Training Program for Master's Degree in Engineering Professional Degree at Wuhan Institute of Technology

Code: 086000

The Name of Professional Degree Category：Biology and Medicine.

Training Objectives：

The Master of Professional Degree in Biology and Medicine is designed to meet the needs of building an innovative country and addressing the demand for engineering-applied and innovative talents in national major projects and key scientific and technological research initiatives. It aims to cultivate talents who uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of China and adhere to the direction of socialism with Chinese characteristics for the fields of life sciences, biotechnology, environmental ecology, and the pharmaceutical and medical industry. These talents should possess solid basic theories, advanced technical methods, and modern technological tools in the discipline, have a high level of foreign language proficiency and computer application skills, and demonstrate certain innovative capabilities and good professional ethics. They will be engaged in applied research, engineering application, engineering practice, engineering technology, and management work. Discipline Introduction and Research Directions：

The discipline of Biology and Medicine covers two professional fields: Biotechnology and Engineering, and Pharmaceutical Engineering. The first-level discipline has 70 full-time faculty members, including 1 recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, 1 leading talent in innovation under the National "Ten Thousand Talents Program", 1 expert selected into the "Class A" of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Hundred Talents Program, and more than 20 high-level talents at the provincial and ministerial levels such as those supported by the Ministry of Education's New Century Excellent Talents Support Program and Hubei Province's "Chutian Scholars Program" Distinguished Professors. It undertakes more than 100 vertical scientific research projects, including national key R&D programs, National Natural Science Foundation projects, and key projects of Hubei Provincial Natural Science Foundation. As a key discipline in Hubei Province, it has the right to grant master's degrees and offers distinguished professor positions under Hubei Province's "Chutian Scholars Program". In response to the major national needs for epidemic prevention and control and public health in the new situation, it aligns with national strategies and the economic and social development needs of local areas. Relying on the university's advantages in large-scale chemical engineering, it has established the Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Process of the Ministry of Education, the Institute of Environmental and Ecological Engineering, the Research Center for Ecological Agriculture Engineering and Technology, the Yangtze River Water Environment and Ecological Security Research Institute, and the Bio-Food Sharing Platform. It focuses on the interdisciplinary integration of biology, medicine, food, watershed environment, and ecology, serving industries related to biology and medicine. Graduates of this program mainly work in colleges and universities, scientific research institutes, enterprises, and public institutions engaged in scientific research, technological development, teaching, and management.

The program offers two specializations: Biotechnology and Engineering, and Pharmaceutical Engineering. Centering on the characteristics of interdisciplinary integration across multiple disciplines, technologies, and industries, the research directions emphasize academic innovation and professional quality training. Adhering to the "Four Orientations" (oriented towards the frontiers of world science and technology, the main economic battlefield, the major needs of the country, and the health of the people), the specializations focus on national strategies such as ecological civilization construction, the "dual carbon" goal, biotechnology, bioengineering, efficient development and safety of food resources, modern biomedicine, and the revolution in life sciences. Meanwhile, they serve Hubei Province's 51020 modern industrial cluster.

1. Biotechnology and Engineering

(1)  Development and Application of Biological Resources

(2) Bioengineering

(3) Development and High-Value Utilization of Food Resources

(4) Ecological and Environmental Technology and Engineering

2. Pharmaceutical Engineering

(1) Research and Development of  Synthetic Drugs

(2) Pharmaceutical Preparation Technology

(3) Pharmaceutical Technology and Engineering

Training Methods：

1. Adopt a full-time training mode, adhering to the principle of integrating theory with practice and learning through practice. Implement a cooperative training model between the training unit and practical departments. In the training process, give full play to the initiative and consciousness of graduate students, and adopt a training method combining coursework, professional practice, and dissertation research. Focus on cultivating graduate students' abilities in independent scientific research, self-directed learning, and innovation. Establish a student-centered teaching approach, and extensively adopt heuristic, seminar-based, participatory, and thematic teaching methods to promote the cultivation of graduate students' innovative capabilities and the healthy development of their personalities.

