TCU’s Uniqueness

Tzu Chi University provides education from kindergarten through PhD. programs. The university is committed to strengthening the foundation of primary and secondary education while meeting the needs of post-secondary education. The ideal of a complete education is to fully develop students from both a professional knowledge standpoint and personal growth.

General Education

Tzu Chi University encourages students to continue lifelong learning and provides them with access to a broad range of resources. To implement the idea of a well-rounded education, students are expected to graduate with 33 general education credits; in addition to the core courses, TCU offers elective courses in five subject areas including sciences, humanities, arts, social sciences, and languages.

Tzu Chi Humanities Courses

First year students are required to take “humanities and service course.” This is intended to guide the student to cultivate his or her own wisdom, to be an upright person, and to feel comfortable facing every encounter. Our students learn from true stories of Tzu Chi volunteers around the world; students will unlock potential in their own minds as they realize the beauty in helping others. We encourage our students to reach out to many charitable organizations in Hualian area and volunteer.

Students gain knowledge from lectures and apply school learning in daily life. Freshmen are required to perform at least six hours of community service per semester in a medical setting or at other charitable organizations at Hualien area. Through participating in community service, students gain a better understanding of human life and develop more loving hearts as well as wiser minds.

Tzu Cheng / Yi Te Association Volunteer Dads and Moms

For every twelve to fifteen students, there are three to four volunteer “dads” or “moms” to accompany them on a regular basis throughout the four years of college. Dads and moms are senior Tzu Chi volunteers who love and care for these students as their own children.

Respecting human life and making the best use of the human body is the philosophy of the body donation program at Tzu Chi University. People who donate their bodies are called “silent mentors.” The university holds an initiation ceremony in September to thank donors for their contributions; at the ceremony, the donors’ family, faculty, and students get together to recall the scenes behind the donors’ unselfish giving.
Memorial services are also held the following spring to say final farewell to the donors, and the university keeps the donors’ ashes in the Great Giving Hall in their remembrance. Medical students learn to be good doctors who not only take good care of the patient’s physical needs, but also the patient’s other personal needs. Tzu Chi University has promoted the concept of respecting body donors to all medical schools in Taiwan.

“Great love, respect, care, and gratitude” are the university’s humanistic philosophy and spirit. TCU sponsors many service-learning programs to care for the underprivileged and enhance students’ civic responsibility. With community service, students are enthused to develop more insight and begin to see the value of life through serving others.