Upgrading and Name Changing

The pace of change has been dizzying in recent years, and especially between 1996 and 1997. The Ministry of Education is trying to expand opportunities for access to four-year, bachelor degree-granting institutions, and at the same time has been encouraging the development of vocational/technical education. Thus, many junior colleges have been upgraded to the level of either college or university, and a number of colleges have been transformed to universities. From 1996 to 1997 alone, 10 junior colleges were upgraded to either colleges or universities. These upgradings often involve name changes, which occasionally seem completely unlike the original English name. (See the examples)

In the last ten years, the ten junior colleges which used to have three-year programs have upgraded their three-year programs to the bachelor degree-granting level, and some have already awarded their first bachelor's degrees. They are: Ming Chuan College (now Ming Chuan University); The World College of Journalism (now Shih Hsin University); Shih Chien Jr. College (now Shih Chien University); National Taipei Institute of Technology (now National Taipei University of Technology); National Taiwan Academy of Arts (now National Taiwan College of Arts); Tamsui Oxford College; National Pingtung Jr. College of Agriculture (now National Pingtung Polytechnic Institute); National Taipei College of Nursing; National Taiwan College of Physical Education; and Municipal Taipei Physical Education College. Thus, there is no longer a three-year junior college program option for high school graduates.

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