Academic Doctoral Program Training Plan

First-level Discipline Name: Intelligent Science and Technology

First-level Discipline Code: 1405

Second-level Discipline Name: Intelligent Science and Technology

Second-level Discipline Code: 140500

Applicable Degree Type: Academic Doctoral Degree

Applicable Academic Year: 2025

School Name: School of Future Technology

Form Filling Date: 2025-11-02

Formulated by: Graduate School of South China University of Technology

Signature of Chairman of the Sub-Committee (with School Seal): _______________

Signature of the Working Group：_______________

Group Leader: _______________

Members: _______________

Basic Information of the Training Plan for Intelligent Science and Technology (Academic Doctoral Degree)

1. Training Objectives

Guided by the national development needs of the future artificial intelligence industry, the program aims to cultivate talents who master solid and extensive basic theories and systematic in-depth specialized knowledge in intelligent science and technology. Students will have a thorough understanding of the discipline's development status, trends, and research frontiers, and proficiently grasp a foreign language. They will possess a rigorous and realistic scientific attitude and style, a thorough understanding of important methods and technologies in related fields of the discipline, and academic research insight to identify and conduct in-depth research on cutting-edge disciplinary issues. Graduates will be able to use theories, methods, technologies, and tools of intelligent science and technology to carry out high-level basic research and applied basic research, achieve key technological innovations, design, develop, and manage large-scale complex intelligent systems, and obtain creative results. They will also have the ability to independently engage in scientific research in the discipline and related fields.

2. Research Areas

1. Artificial Intelligence

2. Intelligent Systems and Engineering

3. Artificial Intelligence Applications

3. Program Duration and Study Period

The program duration is 4 years for academically-oriented doctoral students admitted through open recruitment and those from the Integrated Master's-Ph.D. Program, with a maximum study period of 7 years.

4. Training Methods

The training of academic doctoral students mainly adopts a combination of coursework, scientific research, academic exchanges, and teaching practice, implementing a mentor (mentor group) responsibility system. Focused on scientific research, the training aims to cultivate the ability to independently engage in creative scientific research, master scientific methods, and establish a rigorous work style. Under the guidance of their mentors, doctoral students shall formulate a personal training plan within two weeks of enrollment.

5. Basic Requirements for Credits and Coursework

The total number of course credits shall not be less than 12, including no less than 8 credits for compulsory courses and no less than 4 credits for elective courses.

6. Compulsory Modules

6.1 Teaching Practice

Teaching practice is a compulsory training module for academic doctoral students, conducted in the form of serving as a course teaching assistant. During their studies, academic doctoral students must take on teaching assistant work for at least one course in one semester to complete this module. This work is included in the graduation eligibility review. Specific requirements shall be implemented in accordance with the "SCUT Implementation Rules for the Teaching Practice Training Module of Academic Doctoral Students". On-the-job doctoral students may be exempted from this module.

6.2 Academic Activities

During their studies, doctoral students shall participate in more than 15 academic report activities (including 3 cross-secondary disciplines), and fill in the "SCUT Graduate Academic Conference (Lecture) Participation Assessment Form" for each activity. If a doctoral student participates in an international academic conference held overseas and publishes an English conference paper where SCUT is the first affiliated unit and the student is the first author, this may be deemed as participating in 5 academic report activities.

Doctoral students are encouraged to participate in overseas academic exchange activities (including national government-sponsored study abroad programs, Guangzhou "Elite Program" study abroad programs, inter-university international cooperation programs, academic exchanges at renowned universities in Hong Kong and Macao, exchange student programs with Taiwanese universities, high-level international academic conferences overseas, and agreement-based academic exchange programs).

7. Thesis (Graduation) Work

7.1 Thesis Topic Selection

The doctoral thesis (graduation thesis) shall focus on cutting-edge disciplinary fields or topics with important theoretical significance or great practical value for China's scientific and technological progress, economic development, and social advancement, featuring scientificity, academic nature, innovation, advancement, and feasibility. Under the guidance of their mentors, doctoral students should clarify their research direction as early as possible, generally determining the research scope within 3 months of enrollment. Through literature review and research, combined with the research projects of the institute (laboratory), they should give play to the strengths of both mentors and themselves and complete a literature review before the thesis proposal.

7.2 Thesis Proposal

The thesis proposal is a necessary foundation for doctoral thesis work and an important link to ensure thesis quality. It should start as early as possible under the guidance of the mentor and is generally required to be completed before the start of the third semester.

7.3 Midterm Thesis Assessment

The midterm thesis assessment is a phased evaluation of the progress of doctoral thesis work, aiming to urge students to summarize their research and ensure the smooth completion of the thesis. It must be completed before the start of the fifth semester.

7.4 Academic Achievement Requirements

Before applying for the thesis defense, doctoral students must meet the academic achievement requirements specified by the school for graduation or degree application.

8. Graduation and Degree Awarding

If a doctoral student completes all coursework and compulsory modules with qualified grades in accordance with the training plan within the period specified by the university, finishes the thesis and passes the defense, meets the university's graduation requirements, and obtains approval from the Sub-Committee of Academic Degree Evaluation of the school, they will be allowed to graduate and issued a graduation certificate. Doctoral students applying for a degree shall comply with the "SCUT Detailed Rules for Degree Awarding and Management" and the "SCUT Measures for the Administration of Graduate Degree Applications".

9. Course Structure

Course Information of the Training Plan