The graduate school aims to train "scholars who will engage in basic, social or clinical medicine or related studies, and those who are capable of assuming leadership positions in academic fields, medical practice, training, or administration". Recently, the school has undertaken plans to advance toward cutting-edge biomedicine and to practice more sophisticated clinical medicine, with a vision toward integrating medicine with science and engineering.
The PhD course comprises the following six disciplines: morphology, physiology, social medicine, internal medicine, surgery and advanced biomedical science. For further details about the program, please contact the individual departments directly.

For further information about admission procedure, please contact
Admission Department
Tokyo Women’s Medical University Graduate School
8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666
Tel: +81-3-3353-8112 ext. 22114 or 22115
Fax: +81-3-5269-7401

Four years (3 years in rare cases) of study are required. A doctoral degree is conferred on the candidates who acquire the necessary number of academic credits, have an academic dissertation approved, and pass the final examination.
Each discipline is divided into several sections. Each student chooses one of these sections as her major subject and, under the guidance of a professor who acts as her advisor, must earn at least 30 units, including 12 in general subjects, 15 in the major field, and 3 in elective subjects. The common subjects in the curriculum have been revised sequentially since 1994 and consist of comprehensive courses for the first and second half terms, lectures given by the professor in charge, and clinical practice in physiology, morphology, and social medicine. The comprehensive courses include animal experiments and the basics of ME equipment, medical data processing, medical research design, writing a medical thesis, and medical education. The content of the major and elective subjects (lectures, seminars, experiments, and clinical practice) is described in detail under the respective field in the Guide to the Graduate School.
If the need arises, a student may consult with professors other than those in her major field. In the latter half of the third year, each student gives a preliminary presentation of her doctoral thesis and is given an opportunity to ask for a critique and advice on the research content from the professors in charge and from other teaching staff. At the doctoral thesis evaluation and final examination, the student must personally present the thesis before the study committee and respond to questions, especially those posed by the chairman and assistant chairman of the committee. If the committee approves the results of the test, a doctoral degree is conferred upon the student. The same doctoral degree may also be conferred on those who are not enrolled in the doctoral program but meet all the requirements, pass the language proficiency test, submit a satisfactory thesis, and pass the prescribed examination.