Key information
Duration
Start dates & application deadlines
- Starting September 2027 — apply before January 2027
- Starting March 2028 — apply before July 2027
Application deadlines for an existing funded PhD project:
- December intake: 30 July
- March intake: 30 October
- June intake: 15 January
- September intake: 30 April
Language
English
Delivered
On Campus
Campus Location
Suzhou, China
Disciplines
Pharmacy
Overview
Pharmaceutical Sciences from Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University focuses on frontier research in drug discovery, pharmaceutical development, and translational medicine. Students receive interdisciplinary training and access to world-class facilities and industry resources, which enhance their research experience. Graduates will receive a globally recognised University of Liverpool PhD degree that is accredited by China’s Ministry of Education (MoE).
Career
Suzhou is one of China’s leading biomedical and pharmaceutical innovation hubs. XJTLU is located near BioBay and other major biotechnology and pharmaceutical research centres, offering strong connections with pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, research institutes, and biotechnology enterprises. Graduates of the programme will be well prepared for careers in:
- pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries;
- academic and clinical research;
- drug discovery and development;
- regulatory and translational sciences;
- healthcare innovation and entrepreneurship; and
- government and public health agencies.
Programme Structure
Research within the Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD programme may include study areas such as:
- medicinal chemistry
- drug discovery and development
- pharmaceutical analysis
- pharmaceutics and drug delivery
- pharmacology and toxicology
- computational drug design and artificial intelligence
Admission requirements
Academic requirements
GPA: Upper Second Class
English requirements
- TOEFL iBT: 88 (or new TOEFL iBT 1-6 score: 4.5)
- PTE Academic: 61
- IELTS: 6.5
Other requirements
General requirements
- Top 100 of the latest Shanghai Ranking or World-class universities or First-class disciplines (MoE, People’s Republic of China): 75 percent or above (Weighted Average Mark).
- Other universities: 80 – 85 percent or above (Weighted Average Mark), depending on your undergraduate/postgraduate institution.
UK
- UK first or 2:1 class Bachelor degree with Honours
- UK Pass with Merit Master degree
North America
- 3.0 Cumulative GPA (out of 4) for Bachelor and Master degree holder
Other regions
- Equivalent to the above UK first or 2:1 class Bachelor degree
- Pass with Merit Master degree
Tuition Fees
- International: 21,090 AUD / year (≈ 99,000 CNY / year)
- Domestic: 21,090 AUD / year (≈ 99,000 CNY / year)
Living costs
Suzhou, China: 639–1,172 AUD / month
The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.
