Nutritional Management

Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. Everyone desires to live a one-time life with a healthy mind and body. Nutritional science allows us to make this notion a reality. In this department, students integrally study findings on nutritional science and acquire the knowledge and skills to become a specialist with the national qualification of "registered dietitian."

Our Philosophy/Policy

Education and Research Purpose

The Department of Health and Nutrition aims to train students, based on the Christian doctrine of love that is our education philosophy, to acquire the ability to explore what constitutes human health and nutrition from a broad perspective and understand it scientifically and logically and the ability to put it into practice and also to cultivate "food" experts having both rich humanity and advanced expertise who can contribute to society.

Message from Department Chairman

Aiming to become a registered dietitian who can think and take action on their own

Japan is becoming the world’s most rapidly aging society at an unprecedented rate. In such an aging society, one of the challenges we face is to extend the healthy life expectancy and reduce medical costs. In order to survive in such social circumstances, a registered dietitian needs to be able to understand information in scientific papers, have insight into the truth of media information and appropriately provide accurate data. In other words, it becomes important for a registered dietitian to possess logical and critical thinking. Viewed from the opposite side, by receiving accurate information and providing it to target people as specialists in nutritional science, registered dietitians may be able to transform a part of Japanese society through “nutrition” and “food.”

In addition, students who acquire a liberal arts education may be able to change the world through “nutrition” and “food” that benefits a wide range of people of all ages and both sexes, even those in utero, by addressing the challenge previously described for the aged, preventing diseases or pre-symptomatic diseases for the middle-aged and elderly, imparting the importance of food to children in line with the proverb, “the child is father of the man,” and providing information based on the DOHaD study to pregnant and nursing women.

To that end, the Department of Health and Nutrition provides students with classes mainly in the fields related to human health such as clinical nutritional science (relationship between diseases and nutrition), nutrition education (causes of behavioral changes related to “food” in humans) and public nutrition (nutritional science useful in local communities) and also in the technical fields such as culinary arts and meal service business administration.

Finally, I sincerely hope that students will acquire the abilities to think and take action on their own in our university and create space in the male-dominated Japanese society using the qualification of registered dietitian as a weapon. This exemplifies why learning at a women's university is of great significance.

学科長 大久保 剛

Points of learning

  1. Students explore what constitutes human health and nutrition from a broad perspective.

    Students learn the relationship between appropriate balance, food environment, diseases, etc., acquire correct information and skills and develop a spirit of inquiry.
  2. Students acquire the ability to understand concepts scientifically and logically and utilize such knowledge and judgement in practice.

    We foster human resources who can understand individual food environments and implement nutritional management or guidance based on scientific evidence in modern society where eating habits are diversified.
  3. We foster experts in “food” who have humanity to contribute to society.

    We foster registered dietitians who will lead a society in which people can live in good health, both mentally and physically, have both rich humanity and advanced expertise and play active roles in various fields.

Introduction of Courses

Nutritional Management

Students can obtain the qualification of dietitian upon graduation. In addition, this university has been designated as a registered dietitian training facility and students are automatically qualified to take the national examination for registered dietitian upon graduation. In modern society where with the declining birthrate and aging population, people wish to live a long healthy life, human resources are required that provide appropriate dietary education that suits each human life stage from infancy to old age and provide people with guidance on proper dietary habits. Social needs for registered dietitians at medical institutions, social welfare institutions, schools, administrative bodies, etc. have become diversified year by year.

Qualifications that can be obtained
  • - Dietitian
  • - Qualification for taking the national examination for registered dietitian
  • - Nutrition Educator License Class 1
  • - Qualification for taking the examination for Food Specialist
  • - Food Sanitation Supervisor (qualification for appointment)
  • - Food Sanitation Inspector (qualification for appointment)
  • - Social Welfare Officer (qualification for appointment)
  • - Senior Information Processing Engineer
  • - Information Processing Engineer
  • - Japanese Language Teacher (Certificate of Completion of Japanese Language Teaching Course)

Policy for admission of new students

(1)Students sought by the Department of Health and Nutrition
  1. We seek students who understand the purpose and goals of our education facility and have a high interest in and a desire to learn about health, food, nutrition, lifestyle-related diseases and dietary education.
  2. We seek students who are committed to contributing to communities in the fields of medical care, welfare, provision of meals, administration and education where a high level of expertise is required and spare no effort to realize it.
(2)High school study requirements (learning goals in high school)
  1. Students should have acquired, in high school, a fundamental knowledge of "biology" or "chemistry" which becomes the basis for understanding the mechanism of the human body, sciences of food and nutrition, etc.
  2. Students should maintain an interest in the fields of activity of registered dietitians in society and the contents of works so that they can specifically envisage them.

Policy on organizing and implementing curricula

In order to achieve the Diploma Policy of the Department of Health and Nutrition, the following curriculum is designed to meet the requirements of dietitians through common undergraduate courses and specialized courses.

General knowledge and education

Content
The basic knowledge required to be a registered dietitian (natural science areas) will be placed primarily in the first two levels. This will lead smoothly to the study of specialized areas by means of subjects in the fields of the human body, disease, physiology and biochemistry, and nutrition.
The "Basic Exercise in Health and Nutrition" is designed to improve the basic skills necessary for studying specialized subjects, and the "Theory of Health and Nutrition" is designed to study the history of the development of nutrition and dietetics, global nutritional issues, lifestyle-related diseases, the dignity of life and bioethics, and to understand the sense of mission of a dietitian.

