Graduate  School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University
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Educational Goals and our Policies

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  3. Educational Goals and our Policies

Educational Goals

Under the four basic principles adhered to by Hokkaido University: Frontier Spirit, Global Perspectives, All-round Education, and Practical Learning, we aim to train students to become biomedical science and engineering professionals who can contribute to the sustainable development of human society with high-level specialty knowledge and an outstanding ethical perspective, and who can accommodate advancement and internationalization in developing medical technology and equipment with excellent knowledge and strong research abilities.

Admission Policy

Philosophy

Contribute to the realization of a healthy, long-lived society by promoting research on the development of new medical technologies utilizing cutting-edge science and engineering and by developing individuals who can pursue that research.

Educational Goals

Under the four basic philosophies of Hokkaido University (Frontier Spirit, Global Perspectives, All-round Education and Practical Learning), the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering aims to cultivate individuals who possess advanced expertise, broad perspectives and a strong sense of ethics, who are able to contribute to the sustainable development of society as specialists in biomedical science and engineering, who possess outstanding knowledge and excellent research abilities, and who are able to meet the demand for sophistication and globalization regarding various issues related to medical technology, medical device development and the like.

Desired Students

Master’s Program

(1)Knowledge, skills, interest and motivation

  • Desired students are those who are inquisitive and strongly interested in biomedical science and engineering and their underlying disciplines (science, engineering and medicine), and who have the basic academic and research abilities necessary for these studies
  • Desired students are those who are willing to contribute to the sustainable development of society as specialists in biomedical science and engineering by earnestly engaging in research utilizing acquired knowledge and technology

(2)Thinking, judgment and expressive abilities

  • Desired students are those with basic scientific thinking, ethics and logical thinking

(3)Openness to independent learning in collaboration with various people

  • Desired students are those who are willing to work independently on research that leads to the development of new medical technology in collaboration with people from various fields

What to learn before admission
【For graduates from science and engineering departments】
Basic knowledge and skills of medicine and medical care, general knowledge of science and engineering, and English skills sufficient for one to obtain internationally accepted information

【For graduates from health science and life science departments】
Basic knowledge and skills of science and engineering, general knowledge of medicine and medical care, and English skills sufficient for one to obtain internationally accepted information


Doctoral Program

(1)Knowledge, skills, interest and motivation

  • Desired students are those who are inquisitive and strongly interested in biomedical science and engineering and their underlying disciplines (science, engineering and medicine), and who have academic and research abilities necessary for these studies
  • Desired students are those who are willing to contribute to the sustainable development of society as specialists in biomedical science and engineering by earnestly engaging in research utilizing the acquired knowledge and technology

(2)Thinking, judgment and expressive abilities

  • Desired students are those with scientific thinking, ethics and logical thinking

(3)Openness to learning independently in collaboration with various people

  • Desired students are those who are willing to work independently on research that helps the development of new medical technology in collaboration with people from various fields

What to learn before admission
【For people with experience as full-time workers in society】
Professional knowledge and skills related to medical care or science and engineering, practical leadership, and English skills sufficient for one to obtain internationally accepted information

【For people without experience as full-time workers in society】
Professional knowledge and skills related to biomedical science and engineering or medicine, science and engineering, practical leadership, and English skills sufficient for one to obtain internationally accepted information

Basic Policy for Entrant Selection

Master’s Program
  • General entrance examination and entrance examination for working students
    Entrants are selected based on the following:
    • Paper on a given topic, oral examination, external English proficiency test, and statement of purpose for knowledge and skills
    • Oral examination and statement of purpose for interest and motivation
    • Paper on a given topic, oral examination, and statement of purpose for thinking, judgment and expressive abilities
    • Oral examination for openness to learning independently in collaboration with various people
  • Special selection for international students
    Entrants are selected based on the following:
    • Oral examination, external English proficiency test, and statement of purpose for knowledge and skills
    • Oral examination and statement of purpose for interest and motivation
    • Oral examination, and statement of purpose and research plan for thinking, judgment and expressive abilities
    • Oral examination for openness to learning independently in collaboration with various people
Entrance exam classification Knowledge, skills, interest and motivation Thinking, judgment and expressive abilities Openness to learning independently in collaboration with various people
General entrance examination and entrance examination for working students Paper on a given topic Paper on a given topic Oral examination
Oral examination Oral examination
External English proficiency test Statement of purpose
Statement of purpose
Special selection for international students Oral examination Oral examination Oral examination
External English proficiency test Statement of purpose
Statement of purpose

The mark ◎ indicates elements that are particularly important, and the mark ○ indicates elements that are important.

