Graduate School of Health Care Department of Nursing

The nursing major consists of two fields, the field of nursing and the field of midwife services. The nursing field focuses on practical nursing developmental science as well as care system developmental science. Midwife services focus on midwife training and practical midwife developmental science. With the practical nursing developmental science area of the nursing field, students develop an advanced nursing ability and research skills that play a central role in team medical care. In the care system developmental science area, they cultivate development capabilities and research skills in specialties such as care systems and human resource development, and administrative systems. With the midwife training area of the midwife services field, students gain specialized knowledge, technical abilities, and research skills that can be implemented in independent and self-directed midwife services. In the practical midwife developmental science area, they acquire high-level midwife professional practice implementation skills and research abilities needed for improving the quality of perinatal care and midwife services.

Chairperson of the department: Professor Tokiko Oishi (PhD in Midwife Services / Health Sciences)

Department Program Degree
Nursing Master’s course Master (Nursing Science)
Master (Midwife Services)

Chief Instructor in charge and educational research fields

Field Disciplines Chief Instructor Main research
Nursing Practical Nursing Developmental Science Professor Kumiko Yoshida 1. Nursing research on self-care abilities for cancer patients under treatment.
2. Nursing research on quality of life (QOL) for patients with terminal illnesses.
Professor Junko Ishida 1. Research on social support for cancer patients and their families.
2. Research on family functioning for cancer patients.
Professor Michiko Sunaga 1. Research on nursing support for cancer patients undergoing surgical treatment.
2. Development of evaluation indexes for the ability to promote adaptation of cancer patients.
Professor Shinobu Kurabayashi 1. Research on social support for single-parent households.
2. Research on ethics and ethics education for occupations in the health care, medical treatment and welfare fields.
Professor Eriko Takada 1. Research on community lifestyle support for people suffering from mental disorders.
2. Research on self-care abilities for psychiatric day care users.
Professor Kiyoko Kanda 1. Research on symptom management for patients in cancer treatment or terminal stage illness.
2. Research on education of nursing staff engaged in cancer treatment.
Associate Professor Miwa Sakurai 1. Development of a symptoms management nursing support model for children suffering from cancer and their families.
2. Development of a palliative care program for children with cancer and their families.
Associate Professor Miwa Chika Minowa 1. Verification research on the effects of nursing techniques to promote relaxation.
2. Development of a relaxation program as a form of nursing intervention.
Care system developmental science Professor Satsuki Tanahashi 1. Research on nursing management and human resource development in home nursing environments.
2. Research on building local care systems.
Professor Eiko Ogasawara 1. Research on information and communications technology (ICT) for sharing care information.
2. Research on home nursing environments.
Midwife Services Midwife training ?
Midwife practice developmental science
Professor Tokiko Oishi 1. Development of sex education considering the effect of gender on sexual behavior.
2. Research on social factors affecting the health of pregnant and post-natal women.
Professor Takako Kubota 1. Research on obstetrical treatment lawsuits and medical safety.
2. Research on rites and customs in midwife services.

Education Policy

Diploma Policy (DP)

[Diploma Policy (DP)]

Degree requirement is that the student must be enrolled for the specified period or longer, acquire 30 or more credits, (58 credits or more for midwifery training in midwifery), obtain necessary research guidances and pass the dissertation review and final test. In addition, it shall be subject to the following requirements:
As an advanced medical specialist in the field of nursing and midwifery, the student can contribute to the development of practical nursing, care system and practical midwife service.
Student have a wide range of knowledge and a sense of ethics in the field of nursing and midwifery and can serve as the role of team leader in a local community or clinical field.
As an educator or researcher, the student can contribute to the development in the field of nursing and midwifery by applying their expertise and research skills to education and research.
With the expertise and research skills acquired in the master’s program, the student can improve actual practices in the fields of health care, nursing or midwifery.


[Dissertation Review Criteria]

< Midwife Training Area >

  1. Student has a clear awareness of what the problems are, and has appropriately defined a research topic.
  2. Student has thoroughly studied the prior research papers.
  3. Student has used research methods suitable to the research goals.
  4. Student has written the paper adequately and appropriately, with a consistent logical framework leading to the conclusion.
  5. There are no ethical issues involved in conducting the research and disclosing results.
  6. The student has gained a new insight, and has contributed to health care, nursing or midwifery.
  7. Any work submitted to a journal related to health care, nursing or midwifery is at an appropriate level for being published.

< Practical Nursing Developmental Science Area, Care System Developmental Science Area, and Practical Midwife Developmental Science Area >

  1. Student has a clear awareness of what the problems are, and has appropriately defined a research topic.
  2. Student has thoroughly studied the prior research papers.
  3. Student has used research methods suitable to the research goals.
  4. Student has written the paper adequately and appropriately, with a consistent logical framework leading to the conclusion.
  5. There are no ethical issues involved in conducting the research and disclosing results.
  6. The student has gained a new insight, and has contributed to health care, nursing or midwifery.
  7. Any work submitted to a journal related to health care, nursing or midwifery is at an appropriate level for being published.

