◆Introduction

Our department was officially established in 2003. Since 2007, the Department has taken over the Institute of Arts Management (established since 2001) and begun to run a master-degree program in Arts Management as well, in tandem with the first-degree program in Theatre Arts. In 2008, the postgraduate institution was split in two: since then, alongside the existent Arts Management, an innovative master-degree program in Exhibition and Performance Design has also become available.

Our programs, undergraduate and postgraduate alike, aim to provide all students with a firm grounding in the visual, musical, spatial and kinetic arts, involved in theatrical productions. THEATRE, of course, always plays a pivotal role in the planning and teaching. Currently, all eight full-time faculty members of the Department, in cooperation with many outstanding part-time instructors, offer a wide range of dynamic courses in inter-related fields like drama theory, theatre history, visual arts, creative writing, arts management, costume design, interior design, singing, dancing, acting and directing, etc. Students are encouraged to develop their own potentials and interests to the fullest, and acquire an all-round knowledge concerning theatre within an academic context in our hi-tech classrooms, rehearsal rooms, design studios, studio theatres and other extensive resources of a distinguished national university, as well as through workshops and hands-on experiences.

On-campus full-scale productions, dramatic or musical, are held at least twice a year. Skit plays, play-contests, exhibitions or other theatrical performances of smaller scales are frequently staged or displayed at various venues throughout the year. In addition, our department or faculty members, highly respected both nationally and internationally for excellence in teaching, directing, acting, designing and research over the years, often receive invitations through the University-Industry Liaison System to organize, design, perform or lecture for some particular arts or cultural events, and Le Napoleon des letters – l’exposition , Into the Woods and The Producer are merely three most recent examples of the more acclaimed achievements.

The ultimate goals of such intensive and vigorous education in theatre arts and studies are to train a new type of theatre professionals, who will be able to educate local people in Southern Taiwan how to appreciate theatre arts more properly, improve their cultural lives, as well as the performance and management qualities of local troupes, and thus give the so-called “Cultural Desert” a new flare of artistic identity. Therefore, it is our great pride to see, every year, our students graduate from the Department, join professions like theatre management, acting, directing, stage-set designing, entertainment journalism, or be recruited by theatre or TV companies and film-making industry, afterwards.

◆Course Requirements and Curriculum

To nurture qualified talents in theatrical performances and theories, the Department offers all-round courses and hands-on training. Undergraduate program consists of required core and elective courses, which are divided into Theory, Acting and Directing, and Design tracks. Besides theatre-related courses, the Department distinguishes itself from other similar departments of the country in providing students with basic and advanced courses on theatre management. Through mentoring and counseling, undergraduate students are able to take courses catering to individual needs. Their academic performances will be evaluated through semester presentations and graduation productions.

The postgraduate program is divided into two trends, “Arts Management,” and “Exhibition and Performance Design.” For postgraduate students, completion of 36 credit units is required. It is also required that students of these two fields of specialty have to take core courses of “Arts Management” and “The Aesthetics of Theatre.” Postgraduates specializing in “Arts Management” are granted the degree in Master of Arts after they complete required credit units of courses on management and submit their theses. Students specializing in “Exhibition and Performance Design” are granted a Master’s degree after they submit creative theses on production analysis and hold the exhibitions of graduation productions.

To help our students distinguish themselves as outstanding theatrical professionals, the Department is scrupulous about the course schemes and objectives. Students majoring in “Arts Management” are trained for the arts-oriented science of management. In accordance with the national policies and social development, the courses we offer introduce the policy, environment and orientation of cultural and creative industries. Courses of “Exhibition and Performance Design” focus on training for professionals in theatrical practice and preparations for multifaceted developments after graduation. Together with the professional capacities for theatre design acquired in undergraduate programmes, students are able to develop their future careers such as showcase design, exhibition room design, multimedia design, and so on. What is unique about us is that to provide systematic training for theoretical knowledge and practical experiences, the postgraduate and undergraduate programs are connected through graduation productions and internships of exhibitions and performances.

◆Distinguished Features

1. To enlighten and inspire: In addition to the equal emphasis on theories and practice, the Department especially highlights how to conceive a work of art. Utilizing the theoretical knowledge learned in class, students are expected to produce their own works. Through the processes of productions, they are able to accumulate hands-on experiences and enhance competence. 

2. Interdisciplinary and multimedia-aided teaching: Looking back to tradition and resorting to modern and multimedia production skills, the Department opens the gate for the co-production of musicals and operas with the Department of Music.

