National Central University, Department of Life Science
Master’s Student Enrollment Regulations
98.09.03 Amended in the Department Affairs Meeting
101.03.21Ratified in the Academic Affairs Meeting
101.05.01 Amended in the Department Affairs Meeting
101.06.20 Ratified in the Academic Affairs Meeting
102.06.18 Amended in the Department Affairs Meeting
102.10.16 Ratified in the Academic Affairs Meeting
Article 1 General
1. The purpose of this regulation is to process the admission, enrollment, training,
qualification examination, dissertation examination, etc. of the department master’s
students. Moreover, this regulation is established according to related regulation from the
Ministry of Education and National Central University.
2. Title: Name by the Ministry of Education as Department of Life Science, National Central
University.
Article 2 Admission
1. Anyone with a bachelor’s degree from an university or a college accredited by the Ministry
of Education, a master’s degree from a foreign university or college recognized by the
Ministry of Education, or with similar degree are allowed to enter as a first year master’s
student of the department after been admitted based on public enrollment. Foreign
students should be admitted based on the university Foreign Student Admission
Regulations.
Article 3 Academic Advisor
1. Any full-time instructor (including assistant professor, associate professor, and professor)
could take the roll as a dissertation advisor for a master’s class. Each year the advisor is
should not advise more than three master’s students, and within two years, the advisor
should not advise more than five master’s students.
2. Newly admitted students should select an academic advisor prior to the first day of the
starting semester. If the student is unable to select an appropriate advisor, an academic
advisor will be assigned by the department chair.
3. Master’s students selecting courses for each semester (including other department
courses and interscholastic courses), and applying for academic suspension with or
without student status, graduation, etc., must receive approval from his/her advisor.
Article 4 laboratory change
1. Due to unforeseen reason for the student to change advisor, or if the advisor for certain
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reasons can no longer advise the student, a change in advisor is allowed once the original
advisor rotates the student to a new laboratory after been permitted by the laboratory
professor and department chair.
2. In order to graduate after changing laboratory within the same division, the student must
study and research for the dissertation with the new academic advisor and laboratory for
at least three semesters and above.
3. After one year of study, an application to change division is allowed. After a change in
division, the student must remain in the new laboratory for at least three years before
applying for an oral dissertation defense. Only one laboratory change is allowed.
4. Process for changing laboratory: Student must first fill-out the Change of Laboratory
Application Form (Appendix 1), and after it has been signed and approved by the original
advisor, the student can then meet with a new advisor. If the new advisor signs and
approves the change, the application will be sent to the department chair for approval.
Once it has been approved, a memo will be sent to the department office to be archived.
5. five-year accelerated master’s student and accelerated doctoral student are not allowed
to change laboratory.
Article 5 Degree Completion Time Limit
1. The time limit of degree completion is one to four years. Part-time students who did not
complete the required courses within the time limit or have not completed the degree
dissertation are allowed a one year extension.
Article 6 Course Credits
1. Credits for Graduation: Twenty-four credits are required for graduation—not including
dissertation credits. Furthermore, in order to receive your master’s
degree, you must pass the oral dissertation defense.
2. Required Courses:
Course ID
Course Title
Credit(s)
LS6005
SeminarⅠ
1
LS6006
Seminar Ⅱ
1
LS6017
Seminar Ⅲ
1
LS6018
Seminar Ⅳ
1
LS5027
Topic Seminar Ⅰ
0
LS5028
Topic Seminar Ⅱ
0
LS5029
Topic Seminar Ⅲ
0
LS5030
Topic Seminar Ⅳ
0
*LS5039
Molecular Biology
3
*LS5040
Molecular Biology
3
2
*LS5037
Environmental Biology
3
*LS5042
Current Topics in Microbiology
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The * courses: LS5039, LS5040, LS5037, LS5042;

Molecular and cellbiology students are prerequisites for taking
LS5039 and LS5040.

Molecular and Environmental Biology student are required to
pick two of the four *courses.
3. Academic Grade: According to university regulations, graduate student must receive at
least 70 points to be considered as passing and no makeup exam is given from the failing
courses. However, if a failing grade is received for required courses, you must retake the
course until it is passed.
