College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Presently, TMDU is the only national university in Japan with a faculty of liberal arts. All students matriculated at Tokyo Medical and Dental University spend their first year at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Kounodai Campus. Selected courses are also offered for students majoring in medicine and dentistry at TMDU’s Yushima Campus.

To become health professionals who can contribute to a global society, students need to develop the intellectual capacity to appreciate diverse cultures and values, and the emotional capacity to understand and empathize with others. To this end, our curriculum combines liberal arts education and pre-health education. At the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, students encounter a variety of ideas in and beyond their specific majors, and forge friendships that may last a lifetime.

We have these aims for students in the College:
1) To develop as civic-minded professionals who can participate in a global society
2) To develop the scientific and analytic mindset needed both to identify and solve problems
3) To acquire the communication skills required to contribute to the global healthcare profession
4) To acquire the strong foundation needed to support future study

Students at the College take a mix of required courses and electives. These include the basic courses in Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences which students need in order to become full-fledged members of the international healthcare community. In these courses, students learn about the ethical standards of the healthcare profession, develop their understanding of societal and natural issues, discover how to motivate themselves in research and problem solving, and improve their ability to communicate with others.

Humanities and Social Sciences
Through Literature, Philosophy, Sociology, and other courses, students acquire basic knowledge in the Humanities and Social Sciences and learn different methodologies to build a foundation for future study in their fields and for post-first-year “Themes in Liberal Arts” courses. Students can also select from a variety of seminars designed to give them the opportunity to conduct research and write essays on topics they choose for themselves. Titles of recent essays written by students include “Incompleteness and Memory in Norwegian Wood” and “Face-to-face Communication—How ‘I’ Came to Be.”

Natural Science
In Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology courses, students learn how the different methodologies aim to understand nature, and in doing so build a strong foundation for future study in their fields. They acquire basic knowledge, and are trained in logical thinking and scientific skills through lecture courses and lab work. Introductory classes are provided for students who have not taken high-school Physics, Chemistry, or Biology.

Foreign Languages
Through the study of English as well as French, German, Spanish, or Chinese, students obtain skills required for successful international communication. In the process of doing so, students deepen their understanding of other societies, cultures, and values. Where English courses are concerned, students are streamed according to proficiency.

Fitness Management
Through “Total Fitness” lectures and physical training, students build awareness of the proper functioning of their own bodies. Health professionals need to learn how to manage their own bodies before they can make determinations about or perform procedures on the bodies of others. The Fitness Management course helps students to acquire this ability.

Topics in Integrated Studies
All first-year students take a “Topics in Integrated Studies” course in the spring term of their first year. Students hold discussions, conduct research, and give a group presentation at the end of the term. Two instructors per group are available when needed for consultation. As part of this course, students also attend classes on academic writing and academic literacy and learn how to look for sources, raise issues, and present research as college students.

Post-first-year courses
For students majoring in medicine and dentistry, the College also offers “Themes in Liberal Arts”--Required Electives and Seminars on Humanities and Social Sciences--at TMDU’s Yushima Campus. Also on the Yushima campus, the College offers Life Science and Science Problem-Based Learning (PBL) courses for second-year dental students.