Core curriculum
A. Undergraduate program
1. General compulsory courses:
|
Year
|
Course title
|
Credit(s)
|
|
1
|
CALCULUS (1)(2)(3)
|
2+2+2
|
|
General Physics (b)(1)(2)
|
3+3
|
|
General Physics Lab. (1)(2)
|
1+1
|
|
General Chemistry (c)
|
3
|
|
General Chemistry Lab.
|
1
|
|
Organic Chemistry
|
3
|
|
Organic Chemistry Lab.
|
1
|
|
General Biology (b)(1)(2)
|
2+2
|
|
General Biology Lab. (b)(1)(2)
|
1+1
|
|
Introduction to Biochemical Science and Technology
|
1
|
|
2
|
Analytical Chemistry (b)(1)(2)
|
2+2
|
|
Analytical Chemistry Lab. (b)(1)(2)
|
1+1
|
|
Biochemistry(Ⅰ)(Ⅱ)
|
4+4
|
|
Biochemistry Lab.
|
2
|
|
Bio-Organic Chemistry
|
2
|
|
Physical Biochemistry (1)
|
2
|
|
Microbiology (1)(2)
|
2+2
|
|
Microbiology Lab
|
2
|
|
Special Research Topics in Biochemical Science and Technology
|
1
|
|
3
|
Biostatistics
|
3
|
|
Molecular Biology
|
4
|
|
Biotechnology Core Techniques
|
4
|
|
4
|
Seminar (Ⅰ) (Ⅱ)
|
1+1
|
|
Research Training (Ⅰ)
|
2
|
2. Selective compulsory courses:
The selective compulsory courses are divided into two groups. Students must choose at least 1 course from each group; a total of at least 8 credits is required.
Group A
|
Course title
|
Credit(s)
|
|
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
|
2
|
|
Applied Microbiology Lab
|
2
|
|
Immunology
|
3
|
|
Systems Microbiology
|
2
|
|
Microbial Physiology
|
2
|
|
Introduction to Structural Biology
|
2
|
Group B
|
Course title
|
Credit(s)
|
|
Nutritional Biochemistry
|
2
|
|
Nutritional Biochemistry Lab
|
2
|
|
Protein Chemistry
|
2
|
|
Fundamentals and Frontiers of Biotechnology
|
3
|
|
Biomedical Analysis
|
3
|
|
Principles and Applications of Biochemical Techniques
|
2
|
B. Graduate program
1.General compulsory courses:
|
Course title
|
Credit(s)
|
|
Thesis (Master), Dissertation (Ph. D.)
|
0
|
|
Seminar
|
1+1+1+1
|
|
Research Methods in Biochemical Science and Technology
|
1+1
|
|
Graduate Student Orientation
|
1
|
2.Selective compulsory courses:
|
Course title
|
Credit(s)
|
|
Endocrinology & Metabolism
|
2
|
|
Molecular Genetics
|
3
|
|
Plant Molecular Biology
|
3
|
|
Biostatistics I (Ⅰ)
|
3
|
|
Cell and Developmental Biology
|
3
|
|
Fundamentals and Frontiers of Biotechnology
|
3
|
|
Microbial Physiology
|
2
|
|
Plant Secondary Metabolism
|
2
|
|
Practical Protein Crystallization
|
1
|
|
Nutritional Epidemiology
|
2
|
|
Nutritional Biochemistry
|
2
|
|
Introduction to Structural Biology
|
2
|
|
Biomolecular Kinetics
|
2
|
|
Molecular Biology
|
4
|
|
Economical Mycology
|
2
|
|
Virology
|
2
|
|
Immunology
|
3
|
|
Special Topic in Nutraceuticals and Botanical Drugs Research
|
2
|
|
Applied Immunology
|
2
|
|
Cell Biology
|
3
|
|
Frontiers of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine
|
2
|
|
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
|
2
|
|
Introduction to Regenerative Medicine
|
2
|
|
Enzymology Laboratory
|
3
|
|
Systems Biotechnology
|
2
|
|
Systems Microbiology
|
2
|
|
Enzyme Purification and Analysis
|
2
|
|
Principles and Applications of Biochemical Techniques
|
2
|
|
Biomedical Analysis
|
3
|
|
Protein Chemistry
|
2
|
|
Enzyme Analysis Methods
|
2
|
|
Protein Folding, Modification, and Diseases
|
2
|
|
Introductory Microscopic Biophysics
|
2
|
|
Antibody Production and Applications
|
3
|
|
Enzyme Purification Methods
|
2
|
|
Protein Structure and Function
|
2
|
|
Plant Cell and Tissue Cultures
|
2
|
|
Plant Cell and Tissue Culture Lab
|
2
|
|
Proteomics
|
1
|
|
Genomics
|
2
|
|
Tools for proteomics
|
1
|
Prospects
A. Education
With our current faculty composition, we have a research platform that covers a diversity of fields, including the medical science branch, which is focused on the human body, the biotechnology branch, which is centered on plants and microorganisms, and the molecular science and bioengineering branch, which is based on chemistry and engineering, enabling students to saunter among different research systems following their personal interests. Utilizing the upper-level research training courses, students can choose one of the laboratories among the various fields to acquire basic research training according to their interests, which helps to close the gap between the knowledge provided in classes and the research and development front line.
