Graduate School of Health and Welfare Department of Food and Nutrition

The Department of Food and Nutrition course produces researchers who conduct food research based on advanced sciences such as bioscience and biotechnology related to the primary prevention of lifestyle diseases, as well as human resources with advanced expertise and practical skills that can contribute to maintaining health and preventing lifestyle diseases through food. In addition, you can become licensed as a nutrition teacher (specialized training) by taking the appropriate subjects.

Chairperson of the department: Professor Noriaki Shimokawa (PhD)

Chief Instructor in charge and educational research fields

Education Policy

Diploma Policy (DP)

Master’s Program

1. Students have knowledge about food and nutrition in general.
2. Students have knowledge of food safety and the practical skills to ensure safety.
3. Students have knowledge of biochemistry and molecular biology as well as experimental skills related to food and nutrition.
4. Students have the skills to study issues related to food and nutrition and to compile and present the results appropriately.
5. Students have the sense of responsibility and ethics of a nutrition management professional.

Doctoral Program

1. Students have a wealth of insights and expertise and skills to independently conduct research that contributes to health enhancement and prevention of lifestyle diseases as well as R&D of new foods.
2. Students have the skills to obtain research results by creating and implementing their own research plans.
3. Students have the skills to compile the results of their research in the appropriate manner and present them at a special academic conference, as well as the skills to write their own research papers and publish them in a special academic journal.
4. Students have the practical skills to apply research results for health enhancement and prevention of lifestyle diseases in the local communities.
5. As professionals in the food and nutrition field, students have the skills to carry out their own research activities with advanced ethics and a strong sense of responsibility.

【Dissertation Review Criteria】

[ Master’s Dissertation Review Criteria]

1. Master’s Dissertation must be student’s own written work that includes the original research findings and discussions in the domain of healthcare informatics, health and welfare or food and nutrition. The dissertation must be a proof of an excellent ability to perform a duty that requires research skills and advanced expertise in the above-mentioned research fields.
2. Master’s dissertation will be evaluated on the following:
3. 1. Novelty:
4. 　　　The dissertation includes a new insight that existing studies have not shown.
5. 2. Appropriateness of the theme setting:
6. 　　　The background, position, and purpose of the research are appropriately stated, based on the current issues and the previous researches in the field of study concerned.
7. 3. The appropriateness of the research method:
8. 　　　The methods of research, investigation and experiment are adequate, and the details are concretely described.
9. 4. Adequacy of content:
10. 　　　Text, figures, tables, citations and the list of references of which the dissertation consists are well-organized in an appropriate manner.
11. 5. Consistency of the argument:
12. 　　　Descriptions are clear and logically consistent from a problem statement to a conclusion.
13. 6. Ethics
14. 　　　The norms that academic research must comply with are followed.

[ Doctoral Dissertation Review Criteria]

1. The doctoral dissertation must be student’s own work for the domain of health and welfare or food and nutrition that includes a new academic insight. The dissertation must be a proof of the ability to conduct a research as an independent researcher, and its substantial part must be either published (or accepted by the time of the completion decision, for a future publication) as an original paper in the peer-reviewed academic journals, or as an academic book, with the student who submitted the dissertation as a single author or first author.
2. The doctoral dissertation will be evaluated on the following:
3. 1. Originality and Academic value:
4. 　　　The dissertation demonstrates a sufficient level of novelty and originality and contributes to the progress of the research in the field of study concerned.
5. 2. Appropriateness of the theme setting:
6. 　　　The background, position, and purpose of the research are appropriately stated, based on the current issues and the previous researches in the field of study concerned.
7. 3. The appropriateness of the research method:
8. 　　　The methods of research, investigation and experiment are adequate, and the details are concretely described.
9. 4. Adequacy of content:
10. 　　　Text, figures, tables, citations and the list of references of which the dissertation consists are well-organized in an appropriate manner.
11. 5. Consistency of the argument:
12. 　　　Descriptions are clear and logically consistent from a problem statement to a conclusion.
13. 6. Ethics
14. 　　　The norms that academic research must comply with are followed.

Curriculum Policy (CP)

Master’s Program

1. Students are required to take “Master’s Course on Food and Nutrition” in order to acquire a wide range of knowledge in the field of food and nutrition.
2. The courses “Food Science” and “Nutrition Science” are being offered in order for the students to acquire knowledge and skills necessary for professionals in the field of food and nutrition.
3. In order to develop their ability to seek solutions to problems by integrating health and welfare, allow the students to choose as optional subjects the subjects that are originally covered under other majors ,for which up to 4 credits are to be approved.
4. The research guidance received from the instructors is treated as “Special Research”, and students are tasked with writing a master’s thesis.

Doctoral Program

1. At least 2 subjects (8 credits) related to the doctoral dissertation are required.
2. The research guidance received from the instructor is treated as “Advanced Research”, and students are tasked with writing a doctoral dissertation.
3. In the process of writing a doctoral dissertation, students will present at a predetermined interim report meeting.
4. Students are encouraged to present the core of their dissertation at an academic conference and submit it to academic journals such that the doctoral dissertation meets the [Dissertation Review Criteria].

Entrance examination outline

Name	Years to master	Enrollment capacity	Degree
Food and Nutrition Major	2 years	4	Master (Food and Nutrition)
	3 years	2	PhD (Food and Nutrition)

Admission Policy

Master’s Program in Food and Nutrition

In this program, students will acquire extensive knowledge on food and nutrition as well as methods to ensure food safety, producing advanced specialists who can effectively practice nutritional guidance and nutrition education, as well as educators and researchers who are responsible for research to enhance human health through food, based on their expertise in biochemistry and molecular biology related to food and nutrition, as well as experimental skills. Therefore, this program should attract students and working adults who have basic knowledge and experimental skills in the fields of health, nutrition, and food, and who are willing and able to acquire advanced expertise and skills as well as conduct research.

Doctoral Program in Food and Nutrition

This program produces students with the skills to independently create a research plan and conduct research to enhance human health and prevent lifestyle diseases through food, as well as R&D for new foods based on the results of advanced science, present the results at a special academic conference and publish them in a special academic journal as a research paper, as well as human resources with the practical skills to apply the research results to promoting health and preventing lifestyle diseases in the local communities. Therefore, the university should attract the students who are seeking an educational/research job in a specialized field, and working adults who are eager to become a member of the society and passionate about pioneering new research fields for the enhancement of human health and welfare.

For the list of entrance requirements, click here (PDF)