2. Implement a dual-tutor system for professional degree graduate students. The on-campus supervisor serves as the primary supervisor, who is an on-campus teacher with high academic level and rich engineering experience. They are responsible for formulating the graduate training plan and guiding coursework learning and academic aspects related to the dissertation. The off-campus supervisor from the practical unit is an expert working at the front line of R&D with rich engineering practice experience and graduate supervision experience. They participate in formulating the training plan and guide professional practice and engineering-related aspects of the dissertation. Supervisor guidance should run through the entire training process. The supervisor team is jointly responsible for the education of graduate students' ideological and moral character, academic ethics, and professional quality, and should conduct regular communication to promptly resolve specific issues in the supervision process.

3. Coursework is the main way for engineering master's professional degree graduates to master basic theories and professional knowledge and build a knowledge structure. Coursework must be strictly implemented in accordance with the training plan, with public courses, professional basic courses, and elective courses mainly conducted centrally at the training unit.

4. Professional practice is a crucial link for engineering master's professional degree graduates to gain practical experience and improve practical capabilities. Graduate students should carry out professional practice, which can be a combination of centralized and phased practice. Those with 2 or more years of enterprise work experience shall complete no less than 6 months of professional practice, while those without such experience shall complete no less than 1 year.

5. Dissertation research is an important means for engineering master's professional degree graduates to comprehensively apply the learned basic theories and professional knowledge, and master the ability to research engineering practical problems based on certain practical experience. The topic should be derived from engineering practice or have a clear engineering application background. Dissertation research should generally be combined with professional practice, lasting no less than 1 year.

Length of Schooling and Study Period：

The standard length of schooling for this program is 3 years, with a maximum study period of 5 years (including suspension of studies). The training stages are arranged in the mode of "0.5 + 0.5 + 0.5 + 1.0 + 0.5"

First semester (0.5 years): Complete public courses and professional basic courses. Second semester (0.5 years): Complete professional courses and elective courses. Third semester (0.5 years): Conduct professional practice and dissertation topic selection.

Fourth to fifth semesters (1.0 year): Complete dissertation research and achieve relevant results.

Sixth semester (0.5 years): Summarize dissertation work, prepare degree application materials, undergo degree application review, defend the dissertation, and receive the degree.

Note: The order of the second 0.5 years (professional courses/electives) and the third 0.5 years (professional practice/topic selection) can be swapped. Academic exchanges and social practices can be completed during the study period. Those who cannot graduate on time due to special circumstances must go through the application and approval procedures in advance to extend the study period.

Training Stages：

1. Academic Norms and Ethics Education: In accordance with the requirements of Document JYTG [2019] No. 1, offer a compulsory course on "Academic Norms and Ethics Education" (6 class hours, no credits). The course is centrally organized during the orientation week for new students in the first week of enrollment.

2. Laboratory Safety Education: In accordance with the requirements of the "Notice of the General Office of the Ministry of Education on Organizing the 2022 Laboratory Safety Inspection in Institutions of Higher Education", offer a compulsory course on "Laboratory Safety Education" (6 class hours, no credits). The course is centrally organized during the orientation week for new students in the first week of enrollment, and students must pass the laboratory safety access examination.

3. Dissertation Topic Selection: After completing professional courses, elective courses, case studies, and experimental courses, and through professional practice, students clarify their research directions. The proposal defense should include: source and significance of the topic, domestic and foreign research progress, main research content, proposed research methods, technical routes, experimental plans and feasibility analysis, expected results, and work schedule. Conducted in the 3rd semester.

4. Academic Activities (including innovation and entrepreneurship practice): Carried out in accordance with the "Regulations on the Management of Academic Activities for Graduate Students of Wuhan Institute of Technology". The total credits for academic activities are 2. Students can obtain 1 credit by attending 8 academic exchange lectures or completing the application for the China University Students' "Internet +" Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. Graduate students must obtain 1 academic activity credit before the dissertation proposal and the remaining 1 credit before applying for the graduation defense. Relevant certification materials must be provided for academic exchange lectures; for the "Internet +" competition application, students must act as the project leader and submit a complete business plan and roadshow PPT. Total credits: 2. Conducted in semesters 2-5.

