The institute established its master program in 2003 under the approval of the Ministry of Education, and in 2004 established the doctoral program. The institute faculty was previously with the computer group and the communication group of the Department of Electrical Engineering. Many graduates now hold leading positions in the areas of computers, networking, multimedia, information security, signal processing, electromagnetic waves and antennas, and wireless communications. In response to the huge demand for ICT talent in the domestic industry, and in order to work more closely with research institutions in southern Taiwan, and expand the field of research and strengthen competitiveness, the computer science and information systems group and the communication and network group in the EE department merged to form the "Institute of Computer and Communication Engineering," and joined the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in 2003. The institute, along with the Department of Electrical Engineering, works closely with interdisciplinary research units in the university. It is a vital stronghold in Taiwan’s information & communications technology field. It shoulders the heavy duty of Taiwan’s information & communication area’s research & development, education, and training. It endeavors to train students to become professionals in computer engineering and high-tech communication, in order to meet the demands of the nation & industries, and to establish Taiwan’s skills & competitiveness in the global information communication technology.