceutical Sciences was established in 1916 as the Shizuoka Women's School of Pharmacy, and eventually became a part of the University of Shizuoka in 1987. Over the past century, the School has produced many graduates who have played important roles in fields related to pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy both in Japan and internationally.
The study of pharmaceutical sciences covers a wide range of fields related both to human health, such as the prevention and treatment of diseases, and to human life more broadly, such as environmental protection. The School offers two educational programs to undergraduate students: the 4-year Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences program and the 6-year Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy program. The graduates from both programs work in a variety of institutions, including hospitals, community pharmacies, the civil services of local and national governments, as well as in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics industries.
Most of the graduates of the 4-year Pharmaceutical Sciences program go on to graduate studies. Our Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences enjoys a national and international reputation for its high-quality education and excellent research environment. It was selected as a 21st Century Center of Excellence (2001-2006) and a Global Center of Excellence (2007-2012) by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. In these two programs, collaborative research between the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and our university's School of Food and Nutritional Sciences was deepened, and this collaboration made significant contributions to the development of the new research field of health-longevity sciences. On the basis of these achievements, in 2012 the graduate programs of the two Schools were combined into a single Graduate School of Integrated Pharmaceutical and Nutritional Sciences, the first graduate program of its kind in Japan, with the goal of preparing for Japan's fast-approaching super-aged society.
Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences
The 4-year Pharmaceutical Sciences program trains students in the basic sciences of drug discovery and development that are required by pharmaceutical companies, universities, and other research institutions. The program aims to foster highly-motivated future scientists. Most of the graduates of this program go on to graduate studies at this or other universities.
Division of Pharmacy
The 6-year Pharmacy program trains students in clinical pharmacy to develop a high degree of technical competency as pharmacists, and aims to foster professionals who will contribute to the medical sciences. After passing the OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) and CBT (Computer-Based Testing) examinations, students receive clinical practice at hospital and community pharmacies for approximately five months. Only graduates from this 6-year program can qualify to take the National Examination for Pharmacists.
