Introduction to Department of Architecture and Art Design

Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU), located at Xizhimenwai of Beijing, is a national key university of China, directly under the administration of the Ministry of Education. The school originally founded in 1896, has a very long history and good traditions.
Department of Architecture and Art Design of Beijing Jiaotong University was founded in July, 2007, on the basic of the former Architecture Department which was once subordinated to the Civil Engineering and Architecture College of the university. And now it is the only department which is directly under the administration of our university.

The history of Department of Architecture and Art Design of Beijing Jiaotong University can be traced back to 1942.

1951: In October,1951, the Architecture Department of Northern Jiaotong University Tangshan Engineering College moved to Beijing and founded the Architecture Department of Northern Jiaotong University Beijing Railway Management School. In that time, its teachers included many famous architectural scholars and architects who are the predecessors of the architecture of our country.

1952: In September, 1952, many schools were integrated all over the country, and the Architecture Department of Northern Jiaotong University was integrated with two other schools to form the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture of Tianjin University and moved in the city of Tianjin.

1958: Beijing Jiaotong University found the Architecture Department and began to recruit students for 2 years college study.

1986-1989: The major of Architecture began to recruit students for 4 years university study. But the recruitment was paused for one year in1990.

1991: The study time for Architecture was changed to five year by the National Ministry of Education in 1991.

1996: In 1996, the Architecture Department was subordinated to the Civil Engineering and Architecture College of the university.

2002: In 2002, the major of Art Design was added to the Civil Engineering and Architecture College, and the time of study is 4 years. The major of Art Design includes Interior Design and Graphic Design.

2007: In June,2007, the university decided to separate the major of Architecture and Art Design from the Civil Engineering and Architecture College, and to found the Department of Architecture and Art Design, which is directly under the administration of the university. 2009: The major of Digital and Media Arts was added to the Department of Architecture and Art Design.

Now, the Department of Architecture and Art Design has 7 teaching and research sections including Architecture Design, History of Architecture, Architectural Technology, Urban Planning and Landscape, Design Preparatory Education, Interior Design, and Graphic Design. And the department also has 4 labs and 1 reference room. At present, there are 3 majors for undergraduate education (Architecture, Art Design, Digital and Media Arts) and 2 majors for master (Architecture design and theory, Art design), and there is one major for engineering master (Architecture and Civil engineering).

At present, there are 49 teachers in our Department——42 teachers and 7 administrators. There are 8 professors, 11 adjunct professors and 23 lecturers. Our apartment has already had a multi-level team of teachers which is mainly formed by the young and mid-aged teachers with high level of education .55% of teachers have doctor degree, 86% have master or higher degree. Besides that, the major of Architecture has 7 visiting professors from all over the world.

In order to adapt to the 21st century development strategy of Beijing JiaoTong University and build a Characteristic Department of Architecture and Art Design, the major of Architecture and Art Design was separated from the Civil Engineering and Architecture College in June, 2007, and is directly under the administration of the university.

Now, the Department of Architecture and Art Design has 7 teaching and research sections including Architecture Design, History of Architecture, Architectural Technology, Urban Planning and Landscape, Design Preparatory Education, Interior Design, and Graphic Design. And the department also has 4 labs and 1 reference room. In addition, there are 2 teaching administrators, 1 librarian, and 4 lab administrators.

In order to strengthen the teaching practice and scientific research, the Department of Architecture and Art Design keeps a close relation all long with the Architecture Survey and Design Institute of Beijing Jiaotong University, and found the The Research Center of Energy-efficient building and Human Habitat together with the Civil Engineering and Architecture College. In 2008, the Department of Architecture and Art Design began to found the Research Center of Transportation Building and the Urban Renewal, in order to establish a new basic for the combination of production, study, and research.