The School of Arts was formerly the Visual Arts Institute, which was established by Macao Cultural Institute in 1989. It was incorporated into the Macao Polytechnic Institute in 1993. The School consists of three departments including the department of design, music and visual arts. The School of Arts is also the only institution under the Macao SAR government offers programs with degree and diploma in design, visual arts and music. The mission of the School of Arts is to cultivate creative professionals who are able to take challenges and to promote new subjects in the areas of design, arts and music.

In the recent years the faculties of the School of Arts have participated in various researches and national educational events, including The International Conference in Comparative Education of Music Teachers. Researches funded by the Macao Polytechnic Institute, topics includes Research in Macao Music Education, Research in Macao Music Composition, Research in Renaissance Chorus, Prospect of Macao Higher Arts Education (including subjects like music, visual art and design), Cultural Interpretation of Chinese Piano Music, Exploration of Difficult Piano Techniques, Research in Techniques of Small Casting Sculpture, Research in Macao Music Performance, 3D Design in Macao. More than hundred articles and academic papers have been published in various publications such as Journal of Macao Polytechnic Institute, Macao Teachers’ Journal, Macao Education, Journal of Sino-Western Cultural Studies, Macao Daily, and various key journals and periodicals in the mainland China. Many of those academic papers have influenced greatly to the professions in Hong Kong, Mainland and Taiwan.

In addition, the works of our faculties have been widely exhibited, purchased and used by many agencies and government offices, some of the works of art have been collected by the National Art Museum of China. In recent years, our academic faculties have also been invited to be juries for many events, contests and competitions such as The National Campus Singing Contest, The Young Times Advertising Awards in Design, the 4th Macao East Asian Games medals and posters design, The Macao International Fireworks Display, Department of Education, School Singing Contest, The National Art Fair-Macao Division, various international and regional symposiums, visiting jury members for doctoral dissertations of the Beijing Central Conservatory, guest professor of the Xinghai Conservatory (Guangzhou), visiting lecturers for graduate and undergraduate students in Music for Taiwan Normal University and Fu Jen Catholic University, arts education workshop for the symposiums in Europe, visiting conductors for Macao Orchestra and various choir clubs and concerts.