College of Arts, Xiamen University

Established in 1983 with the approval of the former State Education Commission, the College of Arts at Xiamen University was jointly founded by the Fujian Provincial Government and Xiamen University as the School of Art Education, enrolling its first cohort of students in 1984. It was the first art education institution founded within a key comprehensive university in China. In 2005, it was officially renamed the College of Arts, Xiamen University.

Over the past four decades, the College has been guided and enriched by a distinguished group of artists, musicians, and scholars, including Zhao Feng, Wei Chuanyi, Liu Yiguang, Zhou Chang, and Yi Zhongtian. Their contributions have fostered the development of numerous outstanding professionals in the fields of arts and culture, making significant contributions to the advancement of cultural confidence and development in China.

Adhering to the university motto, “Pursue Excellence, Strive for Perfection,” the College is rooted in the strengths of a comprehensive university, with a strong emphasis on artistic creation, interdisciplinary integration of Chinese and Western traditions, and a balanced cultivation model that values both humanistic literacy and innovative capability. It is committed to nurturing high-level talents with both integrity and professional excellence in artistic creation, performance, research, and education.

The College offers master’s degree programs in Art Studies and the Master of Fine Arts (MFA). It currently comprises the Department of Fine Arts and the Department of Music. In 2020, the Department of Art and Design was restructured—upon approval by the Ministry of Education—into the College of Creativity and Innovation at Xiamen University, established in partnership with the University for the Creative Arts (UK).

At present, the College has 71 full-time faculty members and 888 enrolled students. In 2021, its undergraduate programs in Music Performance and Painting were both selected for inclusion in China’s National First-Class Undergraduate Program Initiative.

Website: https://art.xmu.edu.cn/