Program overview
Sericulture might sound a bit niche, but it's actually a fascinating agricultural major. Simply put, it's about learning how to raise silkworms, cultivate mulberry trees, and produce high-quality silk. Core courses include silkworm anatomy and physiology, silkworm pathology, mulberry cultivation, silkworm breeding, and silk cocoon science, along with some biotechnology and genetics. China is the birthplace of silk, with thousands of years of sericulture history, so domestic universities have deep expertise in this field. For example, Southwest University, Zhejiang University, and South China Agricultural University all have strong sericulture programs, and their labs may even preserve various rare silkworm strains. This major is suitable for students who enjoy hands-on work, are interested in biology and agriculture, and especially those who don't mind working with insects and are willing to get their hands dirty in the field.