School of Life Sciences at Nanchang University traces its origins to the Department of Biology of the National Chung Cheng University founded in 1940. It currently offers four undergraduate programs: Biological Science, Biotechnology, Ecology, and Aquaculture. Among these, Biological Science and Biotechnology have been recognized as National First-Class Undergraduate Programs, while Ecology and Aquaculture have been approved as Provincial First-Class Undergraduate Programs. Besides, Biological Science is a national-level featured program, and Aquaculture is one of the first batch of Outstanding Agricultural and Forestry Talents Cultivation Programs of the Ministry of Education. In the second round of provincial undergraduate program evaluations, all four programs ranked first in their respective disciplines. Specifically, Biological Science and Biotechnology were rated as Five-Star Undergraduate Programs, and Aquaculture as a Four-Star Undergraduate Program. There is a doctoral program and a postdoctoral research mobile station in the first-level discipline of Biology, as well as master’s programs in Biology and Ecology (first-level disciplines) and Aquaculture (second-level discipline), and professional master’s degree programs in Agriculture and Landscape Architecture. According to the Essential Science Indicators (ESI) rankings, Nanchang University's disciplines in "Plant & Animal Science," "Biology & Biochemistry," and "Molecular Biology & Genetics" have all entered the top 1% globally. Currently, the school enrolls 1,071 undergraduate students, 384 master’s students, and 133 doctoral students.

The School is home to the National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education, four research institutes (the Institute of Botany, the Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquaculture, the Institute of Ecology, and the Institute of Human Aging), five provincial key laboratories (the Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Molecular Biology, the Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, the Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecological Evolution and Biodiversity, the Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Resources and Utilization, and the Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Aging and Disease), as well as the Biological Specimen Museum, the Xiansu Biological Garden, and the Biological Museum. These facilities provide an excellent teaching and research platform for talent cultivation.

In terms of faculty, the school has a total of 120 staff members, including 31 professors and 35 associate professors. Among them, there are two chief scientists and key project leaders of the Ministry of Science and Technology’s 973 Program, five members of the National Advisory Committee on Teaching under the Ministry of Education, two scientists holding positions in the National Shellfish Industry Technology System, two National Model Teachers, and four Famous Teachers (Gold Medal Teachers) of Jiangxi Province.

Aligning with the national and local development needs of Jiangxi Province, the school has, over the past five years, undertaken three national key R&D programs, one key project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, one cultivation project of the Major Research Plan of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, one key project of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, one project of the National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System for the 14th Five-Year Plan period, and more than 300 various national and local projects. It has formulated one national industrial standard, developed two new varieties, and formulated five local standards for Jiangxi Province. The school has published more than 400 SCI papers, including those in Science and Nature sub-journals as well as PNAS, obtained over 40 authorized patents, and dispatched more than 30 science and technology commissioners to serve Jiangxi Province. It has won three National Harvest Awards for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fishery, one Science and Technology Progress Award of the Ministry of Education, four first prizes, three second prizes, and two third prizes of Jiangxi Provincial Science and Technology Progress and Natural Science Awards (including both hosted and participated projects), and two Typical Cases of Precision Poverty Alleviation by Universities Affiliated to the Ministry of Education. The school has also earned one second prize of the National Teaching Achievement Award, one special prize, three first prizes, and three second prizes of the Jiangxi Provincial Teaching Achievement Award. It has been selected to host one Model Worker and Staff Innovation Studio of the National Education, Science, Culture, Health and Sports System, and approved to set up one national model teaching team for curriculum-based ideological and political education (including eight national model teachers for curriculum-based ideological and political education), three provincial (high-level undergraduate) teaching teams, and one provincial famous teacher studio. The school has undertaken one National Research and Reform Practice Project for the New Agricultural Science and 32 provincial teaching reform projects (including industry-university cooperation education projects of the Ministry of Education). It has been approved to offer five national first-class undergraduate courses, one national model curriculum for curriculum-based ideological and political education, and 20 various provincial high-quality (first-class) courses. Students of the school have won four gold medals, four silver medals, and two bronze medals in the national competition of the China International College Students' Innovation Competition (formerly the China International College Students' "Internet+" Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition), two national awards in the Challenge Cup competition, more than 30 national awards in the National Undergraduate Life Sciences Contest, and over 200 awards in other competitions at or above the provincial and ministerial levels.

Facing new development opportunities, the College consistently adheres to a demand-driven approach, grounded in the practical needs of regional economic development and social progress, and has established a clear core mission for talent cultivation: to nurture biology professionals with moral integrity and professional competence, a solid academic foundation, and outstanding capabilities in innovation, entrepreneurship, and practical application. By further emancipating the mind and building consensus, the College will take deepening reforms as the core driving force, and vigorously advance all aspects of its development, striving steadily toward the strategic goal of becoming a distinctive, high-level domestic research-oriented institution.

(Data as of December 2025)