Taiwan, a picturesque island in the Far East, is renowned for its friendly and culturally diverse population. It’s also distinguished by its prominence in social aspects such as civil rights, public safety, healthcare, and education. These factors make Taiwan an increasingly popular choice for students seeking a comfortable and conducive environment for higher education abroad.
Taiwan’s recognition as a hub for academia results from multiple factors including affordable tuition, comfortable living conditions, and quality education. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the country’s higher education landscape including insights into the types of institutions, levels of academic qualifications, and other information required by international students.
Types of Higher Education Institutions in Taiwan
1. Junior Colleges
Mostly offering associate degrees in subject areas like medicine, languages, tourism, and hospitality, junior college education may follow high school or any other educational or technical study program. Junior colleges in Taiwan are of two types: two-year junior colleges and five-year junior colleges.
Two-year junior colleges are often aimed at graduates of training schools and senior high schools. These programs lead to an associate degree. Typically, five-year junior colleges are attended by junior high school graduates after passing national exams. Programs offered at these institutions require 220 credit hours to complete and lead to an associate degree.
2. Institutes of Technology
Institutes of technology and universities of science and technology are established to bolster the employability of workers with high-level professional and practical work skills. This is made possible through the training programs offered at these institutions, which focus predominantly on hands-on applications.
These institutions offer associate degrees, 2-year bachelor’s degrees, four-year bachelor’s degrees, and some postgraduate programs. National Yunlin University of Science and Technology and National Taipei University of Technology are two tech colleges in Taiwan. These universities often offer programs in highly technical fields such as engineering, business and management, and computer science.
3. Universities and Colleges
In Taiwan, the type of higher educational institutions that we are mostly familiar with are called universities and colleges. University education which can include graduate school offers a wide range of bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. programs in several key disciplines including the sciences, arts, management, etc.
National Taiwan University and Taipei Medical University are some of Taiwan’s high-ranking higher educational bodies. Education at these institutions may take four to seven or more years, depending on the programs you follow.
Types of Degree Levels in Taiwan
1. Associate Degree
An associate degree amounts to 80 credit hours of study at a technical university, college, or junior college. It can be taken after completing some high school education and usually serves as an entry pathway for a bachelor’s degree. Associate degrees can also help the student gain faster entry into their preferred professional industry as well.
With an associate degree from a Taiwanese university, students may be eligible to follow a two-year bachelor’s program instead of the typical four years. The requirements to follow an associate program are similar to the admission criteria for two-year junior college programs.
2. Bachelor’s Degree
Students with an associate degree or sufficient high school education are eligible to pursue a bachelor’s degree. The typically four-year bachelor’s program can have internships that last up to two years. Two-year bachelor’s degrees are for students who have previously completed an associate degree or other vocational studies.
Bachelor’s programs are mostly offered at universities and colleges and comprise academic coursework that amounts to 78-128 credits. While bachelor’s programs are offered in a wide range of disciplines, Taiwanese universities are mostly known for their engineering, medicine, and management degrees.
3. Master’s Degree
Following the bachelor’s degree or equivalent undergraduate studies, the student may apply for master’s degrees at one of the universities in the country. Master’s programs may include class work, research, and practical work. This may even include a thesis covering the 24 credit hours of master’s studies.
Students seeking in-depth exposure to a specialized field of study may opt for a master’s degree which also increases their employability. National Chung Cheng University and China University of Technology are some universities in Taiwan offering master’s programs.
4. Doctoral Degree
Ph.D. or doctorates are postgraduate studies that last between two to seven years and may comprise classwork, research, and theses. Ph.D. holders make up 80% of faculty staff across Taiwanese universities.
Many Ph.D. programs including ones that are offered in English are provided by universities like Yuan Ze University and Tamkang University across fields like international business, economics, and engineering.
FAQs: Higher Education in Taiwan
What Grading System Does Higher Education in Taiwan Use?
Taiwanese universities use a letter-based grading system that ranges from an F to an A+. Most universities adopt this method in Taiwan and abroad making it easy to translate awarded grades to their corresponding GPAs. Exams are often graded out of a total of 100 and students are only awarded a letter grade corresponding to their percentage.
Passing grades at most universities that offer undergraduate and postgraduate programs are in the range of 50-60 corresponding to a D- grading, which is the minimum general passing grade for these programs.
Are There Scholarship Opportunities for International Students in Taiwan?
Taiwanese universities offer scholarship opportunities even for international students. These can be government scholarships, university-sponsored financial aid, or other external third-party concessions.
The Taiwan Scholarship Program offered by the country’s Ministry of Education is an example of a government-sponsored initiative. This scholarship covers tuition and may help cover additional expenses up to NTD 40,000. The Chang Chung University Master’s Scholarship for international students is an example of financial aid provided by universities to support their students. This scholarship is available exclusively for master’s students. Check your relevant university website to find scholarships that best suit your needs.
Pursuing higher education at a university abroad might be a big step. You must be aware of the culture, educational system, and living conditions of the country you are planning to study in ahead of time. We hope this article helped you cover the important aspects of higher education in Taiwan.
If you are planning your studies in Taiwan, our Guide to Studying in Taiwan has a lot of information you might need. You can also check out our Available Programs if you are searching for what course to enroll in.
