The College of Art and Design at Tianjin University of Science and Technology was established in 1985, ranking among China's earlier-established design colleges with comprehensive disciplinary offerings, considerable scale, and notable social influence. The college is located in the Hexi Campus of Tianjin University of Science and Technology, situated within the core area of Tianjin's City of Design initiative. It boasts a total floor area exceeding 10,000 square meters. The college houses one national-level vocational training base for people with disabilities, one provincial-level experimental teaching demonstration center, one provincial-level scientific research platform, and three university-level research platforms.

Design Studies has been established as a first-level discipline and recognized as a key cultivation discipline in Tianjin. The college possesses two master's degree authorization points: the academic master's degree in Design Studies approved in 2003, and the professional master's degree in Design authorized in 2009. In 2024, the college optimized and integrated its research directions by adding a new specialization in Cultural Heritage Inheritance and Innovative Design within the Design Studies program, aligning with national cultural development strategies. The original five research directions in design fields - Industrial Product Design, Toy & Animation Design, Fashion Design, Visual Communication Design, and Environmental Design & Public Art - have been consolidated into four refined directions: Intelligent Product and Integrated Innovation Design, Visual Communication and Digital Media Design, Fashion Design and Smart Wearable Technology, as well as Environmental Design and Public Art. This restructuring enhances disciplinary advantages, distinctive characteristics, and contemporary relevance of the research orientations.

In 2023, the disciplinary cluster of Creative Design for Light Industrial Products was approved as a characteristic disciplinary group serving industrial development among Tianjin universities, actively contributing to Tianjin's light industry chain.

The college currently offers seven distinctive undergraduate programs: Fashion and Accessory Design, Product Design, Visual Communication Design, Environmental Design, Public Art, Animation, and Performance.

The college employs nearly 100 faculty and staff members, including 74 full-time faculty members. The academic team comprises 11 professors and 32 associate professors, with 18 holding doctoral degrees and 17 possessing overseas academic experience. Notable talents include 3 Tianjin Municipal Leading Disciplinary Talents, 4 Tianjin Municipal Young Backbone Teachers, 1 recipient of Tianjin's Five Batches of Talents cultural propaganda honor, and 2 provincial/ministerial level Distinguished Teaching Award winners. Currently, 31 faculty members serve as graduate supervisors for master's programs.

Guided by disciplinary development, the college drives technological transformation through scientific research while actively serving regional economic and cultural advancement. Focusing on national strategies including Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development, creative transformation of China's traditional culture, rural revitalization, Tianjin's City of Design initiative, the One Base Three Zones plan, and the dual-city development pattern of Jincheng (City Centre) and Bincheng (Binhai New Area), the college actively participates in Tianjin's Ten Major Actions by prioritizing services for light industry and cultural creative sectors, while strengthening interdisciplinary integration and industry-academia collaboration.

Faculty members have completed 3 national-level projects, 4 Ministry of Education initiatives, and dozens of provincial/ministerial research programs, earning 4 Tianjin Social Science Outstanding Achievement Awards. The college maintains 9 research teams that have secured over 10 million yuan in funding during the past five years. Their accomplishments include obtaining more than 100 intellectual property authorizations, among which 13 are invention patents. Notably, the college designed the Jinnong Boutique brand identity and agricultural packaging for Tianjin's Agricultural Commission, significantly enhancing the brand's visibility and consolidating Tianjin's agricultural branding system. Through long-term collaboration with Tianjin Jinbao Musical Instrument Co., Ltd., the college's product R&D contributions have generated over 100 million yuan in corporate profits.

Leveraging its provincial/ministerial-level research platform, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Research Center, the College of Art and Design continuously implements projects such as Intangible Cultural Heritage on Campus and Intangible Cultural Heritage in Communities, driving the creative transformation and innovative development of China’s outstanding traditional culture.