After proceeding to learn about various biochemical and experimental tools, students can make plans to enter the field of biochemical science for basic research or the biotechnology industry for applied research in the future. If they see themselves continuing with academia, they can apply for the master or PhD degree program of the Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, which has been established in 2000 by the merging of our department and the Institute of Microbiology and Biochemistry (MBC), and immediately carry on with the graduate program studies after graduating.
Our curriculum provides students with outstanding academic performance with the opportunity to graduate early in three and a half years or even three years. If the students have submitted applications and have been admitted at the time they graduate, they can directly begin their graduate program studies. Therefore, students can acquire both the undergraduate and graduate degrees in as less as five years.
B. Career prospects
Among the departments associated with life sciences, our most unique feature is that we can “see” the industry and its products. Our students will be equipped to participate in the development of products seen in convenience stores or drugstores, including biopharmaceuticals, food or functional food products, liquor, cosmetics, glucose meters, biomedical analysis chips, and biochemistry-based specialized chemical products; they will also be able to develop careers in different bio-industry fields, including those focused on bio-alcohol, biomedical materials, and green industry, or pharmaceutical biotechnology industry fields, such as the exploring of active ingredients in plants and Chinese herbal medicine or the research and development of antibody drugs, immunomodulation technology, cancer treatment, stem cell and regenerative medicine therapy, etc. These are all fields in which our students can develop a career in. Moreover, as students will have established a strong biochemistry foundation and a background in biotechnology theory and practice at the completion of this program, they will become valuable hires in the industry.
In addition to industry training, academic research is also one of the career paths offered by the program. In the fields of biology and biomedicine, life science phenomena can be more clearly understood from the perspective of biochemistry at the molecular level. Moreover, being equipped with the molecular level perspective and familiarity with two fields, our graduates have presented outstanding performances in the fields of biomedicine, plant science, microbiology, and even chemistry, both within the country and across the world, and are widely distributed, from honorary academicians of Academia Sinica to biotechnology, life science, chemistry and chemical engineering professors in public and private universities.
Networking is the secret to career success. Graduates from the Agricultural Product Manufacturing Division of the undergraduate program and Biochemistry Division, Nutritional Science Division, Bio-Industry Division, and Microbiology Division of the graduate program of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry, one of our predecessors, from the past 70 years and more, are all seniors to students of the Department of Biochemical Science and Technology. Among these graduates, there have been countless honorary academicians of Academia Sinica, CEOs in the industry, heads of important government departments, and professors. They are undoubtedly familiar with the development background of the Department of Biochemical Science and Technology; being the seniors of our students, they are able to facilitate smoother career paths across the industry, government, and academia.