The Department of Anthropology, National Taiwan University was first established in 1928 as a “course on the study of local peoples” (土俗人種學講座) in the Department of Politics at Taipei Imperial University during the Japanese era. In 1945, Taipei Imperial University was renamed as “National Taiwan university (NTU)” and at the same time, the “course” was also renamed as “Institute of Ethnology” (民族學研究室) under the Department of History in the College of Liberal Arts. In 1949, the institute re-established as “Department of Archaeology and Anthropology” in the College of Liberal Arts. In 1956 a Master program course was built, and in 1982 the department renamed again as “Department of anthropology.” In 1997, a Ph.D. course offered. At this point, the Department of Anthropology, NTU became the first academic institution in Taiwan to offer a full program of anthropological study from undergraduate to PhD. level.

　　The Department of Anthropology currently has 154 undergraduate students, 32 Master’s program students, 14 Ph.D. program students, 13 part-time and 10 full-time faculties, and 5 staffs. To date, nearly 1,100 students have graduated and gone on to play a constructive role in society. Over the last 50 years the department has cultivated numerous experts in the field, who have had a deep and lasting impact on the spread of anthropological knowledge and development of anthropology as an academic discipline.

　　In accordance with the following “anthropology teaching and research system” (人類學教學研究系統), the Department of Anthropology has established a number of required, XXX and elective courses for various study programs. (設定各學程必修、先選、及選修的課程). The objective underpinning such arrangements is to optimize the professional training of talented academic individuals with limited human resources.

　　The minimum academic credits required for entry to the Master’s Degree program are: classes 28 credits, thesis 6 credits and two foreign languages in one year (碩士班要求之最低學分數為修課28學分，論文6學分，以及一年第二外國語) (not counted as part of overall academic credits). Required courses include: data reading, advanced thesis research and planning, basic theory in cultural anthropology and basic theory in archaeology theory (資料選讀、論文研究計畫進階討論、文化人類學基礎理論、及考古學基礎理論). Elective courses (必選課程) include: either regional anthropology or regional ethnology, either secondary fields in cultural anthropology or special topics in archaeology (文化人類學次領域和專題考古學). The minimum academic credits required for entry to the Ph.D. program are: classes 26 credits, thesis 12 credits. Required courses include: basic theory in cultural anthropology, basic theory in archaeology theory and basic document critique (文化人類學基礎理論、考古學基礎理論及基礎文獻評論). Elective courses are divided into two groups: students in the archaeology group are required to have a minimum of three study credits in special topics in archaeology, regional archaeology, and research methodology (考古學組必選專題考古學、區域考古學、研究方法三範疇各至少3學分). Students in the cultural anthropology group are required to have a minimum of three study credits in regional ethnography, secondary fields or XXX and research methodology. In addition, two years of study in a second foreign language is also required (文化人類學組則必選區域民族誌、次領域或分科、研究方法三範疇各至少3學分，另必須修習第二外國語兩年). Before researching and writing a Ph.D. thesis students are first required to pass an examination.

　　Teaching in the Department of Anthropology emphasizes an integrated anthropological orientation. Undergraduate classes require four sub classes (學士班要求人類學四大分科); basic courses in archaeology, cultural anthropology, physical anthropology, and linguistics, whereas advanced classes focus on the first two. Graduating students are required to complete a minimum of 132 study credits. In addition to commonly required courses (including XXX (通識課程)), compulsory specialist courses include: anthropology, research report composition (研究報告寫作), world ethnography, introduction to archaeology, cultural anthropology, prehistoric history I, prehistoric history II, linguistics (語言學), physical anthropology, history of archaeology, history of anthropology I, history of anthropology II. Students must also choose archaeology in Taiwan or archaeology in Mainland China; cultural field practice and methodology or archaeological field practice and methodology; and one subject from cultural research into Han Chinese society, ethnography of Austronesian peoples in Taiwan, Ethnography of ethnic minorities in Mainland China, ethnography of Australasia, ethnography of South East Asia (另台灣考古學、中國考古學，以上二科擇一修習；文化田野實習與方法、考古田野實習與方法，以上二科擇一修習；漢人社會文化研究、台灣南島民族誌、中國少數民族誌、大洋洲民族誌、東南亞民族誌). In addition, the Department of Anthropology also offers students a rich and varied selection of elective courses to choose from. (本系亦開設有豐富而多樣的選修課程)