Method
Active learning will be combined as appropriate according to the class format of lectures, exercises, experiments, and practical training.

Evaluation
For lectures, the degree of achievement toward the learning objectives will be comprehensively evaluated based on written examinations, reports, participation in lectures, etc. For experiments and practical training, the level of achievement toward the learning objectives will be comprehensively evaluated based on written examinations, reports, participation, and the content of presentations.

Generic knowledge and skills

Content
The third and fourth years focus on on-site practical training and comprehensive exercises, which are subjects that provide developmental content (cross-disciplinary learning content) for the "specialized fields" of dietitians. This allows students to learn the ethics, knowledge, and skills of a registered dietitian, and to acquire an awareness and practical skills as a registered dietitian.

Method
Active learning will be combined as appropriate according to the class format of lectures, exercises, experiments, and practical training.

Evaluation
For lectures, the degree of achievement toward the learning objectives will be comprehensively evaluated based on written examinations, reports, participation in lectures, etc. For experiments and practical training, the level of achievement toward the learning objectives will be comprehensively evaluated based on written examinations, reports, participation, and the content of presentations.

Specialized knowledge and skills

Content
Specialty subjects are divided into "Basic Specialty Fields," "Specialty Fields," and "Others," with emphasis on the training of dietitians in the "Basic Specialty Fields" and "Specialty Fields. In the "basic specialized fields," there are subjects related to the relationship between society and the environment and health, the structure and function of the human body, the origin of disease, and food and health. In the "specialized fields," there will be courses in basic nutrition, applied nutrition, nutrition education, clinical nutrition, public nutrition, and food service management and administration. The "Specialty" includes field practice and general practice as developmental subjects of the "Specialty".
In the "Other" section of the Specialty Courses, the curriculum is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to become food professionals related to health and nutrition. Specifically, the curriculum includes subjects necessary for obtaining the Food Specialist, Food Hygiene Manager, and Food Hygiene Observer certifications. In addition, courses necessary to obtain educational qualifications are included to enable students to obtain a first-class nutrition teacher's license.

Method
Students will study in lectures, exercises, and practical training necessary to obtain qualifications, and will combine active learning as appropriate to deepen their understanding. In addition, in the experiment and practical training courses, students will enhance their adaptability to the field and develop more practical skills through pre- and post-teaching and actual experiments and practical training.

Evaluation
For lectures, the degree of achievement toward the learning objectives will be comprehensively evaluated based on written examinations, reports, participation in lectures, etc. For experiments and practical training, the level of achievement toward the learning objectives will be comprehensively evaluated based on written examinations, reports, participation, and the content of presentations.

Attitude/Intentionality

Content
As a special field of study, we will place a specialized course on sports nutrition, especially for students interested in the field of sports nutrition.

Method
The course will be offered in the form of lectures or exercises, combined with active learning as appropriate.

Evaluation
For lectures, the degree of achievement toward the learning objectives will be comprehensively evaluated based on written examinations, reports, participation in lectures, etc. For experiments and practical training, the level of achievement toward the learning objectives will be comprehensively evaluated based on written examinations, reports, participation, and the content of presentations.

Integrated learning experiences and creative thinking skills

Content
In the third year, there will be Health and Nutrition Research Methods I and Health and Nutrition Research Methods II (seminars), in which small-group instruction will be provided. In the fourth year, there is a graduation research course.

Method
Students will acquire the ability to set issues and think about methods for solving them. In seminars, students will strive to understand the research methods that will form the basis of their studies, and in their graduation research, they will develop these methods and deal with themes that actually solve problems.

Evaluation
Comprehensive and multifaceted evaluation of the student's attitude toward problem solving and the results of such efforts.

Policy on Graduation Approval and Degree Conferment

DP1: Generic Knowledge and Skills

Students shall understand human eating behaviors and food environments and acquire the basics of practical methods to provide support and take measures on health and nutrition issues based on evidence-based criteria.

  1. Understanding of various values and social structures and the ability to communicate effectively.
  2. Understanding of social systems, laws, and regulations related to health and nutrition and the ability to engage in public nutrition activities.
  3. Ability to practice nutritional management for able-bodied people, the sick and wounded, people who require nursing care, and people with disabilities, among others.
DP2: Specialized Knowledge and Skills

Students shall have awareness as registered dietitians with expertise in various specialized fields related to health and food.

  1. Acquisition of basic qualifications and abilities required of registered dietitians.
  2. Acquisition of basic science necessary to practice nutritional management.
  3. Acquisition of epidemiological knowledge and skills required for nutritional management in a social environment.
DP3: Attitude/Intentionality

Students shall acquire a fundamental grounding in contributing to society with humanism and a sense of ethics and building trusting relationships with people.

  1. Understanding of ethics and the sense of mission required of registered dietitians.
  2. Motivation to contribute to the maintenance and improvement of health, prevention, and treatment of diseases for the improvement of people's quality of life.
  3. Attitude to study in cooperation with various people, taking the initiative.
  4. Ability to make sound judgments on various problems and take responsible actions.
DP4: Integrative Learning Experiences and the Ability to Think Creatively

Students shall acquire basic specialized knowledge about human health and nutrition, as well as the origins of diseases.

  1. Ability to comprehensively utilize knowledge acquired at the college, identify various problems, and create methods to solve them.
  2. Pride as a nutrition professional and the motivation and plan to continue lifelong learning.
  3. Pursuit of lifelong study subjects on nutritional science.