The College of Science was one of the two original colleges established when Tunghai University was founded in 1955. At present, the College consists of four departments: Physics, Chemistry, Life Science, and Mathematics. All departments offer Master’s programs, and each has its own areas of expertise. The Department of Life Science and the Department of Chemistry also offer Ph.D. programs. The Department of Physics began offering a Ph.D. program in 2010.
The College currently has about 191 graduate students and 1,395 undergraduate students. The student body is served by 68 full-time faculty members, 98% of whom hold Ph.D. degrees. The faculty are committed not only to academic excellence in their respective fields, but also to teaching and mentoring students both inside and outside the classroom. This approach fosters close teacher–student relationships and further strengthens the quality of education.
Education and research in the College are closely linked with experimentation and practical training. The planned Basic Science Building and Laboratory Building have now been completed. Their architectural appearance conforms to the style of the campus, and their equipment meets the needs of modern education, greatly improving the adequacy of the College’s facilities and space.
Although the College places primary emphasis on the study of fundamental scientific theory, it also stresses practical applications and cooperation with industry and government. Cooperative partners include the National Science Council, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, and Yushan National Park.
The College currently has 26 teaching assistants, many of whom hold Master’s degrees. They assist in the educational process through both instruction and academic mentoring, helping teach laboratory courses and leading homework discussions.
Each of the 68 faculty members has his or her own area of specialization and conducts research in laboratories or offices. In addition to supervising graduate student research, faculty members frequently attend academic conferences and present their research findings.
The College also emphasizes a strong atmosphere of academic research. In addition to the cooperative research projects mentioned above, each department publishes a departmental journal for students. Faculty members publish not only in professional journals in Taiwan and abroad, but also contribute articles to each issue of Tunghai Science.
Since the founding of the College of Science in 1955, each Dean has been dedicated to maintaining the quality of the faculty and to establishing and improving an environment that encourages faculty development. Through these efforts, the College continues to enhance the standard of scientific research while cultivating more highly qualified research professionals for the nation and society.