　　The Department of Anthropology is located to the front and left of the main gate to the campus on Roosevelt Road. Other than classrooms and teacher reading rooms (教師研究室) the department also has a number of other facilities; anthropology research library, exhibition room, Ph.D. reading room, Master’s reading room, field data compilation room, storage room, photography studio, department student affairs office, technical staff office, specimen data room, archaeological samples room, publications storage room, equipment room etc. (人類學資料研究室、標本陳列室、博士班研究室、碩士班研究室、田野資料整理室、儲藏室、攝影棚、系學會辦公室、技術人員辦公室、標本資料室、考古標本儲藏室、出版品儲藏室、器械室). Whilst some of the departments most important books are kept in the anthropology research library (人類學資料研究室), there are also roughly 40,000 books on anthropology in the departments general library and around 100 different academic periodicals. Other equipment includes cameras, video cameras, televisions and projectors, which are used to assist teaching and research work.

　　本系標本陳列室的收藏與建設，肇始於1928年成立的「台北帝國大學」「土俗人種學講座」時期。六十多年來雖曾經歷戰亂、復員、遷館等重大變動，但本系始終努力秉持前The department’s Exhibition Room collection can be traced back to the establishment of a “course on the study of local peoples” (土俗人種學講座) at “Taipei Imperial University” in 1928. Despite the dramatic events of the last 70+ plus years, including war, restoration and a change of address, the Department of Anthropology has consistently sought to preserve the excellent traditions started by our predecessors, continuing to collect, research, maintain and preserve, related samples and data .

　　The Department Collection is mainly made up of various implements/utensils used by the ethnic natives of Taiwan (臺灣土著民族) (today referred to as aborigines) and acquired over a period of four decades (from the 1920’s to the early 1960’s) and prehistoric artifacts occasionally unearthed at archaeological excavations around Taiwan. With this in mind, display themes also focus on a rich array of local archaeological and ethnographic samples.

　　Displays in the department’s Exhibition Room (標本陳列室) are divided into two main categories; The Ethnographic Artifacts Exhibition Room (民族學標本陳列室) located on the first floor focuses mainly on “the material culture of Taiwanese aborigines” (臺灣原住民物質文化). Artifacts and related annotated pictures are mainly categorized according to ethnic group, detailing the distinguishing characteristics of each aboriginal people’s material culture. In addition, there are also special displays on “Taiwanese Aboriginal Ceramics” (台灣原住民陶器) and “Plant Use on the Pacific Islands” (太平洋群島的植物利用). The Anthropological Artifacts Exhibition Room (考古學標本陳列室) located on the second floor focuses mainly on “Prehistoric Culture in Taiwan.” As such, displays look at the position of Taiwan’s prehistoric culture in the pantheon of world prehistoric history. Locally unearthed artifacts and utensils are used to offer a broad outline of that prehistoric culture with three specialist exhibitions; “Peinan Culture at the Peinan Site” (卑南遺址的卑南文化) “Giant Rocks and Giant Rock Structure in Chilin Culture” (麒麟文化的巨石與巨石結構) and “Grave Types in Taiwan’s Prehistoric Culture”(臺灣史前文化墓葬類型).

　　The department’s Exhibition Room is home to a rich and valuable collection of ethnographic and archaeological artifacts/specimens. This collection is a key element of teaching and research work in the department and an excellent example of the dedication of teachers and students to the preservation of Taiwan’s cultural heritage. Although the display facilities and scale cannot be compared to that of other modern museums, it is strongly focused on firsthand field data and therefore stands alone as a highly valuable small-scale professional anthropological display (具有約殊價值的小型專業人類學展示). It is hoped that visitors will take time to consider many of the issues addressed and to ask questions and in so doing foster greater public interest in issues raised by local anthropological research in Taiwan.

　　In addition to being an important teaching and research tool, the Exhibition Room (標本陳列室) is also occasionally opened to the public. In recent years, the department has introduced a Museology related curriculum to foster student interest in the field and expand the scope of specialist anthropological knowledge.