Program overview
Biological science is a fundamental discipline that studies the phenomena and laws of life. You will explore everything from microscopic genes and proteins to macroscopic ecosystems. Core courses include biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, and ecology, with a heavy emphasis on lab work—such as PCR, microscopy, and animal dissection. If you're curious about questions like 'Why does DNA determine traits?' or 'How do cells work?' and don't mind spending time in the lab, this major is a great fit. Chinese universities have unique strengths in biological sciences: for example, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, and the University of Science and Technology of China boast world-class research platforms, with many labs directly involved in cutting-edge international projects (such as rice genomics and stem cell research). Additionally, institutes under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (e.g., Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences) offer students abundant internship and research opportunities.