4. Elective Course Regulations:
A. If more than two department special topic research elective courses are taken (or six
credits and above), the extra course credits will not count towards the graduation
credits.
B. Within the first semester, incoming students must complete a zero credit
independent-study course on Academic Research Ethics (including two units of Ethic
Responsibility course and Avoiding Plagiarism course; totaling 4 hours) on the
university learning system. Students who do not pass the online courses are not
allowed to apply for the degree oral examination.
C. Students must receive approval by the academic advisor in order to enroll in the
selected courses for the following semester. Furthermore, students’ course
enrollment record must be approved by the academic advisor and sent to the
department office for archiving.
D. Foreign students who received an average of 70 and above in the previous academic
year, and passed a Mandarin Chinese course are allowed to apply for the National
Central University Foreign Student Scholarship.
5. Transfer Credit/Credit Waiver: For detailed information, refer to the department Transfer
Credit/Credit Waiver Regulations.
6. Current master’s student who have study for more than one year with at least 16 credits
from core/required courses (not including make-up courses from undergraduate studies)
are allowed to apply for an accelerated doctoral degree in this department if the applicant
also fits one of the following criteria:
A. Grades in the top 1/3 percentile and have research potential
B. Other special circumstances assessed as outstanding score by the department and
have research potential.
Article 7 Other Course Enrollment Regulations
1. Incoming master’s students must participate in the university English proficiency exam.
Students who are absent or fail the examination must enroll in a “First Year Master’s
English” course offered by the university language center.
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2. Prior to entering and working in the laboratory, incoming students should carefully read
the Laboratory Health and Safety Regulations provided by the university Environmental
Safety Center. During the first semester, student must also participate in a Health and
Safety Training Workshop held by the university Environmental Safety Center. Students
who fail to participate in the workshop will not be allowed to enter the laboratory workplace.
Students who fail to participate without a proper reason will lead to a termination of
scholarship/grant (stipend) by the department.
Article 8 Publishing Dissertation
1. Prior to graduating, master’s students must publish at least one article in a domestic or
foreign seminar, and attach the published abstract when applying for the degree oral
examination. The article authors should be your name, your advisor’s name, and other
members who have contributed significantly. The publishing unit must indicate “National
Central University, Department of Life Science.” (Remark: Students who participated and
published a dissertation or poster in a domestic seminar can apply for a NTD 500 grant
from the department; if published in a foreign seminar, the grant will be NTD 1,000).
Article 9 Degree Examination
1. Graduation Dissertation Oral Examination Committee: According to the university
examination provision regulations, the advisor will recommend three to five scholars from
the related field to act as committee members (including the advisor). The department
chair will then recommend the committee members to the university president for hiring
and organizing the committee.
2. Time of application and enclosed documents: Application must be submitted within the
regulated date on the university academic calendar and must be submitted two weeks
prior to the oral examination date (please go the Office of Registrar/Register Division
website to download the application form and other related documents). At the time of
application, a submission of your transcript, degree examination application form, advisor
letter of recommendation, dissertation abstract, and a copy of an article published in a
domestic or foreign seminar during the timeframe of your study is required.
3. Student should compose the dissertation based on the Graduate Student Graduation
Dissertation Format Regulations and send a draft to each committee member two weeks
prior to the oral defense.
4. Oral Examination Time and Location: Oral examination must take place in the department
within the timeframe regulated in the semester calendar and the venue will be arranged
by the department office.
5. The oral examination format and content will be decided by the oral examination
committee. The final score will be the average score given by the present committee
members with a full score of 100 points and a passing score of 70 points for the degree
examination. If half of the oral examination committee gives a failing grade, it is equivalent
to a failure. Only one assessment is allowed. Degree examination is held once a semester.
Only one reexamination is allowed in the following semester or following year for those
who received a failing grade and have not reached the study time limit. If another failing
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grade is received, you will be expulsed from the university.