Doctoral Program
  • General entrance examination and entrance examination for working students
    Entrants are selected based on the following:
    • Paper on a given topic, oral examination, external English proficiency test, and statement of purpose and research plan for knowledge and skills
    • Oral examination and statement of purpose and research plan for interest and motivation
    • Paper on a given topic, oral examination, and statement of purpose and research plan for thinking, judgment and expressive abilities
    • Oral examination for openness to learning independently in collaboration with various people
  • Special selection for international students
    Entrants are selected based on the following:
    • Oral examination, external English proficiency test, and statement of purpose for knowledge and skills
    • Oral examination and statement of purpose for interest and motivation
    • Oral examination, and statement of purpose for thinking, judgment and expressive abilities
    • Oral examination for openness to learning independently in collaboration with various people
Entrance exam classification Knowledge, skills, interest and motivation Thinking, judgment and expressive abilities Openness to learning independently in collaboration with various people
General entrance examination and entrance examination for working students Paper on a given topic Paper on a given topic Oral examination
Oral examination Oral examination
External English proficiency test Statement of purpose and research plan
Statement of purpose and research plan
Special selection for international students Oral examination Oral examination Oral examination
External English proficiency test Statement of purpose
Statement of purpose

The mark ◎ indicates elements that are particularly important, and the mark ○ indicates elements that are important.

Diploma Policies (policies for conferring degrees)

The ability that the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering expects to instill as our educational goal is the ability to communicate, to cooperate, and adjust the various problems emerging between different fields and industries. In addition to this, we have planned the following for the abilities to be developed during the Master's and Doctoral Programs: The Master's degree and the Ph.D. degree are awarded to students who have successfully acquired these abilities, earned the required credits, and passed an examination and screening of an academic dissertation.

1) Master's Program

  • ① Quantum Biomedical Science and Engineering Course

    Students must acquire a thorough knowledge of quantum biomedical science and engineering, which is an academic framework to apply basic radiation physics knowledge developed from quantum mechanics to medical science, and also acquire specialized knowledge and skills in radiation therapy, particle therapy, and novel medical equipment related to these therapies.

  • ② Molecular Biomedical Science and Engineering Course

    Students must acquire a thorough knowledge of molecular biomedical science and engineering, an academic framework to apply science and engineering for in vivo molecules to medical science. Students are also expected to acquire specialized knowledge and skills in molecular imaging diagnostics, molecular biology, and radiation biology.

2) Doctoral Program

  • ① Quantum Biomedical Science and Engineering Course

    Students must acquire ability to play internationally leading roles in the quantum biomedical science and engineering field. Students are also expected to obtain a comprehensive knowledge and outstanding skills in leading the development of new medical equipment and technologies related to radiation therapy and particle therapy.

  • ② Molecular Biomedical Science and Engineering Course

    Students must acquire ability to play internationally leading roles in the molecular biomedical science and engineering field. Students are also expected to obtain a comprehensive knowledge and high level skills in research and development of new molecular image diagnostic equipment and drugs, oncolytic virotherapy, and radiation sensitizers.

Curriculum Policies (Curriculum Planning and the policies implementing it)

In the biomedical science and engineering field specified in the Diploma Policies, the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering incorporates the Quantum Medical Science Course and the Molecular Medical Science and Engineering Course, and offers a curriculum with unique approaches to meet student interests and the needs of their future careers. Through these courses, we will train specialists who can apply radiation physics developed from quantum mechanics to medical science, as well as function as specialists who can apply science and engineering concepts for in vivo molecules to medical science needs.

1) Interdisciplinary Subjects / Course Work

  • ① We offer lectures in interdisciplinary subjects of medicine, science, and engineering where students can learn the basic knowledge and skills of science and engineering as well as of medicine, in addition to the basic knowledge of medical science and medical ethics ("Introduction for Cooperation in Biomedical Science and Engineering", "Research Planning for Biomedical Science and Engineering Research", and others).
  • ② Considering the diversity of student backgrounds, we integrate the course work for students to complete the learning tasks systematically across multiple subjects.

