INTERNATIONAL ADVANCED ENGINEERING PROGRAM (MECHANICAL, CONSTRUCTION, CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS) – IATP, NTUST

• Location: Taipei, Taiwan.
• School website: https://www.ntust.edu.tw/
• Program website: https://iatp.ntust.edu.tw/
• Admission: https://admissions.ntust.edu.tw
• Facebook: Taiwan Tech – International Advanced Technology Program
• IG: iatp_full_english_program
• Zalo Group: https://zalo.me/g/bemgvb311

1. Overview

The International Advanced Technology Program (IATP), at the College of Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST or Taiwan Tech), is a program taught entirely in English for international students who want to study the following engineering majors: Mechanical Engineering, Civil and Construction Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering.

In order to facilitate students in finding suitable majors, first-year students will study general subjects (Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, etc.) without having to choose a major. In particular, in the first year, students will be introduced to four majors through the course "Introduction to Engineering and Engineering Ethics" to better understand the majors in the engineering field. Second-year students begin to choose the corresponding basic subjects (Mechanics, Construction, Chemistry, Materials), but do not yet need to choose a major in the first semester of the second year. In the second semester of the second year, students can decide on their desired major, and sign the major selection form (after submitting it to the school, students will not be able to change their chosen major). IATP does not have quotas for each major, so students can choose any of the four majors. If only 1 student chooses the major, the school will still open the subject for that student. If students are interested in multidisciplinary fields, they can also choose subjects in other fields as elective courses to equip themselves with multidisciplinary knowledge in the future.

In addition, students can also choose a minor in addition to their major. For example, if a student chooses a major in Chemical Engineering at IATP, they can also choose to study a minor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at NTUST or at other schools in the National Taiwan University System (NTU System – NTU, NTUST, NTNU). However, whether or not they are accepted into the minor (studying in parallel with the major) depends on the department the student applies to. Students who complete the requirements for both the major and the minor will receive a diploma with both major and minor. In addition, NTUST students can also study subjects, use the library, etc. at schools in the NTU System. For students interested in semiconductors, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering has launched the “International Semiconductor Processing and Equipment Engineering Program” which offers a second degree in this field to students who have already obtained a Bachelor of Science degree, after completing the two-year program at Taiwan Tech. IATP students can choose courses in the program as elective courses. Information about this new program will be updated on the Department of Materials Science and Engineering website.

2. Training program

The training program has a total of 128 credits, including compulsory courses and elective courses. In compulsory courses, students need to complete 6 credits of Chinese, 12 credits of English (students can use English certificates instead and do not need to study English courses at Taiwan Tech), and physical education for 6 semesters (0 credits). Undergraduate students do not need to do a graduation thesis; instead, students need to do an internship (4 credits) in the professor's lab (Special Topic - research) or at companies (Internship). Students can contact the professor to enter the Lab from the first year to get acquainted with the Lab and do research, then students can choose a Special Topic. All research support facilities will be paid for by the professor, students do not need to pay for research equipment. Students who complete the program can receive a degree after 4 years (Bachelor of Science). In case students complete the program early, they can also apply for early graduation (but must satisfy the criteria of the department, GPA, etc.).

3. Tuition, living expenses, scholarships

Except for students who receive a Ministry of Education (MOE) Scholarship in Taiwan, the tuition fee for each semester will be approximately NT$60,000 (including student insurance). Students can choose from 16 to 25 credits per semester with the fixed tuition fee as above (4th year students can choose 9 credits or less if they have almost completed the graduation credits). In case students receive an MOE scholarship (apply for the scholarship at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City), students do not need to pay tuition, and will receive NT$15,000 per month for living expenses. First-year students have priority to stay in the dormitory (NT$7,000/5 months). Students in later years can still apply for dormitory accommodation, but it is not certain that 100% will be available. The cost of renting a room outside is about 6,000 - 10,000 NTD/month. Living expenses including food are about 8,000 NTD/month.

In addition to the MOE scholarship, students who submit their application and are considered by the council and are in the top 20% will receive 60,000 NTD upon admission (received only once). After that, based on the average score per semester (GPA), the faculty will grant scholarships (top 5% receive 60,000 NTD, top 6% - 10% receive 30,000 NTD, top 11% - 20% receive 20,000 NTD). In addition, students with a GPA of 3.0/4.3 or higher will receive financial support from the school's Office of International Affairs (OIA), depending on the number of students applying each semester, the amount received will be different. Note: students will only receive one scholarship, for example, students who have received the MOE scholarship will not receive scholarships from IATP or OIA. Scholarship information: https://iatp.ntust.edu.tw/p/404-1041-68773.php?Lang=zh-tw 

4. 5-year integrated Bachelor's - Master's program

Regarding further study opportunities, students can apply for Fast Track programs at the respective faculties (College of Engineering, NTUST) according to their chosen major in the 3rd year. If students are accepted by the faculties, they will continue to study subjects in the postgraduate training program in the 4th year, and do a master's thesis in the 5th year. Students will receive two degrees (Bachelor of Science and Master of Science) if they complete the training programs of the two levels in 5 years (shortening the time by 1 year). In addition, students can also apply to the School of Management (https://iatp.ntust.edu.tw/p/404-1041-92772.php) in the third year, if accepted, students will begin studying economics subjects in the postgraduate program in the fourth year, and write a thesis in the fifth year. Upon graduation, students will have a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Business Administration (MBA). Students can also complete the undergraduate program and then apply for a master's degree later.

5. Application process

Regarding application, IATP only accepts students for admission in September every year (fall semester), students need to submit their application on the school's system (https://admissions.ntust.edu.tw/) from early January to early March every year. The application includes a High School Diploma (or a certificate of graduation from High School in June of that year), Academic Records (Transcript), English Certificate, 02 Letters of Recommendation, Study Plan, Financial Statement Declaration (download the form on the application submission system), and other evidence (extracurricular activities, ...). Students should prepare their application early to be able to complete the application on time. Sometimes, students have problems paying the application fee (30 USD) after the deadline, and their application will be rejected. After the application deadline, students should also access their account on the system, as well as check their email (including the Spam box) to see if there is a request to supplement the missing documents. If the school sends a request for additional documents and the student does not pay attention to supplement them, the application will also be rejected before being sent to the faculty. When the application is submitted to the faculty, the professors in the council will evaluate the application based on the transcript, English certificate, etc. first. Then, the faculty will contact the student to schedule an interview with the professors. The final evaluation score will be based on both the application review and interview rounds. The official results will be announced on the application submission system in May. Details: https://iatp.ntust.edu.tw/p/404-1041-68774.php?Lang=zh-tw 

Besides studying, IATP students also participate in extracurricular activities organized by the faculty and IATP student association.

Extracurricular activities of IATP students

6. Some statistics about IATP students as of February 2025

1. IATP (4 years) currently has 88 students from 16 countries around the world. Of which, Indonesian students account for 34%, Vietnam accounts for 14%, Paraguay accounts for 13%, Thailand accounts for 9%, and students from Belize, Marshall Islands, Russia, Sainy Lucia, Myanmar, Philippines, Saint Vincent, Mexico, Cambodia, Honduras, Guatemala, Haiti accounts for 1% – 5%.
2. IATP students mostly choose Mechanical Engineering (51%), followed by Civil Engineering (19%), Chemical Engineering (18%), and Materials Science and Engineering (12%).
3. IATP has 64 alumni, of which 36% alumni continue their postgraduate studies in Taiwan, 3% continue their postgraduate studies in other countries, 25% work at companies in Taiwan, 36% return to their home country or work in other countries.
4. Several companies/universities/research institutes have accepted IATP students for internships.

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