Abstract: Based on the learning needs and characteristics of nursing graduate students, this study team, guided by social constructivist theory and project-based learning theory, developed a graduate-level course titled Death Education and Coping with Death. The course included three topics: “Perspectives on Life and Death from a Multidisciplinary View”,“Life Value and Coping with Death” and “Death Education and Death Education Projects”. Three-tier project-based teaching model was developed: “Exploring oneself-Approaching the Frontier-Aligning with the Profession”. A preliminary implementation of the course was carried out with 10 nursing graduate students at Capital Medical University from September to December 2023. Results indicated that students reported a positive learning experience and widely affirmed the course′s content and pedagogical approach. The course effectively promoted shifts in students′ attitudes toward death and enhanced their practical competencies in death education. The course content and teaching strategies align well with the learning characteristics of graduate students, demonstrating both effectiveness and feasibility, and may serve as a valuable reference for the development of death education curricula for graduate students in medical schools.

Key words: Education, nursing, graduate, Death education, Nursing, Curriculum development