The School of Digital Art and Design was established in 2005, when the Department of Art began nationwide enrolment. In 2025, the institution was renamed the School of Digital Art and Design, and it currently has over 3,700 full-time students.
Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the School's academic programs are dedicated to achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and cultivating socialist builders and successors. In alignment with the Sichuan Technology and Business university's strategic educational positioning of "local, application-oriented, and open", it embodies the "Unity and Perseverance" spirit of the University, and the educational philosophy of "Valuing Industry and Commerce, Excelling in Theory and Practice." The school's mission is to nurture high-calibre applied talents who embody moral integrity, intellectual aptitude, physical well-being, aesthetic sensitivity, and practical skills. Graduates of this program are equipped with the skills necessary to pursue roles in design, research and development, production, and management within the design industry and enterprises. This program addresses the local economy's demand for specialized, practical, and creative professionals.
All disciplines prioritize cultivating students' professional competencies, integrating ideological and political education throughout the entire teaching process. The university leverages both institutional and industry resources and environments to strengthen industry-academia collaboration. The institution has established three primary training systems: theoretical instruction, practical training, and innovation/entrepreneurship education. Four teaching approaches are emphasized: integrating theory with practice, combining classroom with extracurricular activities, bridging campus with off-campus experiences, and balancing concentrated with distributed learning. The aim of these approaches is to realize applied talent development.
The School has developed a number of notable courses, including two provincial-level first-class courses, three provincial-level applied demonstration courses, one provincial-level "course-based ideological and political education" demonstration course, one university-level "course-based ideological and political education" demonstration team, and three university-level "course-based ideological and political education" demonstration courses. The institution has been honored with prestigious titles such as "Advanced Institution in the Chengdu Architectural Decoration Industry for 30 Years of Service" and "2025 Giant Panda National Park Industry-Education Integration 'Leading Goose' Unit."
Moving forward, the School will deepen industry-education integration, focusing on intangible cultural heritage preservation and rural revitalization to cultivate more versatile, innovative design talents and establish itself as a regionally leading hub for digital art and design education.
In recent years, the School has demonstrated the vitality of art and design education through its academic strength and distinctive educational approach. The school's teaching and management team is comprised of highly qualified professionals, led by senior industry designers and professors. The teaching faculty includes outstanding graduates from renowned domestic universities such as the China Academy of Art, Jiangnan University, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, and Sichuan University. As of September 2025, the school has a total of 126 full-time faculty members, including 53 with senior professional titles (17 at the highest level). Among them, 12 hold doctoral degrees, 15 are doctoral candidates, and 90% possess master's degrees or higher.
The School of Digital Art and Design's Experimental and Training Centre covers a total area of 5,119.3 square meters, boasting of 42 experimental and training laboratories with10 foundational labs, 18 specialized labs, and 14 practical training facilities, and of the 3D Modelling Lab and the Screen Printing Craft Lab. The school maintains 15 off-campus practical teaching bases (1 university-level base and 14 college-level bases), ensuring comprehensive fulfillment of students' professional internship and training requirements.
The School of Digital Art and Design focuses on cultivating versatile, innovative, and high-caliber applied talents for society and the art design sector. It has successfully placed over 10,000 highly qualified applied professionals in enterprises and institutions across more than ten provinces and municipalities nationwide. Graduates enjoy high employment rates and are highly sought after by employers. Many have become managerial or key personnel in their workplaces, earning widespread acclaim from all sectors of society.
Outstanding achievements in the field of social service and the preservation of intangible cultural heritage: Over the past three years, the school has undertaken 39 social service projects, including non-degree training programs such as IITC Industrial Talent Assessment, community aesthetic education training, and Chengdu's "District and County Brand Classes" for industrial chain skilled personnel. These initiatives have provided services to 967 participants, generating social service revenue of 870,200 yuan. Leveraging the "Intangible Cultural Heritage Research Center," faculty and student teams have conducted fieldwork in rural western Sichuan, integrating traditional crafts like ceramics and embroidery into contemporary design. They have successfully completed numerous rural revitalization projects, with a focus on environmental upgrades and the development of cultural and creative products. These projects have received significant acclaim from local governments.
We are proud to be at the forefront of domestic experimental and training facilities. The on-campus experimental and training centre covers an area of 5,119.3 square meters and comprises 42 specialized laboratories and 15 off-campus practice bases. The equipment, with a total value of 16.938 million yuan, includes core practical platforms for intangible cultural heritage inheritance and innovative design, such as the 3D Printing Technology Application Training Lab and Ceramic Craftsmanship Training Lab. These provide robust support for cultivating high-calibre applied talents.
The Product Design program is designed to cultivate high-calibre applied talents proficient in modern product design theory and digital technologies. Graduates will be capable of engaging in product innovation design, brand planning, and market transformation.Core courses cover product form design, digital modelling, materials and processes, and interaction design. Capitalizing on its status as a Sichuan Provincial First-Class Undergraduate Programme, the major has established a five-tier practical progression chain—"assignment → artwork → product → commodity → cultural symbol." Collaborations with enterprises such as the Yangtze River Group facilitate project implementation. With 43.3% of faculty holding senior professional titles, dual-qualified instructors have guided students to win multiple design awards, securing the program second place among private universities in China's Soft Science rankings.
The Visual Communication Design program cultivates versatile applied talents with both brand design capabilities and digital technology application skills. Core courses include Brand Identity Design, Digital Media Design, Interaction Design, and Intangible Cultural Heritage Creative Design.Centered on the signature "AIGC-assisted Brand Visual Gene Bank Creation and Dynamic Recognition System Design," it establishes an integrated teaching pathway: "Cultural Resources → AIGC Assistance → Practical Projects → Brand Output." Leveraging provincial-level flagship courses, it collaborates with enterprises on project-based learning, with faculty-student teams completing over 20 corporate projects annually. Students have won more than 30 national-level awards in various competitions.
In alignment with China's dual-carbon strategy and the demands of digitalization, the Environmental Design programme — a Sichuan Provincial Key Characteristic Major — establishes a three-dimensional training system integrating spatial scenarios, cultural DNA and digital innovation. Core courses include Digital Scenario Design, Urban Renewal and Community Environment Creation, Sustainable Environmental Design, Rural Digital Cultural Tourism Design, Virtual Engine Spatial Visualization, and Intelligent Space Design and Application.95% of faculty members hold master's or doctoral degrees. Leveraging specialized laboratories and off-campus bases, faculty and students have completed over 80 rural revitalization projects. Students consistently achieve an average of over 100 design awards annually, including prestigious accolades such as the China Architectural Society Young Designer Award.
The Digital Media Technology programme is designed to equip students with the skills and expertise to become technical professionals specializing in digital content creation and interactive development. Core courses include Game Design and Development, Virtual Reality Technology, and Converged Media Content Creation.The program utilizes a unique approach, integrating "discipline competitions as drivers + four major platforms working together," and employs studio-based learning and corporate project practice. Students systematically apply mathematics, natural sciences, engineering fundamentals, and digital media expertise to deeply integrate foundational technologies like graphics engines and rendering pipelines with arts and humanities knowledge. They develop core competencies in intelligent graphics algorithms, virtual interaction systems, and digital twin scene development, enabling them to decode regional cultural heritage and reconstruct it into immersive digital products and systems.Graduates emerge as high-calibre, interdisciplinary professionals capable of mastering the entire value chain—"cultural decoding → technological reconstruction → interactive storytelling → operational empowerment." The program has consistently achieved a graduate employment rate that has consistently exceeded 95% for the past three years.