Master’s and PhD Program Curriculum Planning

The Department of Life Sciences has different course requirements for master’s and doctoral programs:

The master’s program includes at least 20 credits of elective courses (including up to 8 credits from outside the department), 4 credits of required courses (seminars), and 6 credits of thesis research. The total graduation requirement is 30 credits (including thesis credits).

For students admitted in or after the 106th academic year (2017), the PhD program requires at least 14 credits of elective courses (including up to 6 credits from outside the department), 4 credits of seminars, and 12 credits of dissertation research, with a total of 30 credits (including dissertation credits). However, students directly admitted to the PhD program must complete at least 30 credits of required and elective coursework, with an additional 12 dissertation credits.

Required	Course Title	Credits	Remarks
Year 1, Semester 1	Seminar (I)	1	Classes are divided by research group
Year 1, Semester 2	Seminar (II)	1
Year 2, Semester 1	Seminar (III)	1
Year 2, Semester 2	Seminar (IV)	1
PhD Program	Thesis	12	Credits are awarded after oral defense
Master’s Program	Thesis	6
Electives	PhD: 14 credits (max 6 from outside department)		Must be completed before graduation
	Master’s: 20 credits (max 8 from outside department)
	Direct PhD entry: 26 credits

The curriculum for graduate students is designed by advisors, supervising professors, and the Graduate Program Committee. Students are required to take foundational biology courses to build a broad perspective, followed by advanced specialized courses to deepen their understanding of biological sciences. The curriculum integrates both macro- and micro-level perspectives, as well as theory and practice. Students must complete the required courses and credits (excluding thesis credits) before applying for degree examination.

According to the 110th Curriculum Committee of the university: “Starting from the 111th academic year (2022), master’s and doctoral students must complete the Graduate General Education requirement before graduation, including at least 6 hours of academic ethics, and at least 1 hour each of Chinese and English writing and communication skills.”

The curriculum structure for master’s and doctoral programs is shown below: