Discipline construction is the an important basis of the scientific research and personnel training in universities, and the comprehensive strength of disciplines reflects the basic level of schools.

Arts discipline of Southeast University is the first doctoral program of arts in the country, and obtainning the right to grant master's degree and doctor's degree in 1996 and 1997 respectively. Arts discipline used to preside over the construction of the philosophy and social science innovation base of science and technology, ethics and art in the second phase of the national project 985, and being awarded as the key discipline in Jiangsu Province for two consecutive years from “ the tenth five-year plan” to “the eleventh five-year plan”. In 2007, art theory, which is hosted by the School of Arts, has been added as the national key subject, which is the first and only national key subject belonging to the second-level discipline of arts in the country. In 2008, the discipline hosted by the school has been evaluated as the first-level key discipline of Jiangsu Province. In 2014, art theory has been ranked as the superior subject of Jiangsu Province.

In 2004, among the first-level discipline ranking of postgraduate education which was attached to the evaluation of degree and education launched by the  higher education institutions and research institutions of the ministry of education, the arts discipline of our school ranked second.

In 2008, among the first-level discipline ranking of postgraduate education which was attached to the evaluation of degree and education launched by the  higher education institutions and research institutions of the ministry of education, the arts discipline of our school ranked third.

In 2012, among the first-level discipline ranking of postgraduate education which was attached to the evaluation of degree and education launched by the  higher education institutions and research institutions of the ministry of education, the arts discipline of our school ranked first.

The School of Arts of Southeast University has possessed the third phase of the national project 211 called art theory innovation and application research platform program, the third phase of national project 985 called art and creative industry research philosophy and social science innovation base, and having owned the post-doctoral mobile station of art theory which belongs to the first post-doctoral mo bile station nationwide. In addition, our school has first-level discipline of doctoral degree awarding point of art theory, first-level discipline master’s degree awarding point of fine art and design, awarding point of MFA (master of arts).

Arts discipline has cultivated amounts of excellent post-doctor, doctors and masters. Now, current doctor students and master students are more than 200, and current post doctors are more than 40. Some excellent doctors and masters cultivated by the school have been the leading figures of art research field in our country, and many graduates has been the backbone of the art education and research fields in our country.