Providence University has a history that dates back to 1921 when Hua-Mei Girls¡¯ Elementary and High School was established. The school was founded by an American congregation, the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, and was one of the first schools for girls in China. In 1989 the college was granted university status and became Providence University for Women.
It wasn¡¯t until 1993 that the university began to enrol male students and was renamed Providence University. The number of male students studying at the university has increased rapidly since then.
When the university was first established it had just four departments: Chinese literature, western languages and literature, business, and mathematics. Now it is organised into six colleges: foreign languages and literature, humanities and social sciences, sciences, management, computing and informatics, and the international college. There is also the Centre for General Education and the Industrial College. Within each college are a number of departments offering both undergraduate and graduate courses.
The university is located in Shalu District, in central Taichung City, Taiwan. Taichung is Taiwan¡¯s second most populous city with a current population of almost 3 million. The city is home to a number of museums including the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts and the National Museum of Natural Science.
