Graduate Programs
Tzu Chi University offers a diverse range of graduate programs across medicine, health sciences, technology, humanities, and management. Explore our colleges and schools below to learn more about graduate study opportunities at Tzu Chi University.
College of Medicine
- Master Program in Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology
- Department of Physical Therapy
- Department of Public Health
- Department of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics
- Department of Medical lmaging and Radiological Sciences
- Master Program in Pharmacology and Toxicology
College of Nursing
College of Engineering and Technology
College of Management and Smart Sustainability
College of Management and Smart Sustainability
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering
Biomedical engineering combines engineering principles with biomedical sciences to design and create equipment, devices, and software required in healthcare. The Department of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering (BMSE) at Tzu Chi University (TCU) was established in 2023 to cultivate high-level biomedical engineers with multidisciplinary knowledge and practice in both engineering and biomedicine. We combine the teaching and research faculties of the Department of Physical Therapy and the Department of Medical Informatics, and closely cooperate with Tzu Chi Medical Foundation in clinical aspects, expanding to various biomedical engineering development, such as biomaterials, tissue engineering, nanomaterials, biomechanics, biophotonics, biosensors, and bioinformatics. We are committed to innovating and strengthening the clinical medical treatment, diagnosis, and medical care, and cultivating multidisciplinary professional biomedical engineering scientific and technological talents, which will be of great help to the development of the biomedical industry. Welcome to join the BMSE department at TCU!
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology
The department’s educational goal is to cultivate talents with broad general knowledge and humanistic qualities. The professional development trend aims to equip students with strong language skills, rich humanistic literacy, professional medical laboratory skills, and biotechnology abilities, as well as the ability to conduct experiments and analyze and interpret data. The department provides an excellent learning environment that integrates theory and practical application, actively enriching students’ professional knowledge in medical laboratory science and their humanistic literacy, thereby elevating medical technology education.
Department of Physical Therapy
Adhering to the school motto of “compassion, joy, and equanimity,” this department cultivates physical therapy professionals with humanistic qualities and professional ethics, and implements the concept of lifelong learning and holistic care for health promotion.
Department of Public Health
Introduction to the Department of Public Health and Master’s Program at Tzu Chi University
The curriculum of the Department of Public Health and Graduate School of Tzu Chi University is designed based on the university’s educational mission and goals, taking into account the practical development trends in the field of public health both domestically and internationally, and incorporating local characteristics to better meet the professional qualities required of public health professionals in Taiwan. The Department of Public Health currently requires 128 credits for graduation, including core university courses and compulsory public health courses. In addition to the compulsory university and departmental courses, the department’s curriculum is divided into four professional groups based on public health: Environmental and Occupational Health, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Health Administration and Management, and Biostatistics and Epidemiology. Graduate school graduation requires 28 credits, of which 13 credits are compulsory (excluding the 6 credits for the master’s thesis). The compulsory curriculum for both domestic and international students includes the public health research methodology and seminars emphasized by the graduate school, as well as the core subjects of biostatistics and epidemiology. All of these are offered in both Chinese and English; the rest are elective courses. International students can also choose relevant courses entirely in English based on their research topics.
Department of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics
Historical Development
This department was formed by merging the faculty and facilities of the original “Institute of Molecular Biology and Cell Biology” and “Institute of Human Genetics” of this university, and adding an undergraduate division. As the two institutes were similar in nature, they had long supported each other and shared equipment. In order to solve the previous situation where it was difficult to recruit more faculty and the recruitment of students was scattered by each institute, the two institutes reached a consensus through their respective meetings, which was approved by the university council and submitted to the Ministry of Education for approval. In August 2008, they were merged into the “Department (Institute) of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics”. After the merger, the teaching and research resources of the two institutes were effectively integrated and the faculty was strengthened.
Departmental Mission
To cultivate students’ understanding of the latest trends in biotechnology development and to train them to possess the knowledge and skills required for research or industry.
Educational goals:
Bachelor’s Degree Program: To cultivate talents with basic knowledge of molecular biology and human genetics, as well as experimental skills.
Master’s Program: To cultivate professionals with knowledge and research capabilities in molecular biology and human genetics.
