Admissions·East & Southeast Asia· 8 min read

National Taipei University of Technology (Taipei Tech) Admission Guide

Taipei Tech (NTUT) admission guide — how it differs from Taiwan Tech (NTUST), its College of Design and portfolio entry, its MOE semiconductor and AI institute, and English-taught graduate programs.

Last updated 15 July 2026

Key facts

Type: Public technological university, Da'an District, Taipei
Not the same as: NTUST / "Taiwan Tech" — a different university. Taipei Tech is ntut.edu.tw
Founded: 1912 as an industrial-education institute; university status 1997
Structure: 7 colleges, including a College of Design (Industrial Design; Architecture)
Semiconductor route: Hosts iFIRST, one of six MOE-designated semiconductor research colleges
English-taught: International graduate programs taught in English — verify the current list officially

First, make sure you have the right university: NTUT is not NTUST

Before anything else, settle a confusion that costs applicants real time. Taipei Tech — National Taipei University of Technology, NTUT — is a different institution from National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, which brands itself as "Taiwan Tech" and is abbreviated NTUST.

The names, the abbreviations and the English branding all look alike, and both are public technological universities in Taipei. The reliable way to tell them apart is the official domain: Taipei Tech is ntut.edu.tw, and Taiwan Tech is ntust.edu.tw.

Check the full official name and the domain on every page you use — the application portal, the program list, the fee page — so that you are applying to the university you actually intend. Neither is presented here as the better choice; they are simply different universities.

From a 1912 industrial institute to an engineering and design university

Taipei Tech sits on Zhongxiao East Road in Da'an District, central Taipei, on a compact urban campus by the Zhongxiao Xinsheng MRT interchange — an unusually central location for a technological university.

It was founded in 1912 as an institute dedicated to industrial education, ran for decades as a technical and vocational school, and was granted university status in 1997 under its present name. That lineage still shapes it: the teaching leans practical and applied, and cooperative-education, internship and industry-project elements appear across many programs.

Today it is organised into seven colleges spanning mechanical, electrical, electronic, computer, chemical and civil engineering, materials, management, design and the humanities.

The College of Design — and why entry works differently there

Design is one of the features that distinguishes Taipei Tech from a general engineering school. Its College of Design covers Industrial Design and Architecture at bachelor's and master's level, adds a doctoral program in design, and runs an international program in interaction design and innovation.

Entry to design programs does not work like entry to an engineering department. Expect your portfolio to carry weight, and expect the possibility of an interview or additional submitted material.

There is no single university-wide design requirement, so read the requirement page for the exact design program you want and build your portfolio to that brief rather than to a generic standard.

iFIRST: Taipei Tech's semiconductor and AI research institute

In May 2021 Taiwan passed the National Key Fields Industry-University Cooperation and Skilled Personnel Training Act, which lets national universities set up research colleges with industry partners in designated key fields. Semiconductors was the first field designated, and the Ministry of Education reports that six semiconductor research colleges were established under it.

Taipei Tech hosts one of those six: the Innovation Frontier Institute of Research for Science and Technology (iFIRST), established in 2022 with a focus on semiconductors and AI. It runs master's and doctoral programs in artificial-intelligence technology and in information security, and added a master's in semiconductor technology from 2024.

If chip-related graduate study is your goal, this is the part of Taipei Tech to read closely. Confirm the current programs, intake and entry rules on iFIRST's own official pages, and note that an industry-linked institute is not a promise of a job.

English-taught programs and applying through the OIA

International degree-seeking students apply through Taipei Tech's Office of International Affairs (OIA), in a channel separate from the domestic system, generally online.

Taipei Tech states that it runs international graduate programs taught in English alongside its Chinese-taught programs. Which ones are open in a given cycle changes, so take the current English-taught list from the official OIA and admissions pages, not from a third-party roundup.

For Chinese-taught programs you will normally need a Chinese certificate such as the TOCFL; for English-taught ones, English evidence such as IELTS or TOEFL unless you are exempt. Levels are set per program.

Costs, scholarships and verifying before you commit

Tuition and fees at Taipei Tech vary by program and academic year, and so do university scholarship values — check the official figures rather than any number quoted elsewhere.

Taiwan's government scholarships, the Taiwan Scholarship and the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship, are administered by the Ministry of Education and applied for separately through Taiwan's overseas representative offices. They are competitive.

Taipei Tech is a public university under the Ministry of Education, which you can confirm on the Ministry's site. No agent can guarantee you admission, a scholarship or a visa — apply directly, and treat any "guaranteed" offer as a warning sign. Our guide on vetting Taiwanese universities sets out the full checklist.

Frequently asked questions

Is Taipei Tech the same as Taiwan Tech (NTUST)?

No — they are two different universities. Taipei Tech is National Taipei University of Technology (NTUT, ntut.edu.tw); Taiwan Tech is National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST, ntust.edu.tw). Always check the full official name and domain before applying.

Does Taipei Tech have a semiconductor program?

Yes. It hosts iFIRST, one of six semiconductor research colleges the Ministry of Education reports were established under the 2021 National Key Fields Act; iFIRST added a master's in semiconductor technology from 2024, alongside AI and information-security programs. Verify current intakes officially.

Do design programs need a portfolio?

Often yes, and an interview or extra material may also apply. Requirements are set by each design program in the College of Design, so check the specific program's page rather than assuming a common standard.

Can I study at Taipei Tech in English?

Taipei Tech says it offers international graduate programs taught in English alongside Chinese-taught programs. The list changes by cycle — confirm it on the official OIA and admissions pages.

What does Taipei Tech cost?

Fees vary by program and year and are published officially by the university. Verify there, and treat any agent quoting guaranteed admission for a fee as a scam.

Official sources

This guide explains the process and is for guidance only. Eligibility, dates, fees and rules change every year — always confirm the current details on the official site before you act.

Verified against: Taipei Tech (NTUT) official site (English); Taipei Tech Office of International Affairs (official); iFIRST — Innovation Frontier Institute, Taipei Tech (official); Ministry of Education, Taiwan — six semiconductor research colleges.

Last verified: 15 July 2026.