History

Chronology

	After the Nationalist government’s relocation to Taiwan technical expertise was desperately needed for national development. Vocational high schools were therefore converted to provide specialist education. With the financial support of UAID, the Taiwan Provincial Normal College established the Department of Industrial Education offering programs in mechanical engineering, carpentry, electrical engineering and graphic arts (printing). Bo-Yan Gu was named the Department Head and the first intake of students arrived in February 1953. To develop professional teachers in printing, admission was opened to all vocational high school graduates in printing. The students were then trained as printing instructors and “graphic artist” teachers for the industrial arts program.
	In August 1961 the Department of Industrial Education was divided into two programs: Industrial Education and Industrial Arts. The Industrial Education program accepted vocational high school graduates and focused on training teachers for industrial vocational schools. The program also included an independent class for one to three printing graduates. These were trained in printing education and served to cultivate teaching expertise in graphic arts for the industrial arts programs at vocational schools.
	In August 1978 the Industrial Education curriculum was consolidated into the following programs: (1) Vocational Mechanical Education; (2) Vocational Electrical and Electronic Education; and (3) Communications Design Education. A quota of 5 students was set for Graphic Arts Communication, which was later increased to 15 in 1995.
	In 1995 Professor Y.C. Jerry Sheu proposed that the Graphic Arts program should become a full department. With the approval of the Ministry of Education, the “Department of Graphic Arts Communication” was established under the College of Education with enrollments scheduled for August, 1996. In preparation for the shift away from a “Teacher Cultivation Organization” and to train engineers for print/publishing media and video communications media as part of the “Asia-Pacific Media Center” vision, the National Taiwan Normal University was directed by the Ministry of Education to change the department’s name to the “Department of Graphics Art Communication Technology” in October, 1995.
	In preparation for the shift away from a “Teacher Cultivation Organization” and to train engineers for print/publishing media and video communications media as part of the “Asia-Pacific Media Center” vision, the National Taiwan Normal University was directed by the Ministry of Education to change the department’s name to the “Department of Graphics Art Communication Technology” in October, 1995.
	In August 1996, the Department offered the following undergraduate program: (I) 20 places for students from technological and vocational schools. Students were admitted based on their joint entrance examination scores to the Printing and Publishing Technology program, and were presented with a Bachelor of Engineering in upon graduation. (II) 20 places for students from regular high schools. Students were admitted based on their joint entrance examination scores to the Image Communications Technology program and were presented with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in upon graduation.
	In September 1998 the Ministry of Education gave NTNU its approval for the creation of a College of Technology. The Department was transferred from the College of Education to the new College of Technology and reverted to being the “Department of Graphic Arts Communication”. The undergraduate program was defined as a 4~6 year program with 128 credits being the minimum requirement for graduation. Core disciplines included printing and publishing, video communications and electronic communications. Government scholarship students were also required to complete an additional 26 credits in education. Upon graduation, they were awarded provisional teacher status in this discipline and became fully qualified teachers once they complete a one-year teaching internship at the relevant schools.
	In July 1999 the Ministry of Education gave its approval for a master’s program to be set up. Admissions were opened in March 2000 for graduate students in two programs: Printing & Publishing Technology and Image Communications Technology, with classes officially commencing in September. The graduate program required the completion of 36 credits within 2~4 years. Students must also complete the core electives for their program before they can write their master’s thesis. Upon graduation, they were presented with a Master of Engineering Degree.
	The Department’s first undergraduate intake graduated in 2000 (Millennium Year). This was also the year that the first class of graduate students was admitted.
	In July 2000 the Ministry of Education authorized the Department to offer master’s programs for “Printing & Publishing Technology” and “Video Communication Technology”. Graduates were presented with a Master of Engineering Degree.
	In 2005, the Ministry of Education gave its approval for the opening of the “Graphic Arts Communication In-serve Development Program”. Graduates were presented with a Master of Science Degree in Applied Engineering.
	The Department currently has 8 full-time teaching staff, including 5 professors, 1 associate professors, 1 assistant professors and 1 lecturers. There are a total of 180 undergraduate students and 129 master’s degree students (including 55 students in the Continuing Education Master’s Program).