Department of Medical lmaging and Radiological Sciences
This department specializes in medical radiologist certification. The pass rate for the national medical radiologist examination for graduating students has consistently been significantly higher than the national average. Graduates excel in the job market, finding employment in major hospitals across Taiwan, working as medical radiologists and medical physicists in departments such as imaging medicine, radiation oncology, and nuclear medicine. Tzu Chi Medical Mission has branches throughout Taiwan, including hospitals in Taipei, Taichung, Dalin, Hualien, Yuli, Guanshan, and Douliu, further enhancing students’ employment prospects. Graduates can also pursue diverse career paths, such as taking the radiation safety college entrance examination and the customs special examination for civil service positions, working for foreign medical equipment companies, or pursuing academic teaching.
Master Program in Pharmacology and Toxicology
Under the vision and blueprint for institutional development, the program trains Master’s and Ph.D. students in the Huadong region and across the country, equipping them with expertise in both pharmacology and toxicology.
Educational Goals
Master’s Program: Cultivating professionals with expertise in pharmacology and toxicology, along with research capabilities.
Ph.D. Program: Cultivating professionals with logical analysis and independent research capabilities in pharmacology and toxicology.
Department of Nursing
With the spirit of compassion, joy, and equanimity, we cultivate in society a culture of “respect for life and putting people first.”
Outstanding individuals who embrace the ideals of helping others and practice the spirit of volunteer service.
Bachelor’s Degree Program: Cultivating nursing professionals with a blend of humanities and professional expertise
1. Critical thinking and communication
2. Teamwork
3. Information literacy
4. Altruism and civic virtue
Graduate Institute of Long-term Care
1. Knowledge in advanced long-term care practices and management
2. The ability to apply empirical evidence and research skills
3. Practical skills in social care and service
4. Multiculturalism and an international outlook
5. Cross-disciplinary teamwork and integration skills
6. Autonomous and lifelong learning
Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering
The department was established in 2002. It is the first medical informatics department in Taiwan, R.O.C. Our mission is to promote the application of information technology to healthcare so that both the quality and efficiency of healthcare may be improved. Typical teaching and research areas include bioinformatics, medical information processing, healthcare information systems, technology for healthcare, and computer-aided diagnosis. We teach undergraduate students with preferences on either technology or medical science. The Master program was established since 2004, and the Ph.D. program starts since 2006 (a program in the institute of medical sciences). To enhance undergraduate students’ skills in specialized domains, the undergraduate program is split to two divisions since 2006: medical informatics technology and bioinformatics.
Master Program in Sustainability and Disaster Management
- Resilience in Sustainability and Disaster Management
- Interdisciplinary Integration and Systems Thinking
- Lifelong Learning with Information Tools
- Critical Thinking (Identifying, Analyzing, and Solving Problems)
Institute of Religion and Humanities
We prepare students to become professionals who are capable of carrying out religious research, religious education or religious service. Students will thoroughly explore the relationship between faith, action and healing.
Students will start from studying religious texts and gaining firsthand experience from daily practice, such as loving themselves and caring for others.
Later, they will write their research papers, meanwhile, practicing what they have learned in the field they are associated with, such as medicine, education, charity, counseling, humanistic culture, communications, etc. As a result, students will enhance their knowledge and enrich their practices. Our special features are as follows:
From studying the theories and philosophies of religious texts, anthropology, psychology, and phenomenology, students will learn religious doctrine, dogma and experience, such as how religions alleviate and heal societal and individual sufferings.
Our research is action-oriented, mainly employing an empirical approach and puts relevant theories into use. The Institute provides students ample opportunities to acquire humanistic, sociological, and other practical experience, enabling them to expand their horizons from knowledge and actual experience.
Institute of Education
Based on our school motto, “mercy, compassion, joy and giving”, we cultivate students to cherish life, practice kindness and compassion, and become the commissioners to serve others. The goal of this institute is to train individuals in educational field to become the professionals who are willing to learn lifelong, can speculate and analyze wisely, cooperate with team members, possess the Tzu Chi humanity spirit to serve the people in need, and own the professionalism and ability to do educational research.Our ultimate mission is to become a “role model of universities in aspects of humanities and professionalism”.
The goal of this institute is also to cultivate the individuals who are outstanding on professional knowledge, feeling, thought and conduct; care about other people, respect their own profession and willing to cooperate and communicate with people.
Education goal:
To cultivate professional individuals in educational field who can think wisely and analyze, can cooperate with team members, active in community service, respect life and willing to learn lifelong, and have educational professionalism and ability to do research.