2) Global Perspectives

  • ① We conduct world leading intensive lectures in medical physics education and radiation biology education in cooperation with internationally renowned universities and others ("Medical Physics School", and "Molecular Biomedical Science and Diagnosis School").
  • ② We offer subjects taught in English aiming at creating course work performed in English only ("Introduction for Cooperation in Biomedical Science and Engineering", "Research and Development of Medical Devices", "Advanced Course of Medical Device Clinical Research", "Particle Beam Medical Physics", "Physics and Engineering for Radiation Therapy", "Diagnostic Radiology for Biomedical Science and Engineering", etc.).

3) Methods of Education and Research for Career Development

  • ① Each student is provided with research support through the collaboration of the science, engineering, and medicine faculties.
  • ② To train "Biomedical science and engineering" specialists who are able to apply science and engineering to the development of medical science, we have established Hokkaido University Hospital in-house training subjects for medical professionals and medical engineers who will play active roles in medical settings as medical physicists ("Clinical Medical Physics Training (Quality Assurance))", "Clinical Medical Physics Training (Proton/Image-guided Radiation Therapy))", "Clinical Medical Physics Training (Treatment Planning)").
  • ③ Through actual cases of innovative development of medical equipment collaborating with industry, we offer subjects to train technical experts able to conduct research and development of medical equipment, and handle the quality control aspects ("Research and Development of Medical Devices" and others).

4) Developing skilled specialists with broad outlooks

  • ① We provide subjects where students can acquire a comprehensive medical-related industry-academia-government knowledge, which is different from that of science, engineering, and biology, including the historical background to biomedical science and engineering, the importance of statistics grounded in the diversity of life, medical economics, and medical administration including the development of medical equipment ("Introduction for Cooperation in Biomedical Science and Engineering", "Research and Development of Medical Devices").
  • ② We also have subjects which will enable students to acquire the basic knowledge and viewpoints of physics, application of physics to medicine, such as radiation therapy, particle therapy, and nuclear medicine ("Physics for Biomedical Science and Engineering").

5) Developing specialized personnel with high ethical standards

  • ① We offer subjects which will develop high ethical standards and the ethical knowledge required to conduct research and development of medical technology and medical equipment such as the basic medical ethics which is required to engage in "research related to human beings", the guidelines of clinical research and conflict of interest and more ("Introduction for Cooperation in Biomedical Science and Engineering", "Advanced Course of Medical Device Clinical Research").
  • ② We offer subjects which will enable students to obtain specialized knowledge of medical robots among other kinds of medical equipment and develop the ethical understanding required to conduct such research. ("Biomedical Engineering II").
  • ③ Through the instruction related to the research, students who are considered to require further study in ethical knowledge by different faculties are advised to take further ethical subjects (including basic medical ethics and a variety of ethical guidelines (medical information, genetic analysis, animal testing, clinical research, epidemiological research, ethics of study, and ethics in research involving humans)) provided by other graduate schools in the University.

Assessment Policy

I. Assessment Criteria
  1. Concerning academic assessment, based on the abilities required of students (degree-granting level) in the program as stated in the Diploma Policy of the Graduate School, achievement goals shall be set for each course subject, and assessment shall be based on achievement level of the students.
  2. No guidelines for grade distribution shall be given for course subjects in the program.
  3. It shall be possible to assess students' academic performance on a pass/fail basis only for courses in which classes are conducted as practical training.
  4. Every semester, the Student Affairs Committee shall verify that appropriate achievement goals have been set for each course as well as the results of grading based on these goals, and shall request the course instructor to reconsider the achievement goals as necessary.
II. Assessment Methods
  1. Academic assessment shall be based primarily on examination results, report evaluation, presentation of results, and attitude toward the study.
  2. Class attendance may not simply be scored and used for assessment.
  3. Students who have attended at least 2/3 of the class sessions shall be eligible for academic assessment.
  4. Specific assessment methods shall be determined by the course instructor.

Assessment Policy

Purpose

(1)
Based on the Hokkaido University Assessment Policy, the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering shall conduct educational assessment to meet the educational goals provided by the Diploma Policy.

Implementation System

(2)
The Dean shall be responsible for the educational assessment of the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering.
(3)
The educational assessment of the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering shall be conducted by the Student Affairs Committee of the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering.

Implementation and Analysis

(4)
The educational assessment of the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering shall be conducted using the assessment checklist separately provided.
(5)
Educational reforms based on the results of the assessment shall be made public.
(6)
Personal information relating to education shall be handled in compliance to the rules and regulations of Hokkaido University.