The college actively engages in academic exchanges, hosting events including the 2019 Tianjin Summit of the China Innovation Design Conference, the 15th Tianjin Social Sciences Academic Annual Conference (Tianjin University of Science and Technology Branch) in 2019, the 2021 Asian Design Forum, and a parallel session of the National Huaxia Attire Forum. It also organized the Shangyi Lecture Series in 2022 and 2024, while participating in high-impact events such as the National Textile Intangible Cultural Heritage Conference and Tianjin Fashion Week, garnering significant social recognition.

In student development, the college integrates ideological and political education with disciplinary growth. Guided by party-building principles and rooted in its disciplinary strengths, it focuses on cultivating values and nurturing talent. Through themed campaigns and hands-on initiatives, it has achieved remarkable results: in 2023, the college earned 1 municipal-level and 5 university-level Triple Education model cases, 2 grassroots party-building innovation grants, and saw its Visual Communication Undergraduate Party Branch nominated by Tianjin for national Exemplary Party Branch recognition. Its Art Lights Up New Futures initiative twice won silver awards at the National Volunteer Service Project Competition. The college has cultivated outstanding students including recipients of the National Self-improvement Star for College Students and Tianjin College Student of the Year honors.

Student services prioritize close engagement. All counselors are stationed in residential apartment offices to provide personalized support. Initiatives like "Enterprise Visits and Job Expansion for Employment Promotion" and postgraduate study encouragement programs have effectively driven high-quality student employment.

Student management adheres to a student-centered approach. All counselors are stationed in residential apartment workstations to provide attentive services. The college actively implements targeted initiatives including enterprise outreach for job market expansion and graduate study encouragement, effectively promoting high-quality employment for students.

In education and teaching, the college currently offers 1 national-level first-class course and 4 Tianjin municipal-level first-class courses. Two courses have been selected for the National Higher Education Smart Platform, and 2 courses are recognized as national exemplary online courses for professional degree postgraduate programs. The college has earned 1 Tianjin municipal characteristic model course in innovation and entrepreneurship education, 1 Tianjin municipal "Gold Course in Entrepreneurship" in 2022, and 2 textbooks approved as Tianjin municipal outstanding ideological and political education materials. Faculty members have won 11 awards at both the Tianjin division and national level in teaching innovation competitions. The college was granted 1 Tianjin municipal "Curriculum Ideological and Political Education Model Course" in 2021, with 6 outstanding curriculum ideological and political education cases published on the Xinhua Ideological Education Platform’s national higher education teaching resource service portal. Additionally, it was selected as a 2023 Tianjin municipal exemplary institution for the "Triple Education" initiative.

The college upholds the philosophy of cultivating through culture and aesthetics, offering 12 elective courses in aesthetic education open to all students. It organizes a series of art exhibitions and cultural activities to enhance students' artistic literacy and cultural confidence. Students are actively encouraged to participate in disciplinary and professional competitions, achieving outstanding results.

The college maintains strong collaborative partnerships with international institutions, including the University for the Creative Arts (UK), Birmingham City University (UK), the University of West Bohemia (Czech Republic), California State University, San Bernardino (USA), and Sunchon National University (South Korea). Through student exchange programs, priority admission for graduate studies, and regular workshops and academic visits, it broadens students' global perspectives and international development pathways. In 2023, 15 students studied abroad, with 3 currently enrolled at the University for the Creative Arts. Additionally, 3 faculty members earned doctoral degrees from Sunchon National University.

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2025 Master’s Program Catalog of the College of Art and Design, Tianjin University of Science and Technology

Program Code	Program Name	Research Specialization	Study Mode	Duration (Years)
137000	Design Studies	01 Industrial Design	Full-time	3
		02 Visual Communication and Media Design	Full-time	3
		03 Cultural Heritage Inheritance and Innovative Design	Full-time	3
135700	Design	01 Smart Product and Integrated Innovation Design	Full-time	3
		02 Visual Communication and Digital Media Design	Full-time	3
		03 Fashion Design and Smart Wearables	Full-time	3
		04 Environmental Design and Public Art	Full-time	3