[Final Test Criteria]

< Midwife Training Area >

  1. Student has expertise, rich insights, and a sense of ethics with regards to the research subjects.
  2. Through the subject research, the student will mention what contributions his study has made to the improvement of the academic fields of health care, nursing or midwifery or to the practice of health care, nursing or midwife services.
  3. Student has an attitude and disposition suitable for an advanced medical professional, educator or researcher.
  4. After the research, the student will be expected to play an active role as an advanced medical professional, educator or researcher.

< Practical Nursing Developmental Science Area, Care System Developmental Science Area, and Practical Midwife Developmental Science Area >

  1. Student has expertise, rich insights, and a sense of ethics with regards to the research subjects.
  2. Student is able to describe how research of the problem will contribute to the improvement of the academic fields of health care, nursing or midwifery or to the practice of health care, nursing or midwife services.
  3. Student strongly intends to publicize the research results.
  4. Student has an attitude and disposition suitable for an advanced medical professional, educator or researcher.
  5. After the research, the student will be expected to play an active role as an advanced medical professional, educator or researcher.

Practical Nursing Developmental Science Area, Care System Developmental Science Area, and Practical Midwife Developmental Science Area

[Research Plan Examination Criteria]

  1. The research background must be systematically described based on the previous research.
  2. The purpose of the research must be clear.
  3. The significance of the research must be described.
  4. A research method suitable for the research purpose must be selected.
  5. The plan must consider research ethics.

[Dissertation Examination Criteria]

  1. Student has a clear awareness of what the problems are, and has appropriately defined a research topic.
  2. Student has thoroughly studied the prior research papers.
  3. Student has used research methods suitable to the research goals.
  4. Student has written the paper adequately and appropriately, with a consistent logical framework leading to the conclusion.
  5. There must not be any ethical issues related to the implementation, results or disclosure of the research.
  6. The student has gained a new insight, and has contributed to health care, nursing or midwife services.
  7. In the event of posting to a journal related to the academics of health care, nursing or midwife services, the content must be of the level suitable for publication.

[Final Test Criteria]

  1. Student has expertise, rich insights, and a sense of ethics with regards to the research subjects.
  2. Student is able to describe how research of the problem will contribute to the improvement of the academic fields of health care, nursing or midwife services or to the practice of health care, nursing or midwife services.
  3. Student strongly intends to publicize the research results.
  4. The student has an attitude and disposition suitable for an advanced medical professional, educator or researcher.
  5. After the research, the student will be expected to play an active role as an advanced medical professional, educator or researcher.
  6. Curriculum Policy (CP)

    1. The 4 areas in 2 fields, which are the practical nursing developmental science area and care system developmental science area of the nursing field and the midwife training area and Practical Midwife Developmental Science area of the midwife services field, influence each other, forming a curriculum that allows a flexible coordination between them.
    2. For the purpose of educating advanced nursing specialists and nursing managers who will be responsible for team medical care, we have designated “Master’s Program for Team Medical Care” and “Special Exercises with Team Medical Approach” to be compulsory subjects.
    3. Master’s programs, special exercises and focused research of each field are linked in such a way that the research activities with practical tasks can be sufficiently executed.
    4. In order to make it possible for the medical professionals, who are working adults, to balance learning and work, we have created a framework that allows them to select either the 2-year course or the 3-year course, both held at night and on Saturdays.

    Entrance examination outline

    Name Years to master Enrollment capacity Degree
    Nursing Major 2 years 6 Master (Nursing Science)
    Master (Midwife Services)

    * Working adults are included in the 6-person capacity.
    * To support the students, who are working adults, classes are conducted on the evenings and on weekends based on the Exception Article 14 of the Graduate School Standards, thereby providing support for working adult students in the hours outside the schedule prepared for regular daytime students.

    A Midwife Services National Exam Qualification can be obtained at the completion of the nursing major

    Midwives are advanced professionals who support childbirth for people and families for the future of our society. Today when single adults and nuclear families account for 85% of the population, meticulous care and assistance is required to the couples during the process of pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, childbirth and childcare. This university is the first of its kind in Gunma Prefecture to offer a master’s program in midwife training.

    Admission Policy

    1. We look forward to enrolling students who are eager to become advanced practicing nursing professionals who play a central role in team medicine and students who are eager to become advanced practicing midwives focused on improving the quality of perinatal care.
    2. We look forward to enrolling students who are eager to become educators and researchers who will contribute to the development of the academics of health care, nursing, and midwife services.
    3. We look forward to enrolling students who are eager to obtain the qualifications of a midwife and aim to be a midwife that can offer independent and self-directed midwife services.

Graduate School
Graduate School of Health Care
Department of Nursing