3. Theatre designing: Our primary focus is on stage design, and secondly on costume and lighting design. The history of development of arts and study on stylistics are also stressed to provide students on stage productions that present not only spatial structures also visual pleasure.

4. Systematic training of scriptwriting, acting, producing, and management: Besides courses on acting, directing, designing, and theories, the Department offers courses on arts management so students are provided with a full-scale education of theatrical productions.

5. Mentorship: For students taking courses on “Exhibition and Performance Design”, the Department offers small-class teaching and tutoring. Outside classrooms, the close interactions between teachers and students help pass on the experiences and knowledge.

6. International cooperation and student exchange programs: Through the educational excellence program, the Department builds bridges with internationally well-known theatres. We provide outstanding undergraduates and postgraduates with opportunities to apply for overseas internship. By doing so, not only can students build up international perspectives, but they can also obtain multicultural stimuli for broadening perspectives on productions and thinking.

◆Faculty

There are eight full-time and one contract faculties in the department, specialized in performing arts, directing, designing, theatre theory, and arts management.

In addition, there are also adjunct faculties in directing, computer graphics, lightening design, stage setting, costume design, cultural creative industry, including Professor Hai-ling Wang, the Queen of Yu Opera; Professor Heng-Cheng Lin, World Stage Design 2009 Golden Award in Costume Designer; Professor Chun-yu Li, a well-known lightening design, etc.

◆ Admissions

There are various ways of admission for undergraduates. Potential students can attend college entrance examination or apply for admission. Applicants will be evaluated by multiple criteria (such as high school grades, professional or work experiences, and letters of recommendation).

Students applying for admission to postgraduate studies in Arts Management should take examinations of “Arts Management” and “Introduction of Arts and Culture.” For those applying for the master program in Exhibition and Performance Design, they are required to take examinations of “History of Western Arts.” Interview is required for all applicants.

◆Resources

Based on the survey conducted by Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd. for “Asia Top 200, 2013,” NSYSU is ranked 63. The outstanding performance of NSYSU comes from effort of all faculty members and students, as well as the abundant resources it offers. Students have easy access to rich and various resources in the university, such as various kinds of scholarships, annual Arts Festivals held by the Art centre, and multifaceted lectures and speeches from Center for General Education. Moreover, the Office of International Affairs provides international student exchange programs to encourage students to study abroad and broaden their horizons. On the other hand, the Office of Academic Affairs can help students to work on minor, double-major, or academic integration programs.

Scholarship:

Over 400 scholarships are available, including Excellent Academic Performance Scholarship, Excellent Physical and Sports Performance Scholarship, Excellent Club Scholarship(individual and group), and Postgraduate Student Fellowship, etc.

International Cooperation

NSYSU has signed MOU with more than one hundred universities located in over 30 countries among Asia, Oceania, America and Europe. Students are encouraged to apply for international exchange programs and take courses abroad for one semester or one year. Besides, they can apply for the Short-term Overseas Research Program to take courses in the internationally prestigious universities.

Furthermore, international double-degree programs are available for students planning to get diploma in both universities, requiring either 3-year undergraduate programs in NSYSU with 2-year master programs in the university abroad, or 1-year master programs in NSYSU plus 1-year master programs in the university abroad.

Minor, Double-Major,and Integration Program

◆ Minor: at least 20 credit units in The Department.

◆ Double- Major: at least 40 credit units in The Department(all required courses should be taken).

◆ There are 27 integration programs available in the university, including International Exchange Program, Japanese program, French program, Music and Art Management Program, and Music Therapy program, Marketing Management Program, etc.

◆ Environment

The Department has both small and large-scale rehearsal rooms, design studios, pattern and production studios, drafting studios, costume studios, classrooms, and performing halls. We are also well-equipped with professional theatre lighting and light modulator, theatre communications system, costume-making apparatus, and software for computer drafting and image editing. These hi-tech equipped facilities are easily accessible to students for them to sharpen their theatrical skills.

◆Students Organization and Activities

Established in 2005, the Department Students Association aims to enhance the connection between students and faculty members, to provide students with authentic working experiences in the theatre, to hold regularly departmental activities, and to build up interscholastic relationships.

The departmental activities of the association has organized so far include workshops on performance, lighting and sound, welcome party for freshmen, Christmas party, and alumni reunion. The organization also helps to hold the cross-college workshop with Department of Drama Creation and Application in, National University of Tainan and Department of Performing Arts in Shu-Te University.