5. Professional Practice: Carry out practical teaching such as professional practice and internships in accordance with national degree standards or guiding documents to improve students' professional quality and skills. After completing professional practice, students must submit a "Professional Practice Summary Report" of no less than 5,000 words, including the assessment opinions from the practical unit and the review opinions from the off-campus supervisor. The assessment focuses on the completion of the practice plan, achieved results, and students' reflections. The assessment results are divided into "Pass" and "Fail", and the performance rating is "Excellent", "Good", "Average", or "Poor". Students who fail the professional practice cannot obtain the corresponding credits. Credits: ≥6. Conducted in semesters 3-5. Professional practice is a compulsory link for professional degree graduate training, an effective way to familiarize students with processes, standards, technologies, and professional norms in relevant industries, a key stage for combining engineering practice with dissertation topic selection, and a necessary condition for applying for a degree. It can be carried out in industrial technology research institutes, graduate student workstations, joint training bases, cooperative enterprises in the field, or on-campus (joint) laboratories undertaking enterprise engineering projects. The on-campus and off-campus supervisors jointly formulate the professional practice plan and assessment requirements, which should meet the needs of cultivating students' engineering practice capabilities and professional quality. The content should include training in process requirements, operating procedures, production standards, engineering specifications, engineering ethics, intellectual property, and environmental protection in relevant fields. The content of professional practice should be consistent with the student's training direction and closely related to the dissertation topic. Through professional practice, students clarify their research directions. The content should also reflect the effectiveness of solving engineering problems, including the difficulty and workload of technology or management.

6. Midterm Assessment: Conducted 6 to 10 months after the approval of the dissertation proposal. Students conduct self-assessments and write summary reports. Supervisors and the college conduct comprehensive evaluations, provide specific opinions, and report to the Graduate School for review and filing. Only students who pass the midterm assessment can continue with the dissertation work. The college assessment team comprehensively inspects the progress of the dissertation, clarifies the phased achievements, explains any inconsistencies with the proposal, and elaborates on the next research content and work plan. At the time of the midterm assessment report, students should generally meet the qualifications for the dissertation defense. Credits: 1. Conducted in the 5th semester.

Curriculum and Credit Requirements：

The minimum total credit requirement for master's students in this program is 35 credits, including: Minimum coursework credits: 24 (including no less than 17 credits for degree courses) Dissertation proposal: 2 credits Academic activities: 2 credits Professional practice: 6 credits Midterm assessment: 1 credit ；Supplementary courses: No credits

Dissertation：

Dissertation research can be carried out in various forms. The topic should be derived from engineering practice, national or regional needs, or have a clear engineering and technological background. It should have a solid theoretical foundation and technological innovation, sufficient workload, reflect the student's ability to comprehensively apply scientific theories, methods, and technical means to solve engineering and technological problems, and demonstrate advancement, practicality, and good results. The dissertation must be independently completed by the graduate student under the guidance of the supervisor. The proposal defense must be completed by the end of the 3rd semester, including the source and significance of the topic, domestic and foreign research progress, main research content, proposed research methods, technical routes, experimental plans and feasibility analysis, expected results, and work schedule. The midterm assessment must be conducted within one year after the proposal defense, summarizing the research progress, phased achievements, explaining inconsistencies with the proposal, and elaborating on the next research plan. The dissertation achievements can be presented in diverse forms that reflect the student's capabilities and level. Before the college's academic degree evaluation subcommittee discusses and recommends the award of the degree, master's students in Biology and Medicine must complete at least one of the following scientific research achievements with Wuhan Institute of Technology as the first affiliation to apply for the degree: Publish (or receive formal acceptance from the journal editorial department) 1 journal paper (or higher-level paper) related to the dissertation as the first author (or the supervisor as the first author and the student as the second author); Apply for 1 patent related to the dissertation research content (requiring substantive examination or authorization; the student as the first author or the supervisor as the first author and the student as the second author); Compile and file 1 standard; Develop 1 new product related to the dissertation (provide relevant certification); Apply for a new variety or strain; Achieve substantive industrialization; Complete the design/planning/management of a substantive engineering project. Master's professional degree students who pass all coursework assessments, obtain the required credits, pass the professional practice assessment, complete the dissertation research, and pass the dissertation defense in accordance with the training plan requirements will be awarded a master's graduation certificate. After review and approval by the university's academic degree committee, they will be awarded a master's professional degree certificate.

Curriculum and Examination Requirements

Training Period