Basic capacity of student:
1. Ability to explore knowledge actively
2. Communication skills
3. Accomplishment of Team work
4. Community service and spirit of altruism
Core ability of student
1. Ability to do academic researches
2. Ability to perform the educational missions
Department of Social Work
The department includes a BSW (Bachelor of Social Work) program and a MSW (Master of Social Work) program. The MSW program of social work started in 1998. The BSW program of social work started in 2000. Graduates from the programs pass the licensure exam at a rate that surpasses the national averages. The programs are very popular with employers. In the past five years, every graduate has either gotten a job or been accepted into graduate school. There are more than 50 internship agencies affiliated with the programs.
The department’s full-time faculty are doctorally prepared social work educators and researchers who assign equal importance to teaching and scholarly work. The faculty’s areas of expertise cover direct and indirect social work. Their specialties are diverse, including: children, youth, elderly, women, disabled, family, community, social assistance, and counseling psychology.
The department upholds the motto of Tzu Chi University. The BSW program aims to nurture students to be professional social workers with compassion to save the world. The MSW program aims to nurture students to be professional social workers with the ability of rendering assistance, conducting research, and performing supervisory functions. With the support of Buddhist Companion Relief TCBC Foundation, the department offers students opportunities to earn extra academic credits through service learning.
Department of Oriental Language and Literature
The eastern part of Taiwan has been considerably influenced by Japanese culture and Hualien is a popular Japanese tourist destination.
In the past, there were no university or college language departments in the eastern region offering Japanese studies. Therefore, in 2001, the Department of Oriental Language and Literature was established within Tzu Chi University’s College of Humanities and Social Science.
The Department cultivates students specializing in both Japanese and Chinese. Thus, while nurturing students as foreign language talents, the Department of Oriental Language and Literature does not neglect teaching students Chinese.
To meet the needs of academic professionalism, the department set up the Chinese Group and Japanese Group separately, in 2004, and established a graduate institute in 2011.
Mission
To carry forward humanistic spirit and foster knowledge and skills in Chinese / Japanese language and literature.
Educational Aims
Graduate Institute
- To cultivate humanistic spirit and train independent thinking.
- To develop and apply Chinese / Japanese language and culture research.
Department of Communication Studies
- Dedicated to developing students’ solid proficiency in English and other foreign languages, along with the professional competencies required of globally minded talents. It also emphasizes humanistic literacy and a strong sense of social responsibility.
- By integrating emerging technologies such as AI, AR/VR, and multimedia, the curriculum encompasses professional English for business, tourism, and MICE industries, English language teaching, literature, and a second foreign language. Through this cross-disciplinary approach, the program aims to cultivate innovative and versatile English (and foreign language) professionals prepared for the demands of a rapidly evolving world.
Department of Information Technology and Management
ur school’s educational philosophy is guided by the motto “Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity”; its guiding principle is “Equal Emphasis on Professionalism and Humanities”; and its goals are “Moral Education, Life Education, and Holistic Education” to cultivate outstanding students with great love, gratitude, respect, and care. In response to industry trends, social dynamics, and the cultivation of talent for Tzu Chi’s mission, and in accordance with the school’s long-term development plan and integrating our educational philosophy, our department’s student development goals are planned around a multi-faceted development approach, with “AI Big Data” and “Digital Multimedia” as the main themes . The main content includes courses related to App development, cloud computing applications, big data, digital content design, and interactive multimedia design. To align with government policies and realize the goals of “implementing high-quality, practical, and applicable vocational education, cultivating industry professionals, and strengthening industry competitiveness,” we not only provide students and faculty with the highest quality research and learning resources, enriching faculty research knowledge, keeping them abreast of current academic developments and global trends, but also aim to lead academic trends.
Department of Health Administration
The main developmental focuses are related to medical and health administration. Our teaching objective is to “cultivate personnel with humanistic qualities and professional skills in the medical and health administration industry.” The department has two major modules, the (1) smart health administration module and the (2) institution management and administration module (including medical and long-term care institutions). We also focus on developing long-term care management with the regional characteristics of Eastern Taiwan. This is expanded to areas of future societal needs in Taiwan, such as medical care tourism, preventive medicine and health promotion, and smart living. Furthermore, the department emphasizes applying advanced information technology (e.g., wearable devices, Internet of Things, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and cloud services) to health service administration. The aim is to create unique characteristics in the department and enhance the competitiveness of our students.