For over four decades, Tunghai University Department of Architecture has been a leader in defining and piloting the discipline of architecture in Taiwan. It has long been regarded as the best architecture educational institution in the island.
The department was established in 1960 as the Department of Architectural Engineering by Mr. Chen Chi-kuan. It was then a four-year undergraduate program offering a bachelor’s degree in architecture. In 1974 it was evolved into a five-year professional program offering a bachelor’s degree and was renamed the Department of Architecture.
The course of undergraduate study is rigorous and comprehensive, preparing students for the future professional or academic activities in the field of architecture. Particular emphasis is placed upon developing mastery of design through an intensive series of design studio courses.
The undergraduate level curriculum is divided into two levels. The core courses is offered to first-year to third-year students, which is focused upon the fundamental training in architecture. The advanced level is offered to fourth-year and fifth-year students. Advanced studio courses seek to establish solid integration of design dicipline with in-depth investigation in the field of architecture history, theory, technology, social environment, etc.
The department’s graduate program provides opportunities for advanced study in architecture and urban design, training potential leaders in both professional and academic in the field. The master degrees program consists three areas of study:
(1) Master of Architecture in Urban Design and Environmental Studies,
(2) Master of Architecture, First Professional Degree,
(3) Master of Architecture, Post Professional Degree.
The program provides four major focuses of study to accomplish its goals: architectural design; history, theory and criticism;urban design; and environmental study.
The school also offers special programs to enrich its curriculum, which include,
1. Exchange program with academics and professionals from the international architectural community. Invited scholars in the past include Michael Dennis (M.I.T, U.S.A.), Val Warke (Cornell University, U.S.A.), Arthur Ovaska (Cornell University, U.S.A.). Raoul Bunchton (A.A., U.K.), Randall Wilson (Southern California Insitute of Architecture, U.S.A.), Shin Egashira (A.A., U.K.). The school will continue to extend its invitation to the scholars worldwide.
2. The Architecture Research Center. Among the tasks of the center includes promoting the discourse, publishing documents and piloting advanced research. To reinforce the function of the organization, the Architectural Research Center consists several individual workshops which is conducted by the faculty members. The workshops include :
(1) Architecture and Design
(2) Environmental Planning
(3) Human Behavior
(4) Digital Space & Culture
(5) History, Theory and Criticism.
3. Joint-PhD Porgram. In 2002, a legal document was signed to establish an exchange program between Tunghai University and Oxfordbrookes University (U.K.). The Tunghai-Oxfordbrookes Link provides joint-PhD program and future collaboration of research on specific topics.