Brief History

The Department of Humanities and Social Sciences was established by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Tsing Hua University in 2002 Academic Year, emphasizing flexible and multiple education goals. Our curriculum allows students who have yet declared their majors to study fundamental academic subjects on a broader basis to sensitize their understanding and analytical abilities regarding such issues as history, culture, contemporary politics, economics, and sociology.  For juniors, the Department provides them with nine professional and integrated programs, including History, Linguistics, Philosophy, Sociology, Anthropology, Political Economy, Cultural Studies, Gender Studies, and "Literature and Creative Writing". Starting 2010/2011 Academic Year, the Department will merge with the Bachelor’s Degree Program of the College, and change its name to Bachelor’s Degree Program in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences which will still be basically operated in the previous departmental mode.

Although education in the traditional disciplines has cultivated many outstanding experts, such a framework has restricted both students’ multiple knowledge development, and their adaptability in dealing with social change as well. With Taiwan’s social, political, economical developments and rapid changes caused by globalization, we may need more elites who are perceptive, analytical, and capable to handle knowledge comprehensively when confronting future international competition or issues of society and life. Our department therefore is the first in the nation oriented toward a subject-integration goal, and our curriculum is based on subjects from traditional humanities and social sciences fields, covering required knowledge of each specific field, and stressing the understanding and analysis of history, culture, and contemporary society. Breath and integration have thus become characteristics of the Department. It is hoped that our integrating framework may transcend conventional subject/departmental boundaries, setting up a new paragon for the ideals and goals of higher education in Taiwan.

Curriculum: General Introduction

An Overall Curriculum Design

Fundamental subjects are included to cultivate students’ analytical and searching abilities on such issues as history, ideas, culture, contemporary politics, society, economics, religion, and ethics, etc; while the design of specialized curriculum emphasizes necessary professional knowledge in various disciplines.

Thinking and Expressive Abilities Training

Other related courses are designed to combine students’ integrated understanding of knowledge with the training of in-depth reading, thinking analysis, and expressive ability, enabling students to clearly, precisely express their opinions, thereby fully developing humanities and social sciences career characteristics

Related Training

The Department encourages students to take second-languages, Education Program, and Media Studies Program, hoping to develop the potential and possibilities of our students’ long-term competition in the future.

The training and re-enforcement of these basic abilities will assist to promote the students’ social adaptability, develop their long-term career potential, and moreover, re-enforce their adaptability in facing future rapid changes.

Faculty and Facilities

Our faculty consists of well-recognized scholars from six graduate institutes and one undergraduate program. In terms of facilities, the Department has four classrooms, two teaching/discussion rooms, a student self-access computer lab, and a complete set of multimedia teaching equipment.

Departmental Development Directions

After changing its name to the Bachelor’s Degree Program in the College of

Humanities and Social Sciences, there will be five major programs: History, Philosophy, Sociology, Anthropology, and Political Economy; four minor-programs: Literature and Creative Writing, Linguistics, Gender, and Cultural Studies. Currently under planning are two major-programs, namely Political Science and Law, with an aim towards cultivating leadership for Taiwanese society. Also under planning is how to let humanities and social sciences knowledge guide scientific and technological developments, socializing and humanizing science and technology.

Careers after Graduation

Ever since its establishment in 2002, the Department has had four classes of graduates.  Besides those who study in domestic/overseas graduate programs, those who have started their careers mostly hold jobs as creativity planners, media editors, human resources personnel, sales, and research assistants.  It is hoped that our future graduates will be able to become the core of hi-tech industry after integrating science and technology with humanities and social sciences.