6. Students who applied for the degree examination but is unable to complete it in the
regulated semester due to substantial reasons, the student should apply to revoke the
degree examination application prior to the end of the university academic semester. If the
revoke application is overdue, a failing grade will be received.
7. After passing the oral dissertation defense, a revision must be made based on the
comments given by the oral defense committee members, submit the master’s
dissertation, and a Dissertation Oral Defense Committee Ratification Document must be
signed by the committee members that were present for the oral dissertation defense and
attach to the dissertation.
Article 10 Graduation and Departing from the University
1. Submit Master’s Dissertation: those who passed the degree examination and completed
the dissertation ratification process must submit the regulated copies of dissertation, a
complete dissertation abstract, and upload a full electronic copy online for archiving.
2. Graduation: Master’s students of the department who passed the degree examination,
and completed the dissertation ratification process will be bestowed a “Masters of Science”
degree.
3. Departing from the university: Please go to the Office of Registrar (Register Division)
website to download the NCU Application Form for Leaving School and proceed with the
leave school verification process in sequence.
A. Academic Unit:
a. Cleanup the research office, equipment, etc. (advisor)
b. Return laboratory key, and related project documents and disks. (advisor)
c. Return building access card and printing card. (department office)
d. Return book and other utilities borrowed from the department. (department
office)
e. Fill-in Career Survey, Graduating Student Exit Questionnaire, and Education
Satisfaction Questionnaire. (department office)
f. Submit two hardcover copies of your graduation dissertation. (department
office)
B. Other:
a. Student Life Assistance Division: Dormitory Service Center (applies only to
dormitory residents)
b. Library: Return all borrowed books and pay any fines. Also, submit a hardcover
graduation dissertation and an audited electronic copy.
c. General Services Division: Return graduation gown.
d. Office of Physical Education: Returned borrowed equipment.
e. Office of Cooperatives: Apply for withdrawal.
f. Office of International Affairs (applies only to overseas Taiwanese students and
international student)
C. Administration Unit:
a. Office of Registrar: submit a paperback copy of your graduation dissertation
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and turn in your student identification for verification (it will be returned to you
after the verification process)
b. Receive diploma.
Article 11 Others:
1. This regulation is applicable to master’s students enrolled in the 2013 academic year or
later.
2. If inadequate information is realized in this regulation, you should comply with Ministry of
Education related regulations.
3. The regulations will be carried out after it has been ratified in the Department Affairs
meeting, and reported in the Academic Affairs meeting. Amendment is processed under
the same circumstances
This file has been translated from the Mandarin Chinese version (original document). If
anything is unclear please refer to the original document.
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Appendix 1
National Central University—Department of Life Science Graduate
Student Change of Laboratory Application Form
101.5.1 Amended in the Department Affairs Meeting
101.11.13 Amended in the Department Affairs Meeting
102.6.18 Amended in the Department Affairs Meeting
102.10.16 Amended in the Department Affairs Meeting
Application date：
YY
MM
DD
Student ID #:
Application Date:
Name:
____ semester of the
____ academic year
Enclosures: personal learning motivations, research interest, future research direction, and other
testimonial documents are required to be included to explain a change in laboratory.
Furthermore, please summarize the reason for changing laboratory in this column.
Appraisal Comments
Advisor Comments:
□ Approved
□ Rejected
Department Chair Comments:
Applicant
Current Advisor
New Advisor
Department
Supervisor
Department Chair
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
◇Students should keep record◇
Student:
Please Fill-in
Student ID:
Name:
Appraisal verdict:
Department Use
Receipt
Application Date: ____ semester of the ____ academic year
□ Pass
□ Fail（Reason：
Only
）
Replied Date：
YY
MM
DD
Precautions:
1. Student who changed laboratory within the same division is required to study in the new
laboratory for at least three semesters in order to graduate.
2. Change in division is only allowed after one year of enrollment. Moreover, after changing
divisions, master’s students must stay in the new laboratory for at least two year (doctoral
Student must stay for at least three years) before applying for a dissertation oral defense
examination. Change in division is only allowed once.
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This file has been translated from the Mandarin Chinese version (original document). If
anything is unclear please refer to the original document.
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