A. Program Overview

This program is designed to offer student knowledge in many emerging technology fields and information professions. The primary research subjects of this program include three major fields: Data Science, Creative Multimedia, and Human-centered Interaction and User Experience. This program places a strong emphasis on flexible courses and the project experiments. Diverse fields in this program complement each other and have strong cooperation.

In order to educate and train engineers proficient in Information Systems and Applications (ISA), the Institute of ISA at the National Tsing Hua University was founded in 2001. Our Institute features the combination of different domains of knowledge by the design, development and management of various information systems. To cope with interdisciplinary researches, the number of jointly appointed professors from other areas of research is our all faculty. Many professors have been invited to join our faculty members. At present, there are 50 professors in the institute.

Why Choose International Master of Program in Information Systems and Applications (IMPISA)? Students from diverse fields, for example, students from the area of Computers, Electrical Engineering, Education, Business Management, Humanities & Social Science and Medicine, can learn how to cooperate together and make very nice achievements. IMPISA offers excellent research environment and opportunities to cooperate with industries. This program combines not only theories but also applications. Students with varied cultural backgrounds can attain knowledge in computer science. After accomplishing the research thesis in IMPISA, students will be admitted to the degree of Master of Science by Institute of Information Systems and Applications.

B. The plan of this program is to follow certain directions as the intention of development of IMPISA. The directions are as follows: 

1. The target of the program is to train innovative information technology personnel. The courses will focus on the three major fields: Data Science, Creative Multimedia, and Human-centered Interaction and User Experience.
2. This program encourages foreign students to take relevant culture courses to learn within a multi-cultural environment.
3. Provide students to have opportunities to visit local technology industries in order to understand Taiwanese industry.
4. Assist students to participate in research projects from high-tech companies.

C. Program Objectives

National Tsing Hua University is located next to the Industry Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park. Within an hour driving, you can reach the Hsinchu Industrial District, Chu Nan Industrial District, Tai Chung Industrial District and Tung Luo Industrial District. Apart from all these industrial districts, National Tsing Hua University already has very strong research sources, achievements and work teams of Science, Engineering, Life Science, Humanities & Social Science and Technology Management. The key direction of this program is twofold: One is to combine technology talents and resources within the school; the other is to take the hi-tech industrial companies next to National Tsing Hua University as training places for students. For the program planning, the following aims have been included:
 

D. Program Aims

1. Data Science
   We are looking for students from different domain knowledge, such as electrical engineering, education, business management, humanities & social sciences, and medicine. Under the cross-scope and multi-cultural environments plus the lectures and advising from our professors who are specialized in data mining, machine learning, artificial intelligence, natural language, and big data analysis, IMPISA is a perfect place to train outstanding data scientists. 
2.  Creative Multimedia
   IMPISA has lots of experiences in creative multimedia and have obtained some distinguished and breakthroughs in recent years. In this group, we are focusing on combining information system with other knowledge, such as Wireless Multimedia Networking Technologies and Computer Vision for Visual Effects to name a few.
3. Human-centered Interaction and User Experience                           

​Human-centered interaction and user experience consist of topics related to intelligent human computer interface, natural language, learning technology and information media. Based on the four topics, we also extend our research to game programming, user experience, social computing, intelligent agents, MOOCs, E-learning and so on and so forth.

E. Program Plan and Courses

1. Graduate credits will be 24 credits, plus 4 credits for thesis; altogether there will be 28 credits.
2. There will be two pre-courses, which shall not be counted into the graduate credit, including Computer Programming and Data Structure. Basically, these two courses are prerequisite to apply for this program.
3. This program will require two to four years for a student to graduate.

• Prerequisites (3 credits for each course)
  Computer Programming
  Data Structure
• Required courses:

Thesis

Independent Study

Academic Research Ethics Education

4 credits of Mandarin (it will be not counted into the graduate credit)