Chung Yuan Christian University and Oxford Brookes University (UK) have jointly launched the Dual Bachelor’s Degree Program in Architecture and Urban Design, officially approved by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education. The first cohort was admitted in 2023.
Students spend the first two years at CYCU, following the OBU curriculum taught entirely in English by faculty from both Taiwan and the UK. They then complete the final two years at Oxford Brookes University in the UK.
Upon graduation, students will receive dual bachelor’s degrees from both CYCU and Oxford Brookes University. They will also be eligible for RIBA Part 1 accreditation (Royal Institute of British Architects) or RTPI certification (Royal Town Planning Institute), and may apply to continue their studies in OBU’s graduate programs.
Chung Yuan Christian University and Oxford Brookes University (UK) have jointly established the Dual Bachelor’s Degree Program in Architecture and Urban Design, officially approved by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education. The program welcomed its first cohort of students in 2023.
Students in this program will spend the first two years at CYCU, following the Oxford Brookes University curriculum, taught entirely in English by faculty from both institutions. The final two years will be completed in the UK at Oxford Brookes University.
Upon graduation, students will receive bachelor’s degrees from both CYCU and Oxford Brookes University, and will be eligible for RIBA Part 1 accreditation (Royal Institute of British Architects) or RTPI certification (Royal Town Planning Institute). Graduates may also apply to continue their studies at Oxford Brookes University’s graduate programs.
The Department of Interior Design at Chung Yuan Christian University was established in 1985, making it the first university-level interior design department in Taiwan. As of 2023, the department has a 38-year history and has cultivated countless talents for Taiwan’s interior design industry.
The founding chair, architect Chung Tse-Huan, laid the groundwork for the department’s development. Successive chairs—including Chang Chien-Yun, Chen Chi-Peng, Hu Pao-Lin, Chuang Hsiu-Tien, Wei Chu-Jung, and Ni Ching-Wei—further strengthened its teaching and research foundations. In August 2019, Professor Chen Li-Yu assumed the role of department chair, continuing to lead its development and charting a vision for the future.
In 1993, the department established Taiwan’s first Graduate Institute of Interior Design to train advanced professionals. In 1999, it launched an In-Service Master’s Program to attract experienced industry professionals seeking to further their education, cultivating high-level designers with both professional skills and humanistic values. In 2004, the College of Design introduced a Ph.D. program in Design, fostering interdisciplinary research talent. With these additions, the department now offers a complete academic path from bachelor’s to master’s to doctoral studies.
Chung Yuan Christian University and Oxford Brookes University in the UK have partnered to launch the Dual Bachelor’s Degree Program in Architecture and Urban Design, which was approved by the Ministry of Education and welcomed its first cohort in 2023.
Students enrolled in this program will study at CYCU for the first two years, following the OBU curriculum taught entirely in English by faculty from both Taiwan and the UK. They will then continue their studies in the UK for the final two years.
Upon completion of the program, students will receive bachelor’s degrees from both CYCU and Oxford Brookes University. Additionally, they will be eligible for RIBA Part 1 accreditation (Royal Institute of British Architects) or RTPI certification (Royal Town Planning Institute), and may apply for graduate programs at OBU to further their studies.
The Department of Architecture at Chung Yuan Christian University was established in 1960 under the planning of Mr. Yu Yue-Zhen. It was the first five-year architecture program in Taiwan, originally named the “Department of Architectural Engineering,” and admitted a single class of students.
The following year, Mr. Huang Bao-Yu became the department chair and served for 12 years. Under his leadership, the department laid a strong academic foundation and fostered a spirit of academic freedom.
In 1973, the department moved from its traditional courtyard-style “Architecture Village” into the newly constructed “Architecture Hall,” a project completed through the collaboration of faculty, students, and alumni. That same year, the program expanded to two classes, and alumnus Mr. Wang Qi-Le returned to Taiwan to lead the department. Many other alumni from abroad also joined the faculty, significantly enhancing the teaching staff.
In 1974, the department was renamed from “Department of Architectural Engineering” to “Department of Architecture” to reflect the broader scope of the field—not limited to engineering, but also encompassing humanities, aesthetics, environment, landscape, urban planning, history, and culture. That year, Mr. Yu Zhao-Chuan became department chair and undertook a comprehensive review and revision of the curriculum, inviting renowned scholars across Taiwan to introduce new courses.
