The Department of Architecture at South China University of Technology (SCUT) has a long establishment and is the key component of the School of Architecture. And it parallels the changing history of SCUT (formerly known as Rang Qin University, Zhong Shan University, South China Institute of Technology, Guangdong Institute of Technology) and has been renamed many times. From 1931 to 1980 it was Department of Architectural Engineering; then on 1980 until 2008 it was Department of Architectural Studies; in April, 2008, it was finally re-designated as Department of Architecture. The Department of Architecture has divided itself into three research labs focusing on Architectural Design, Architectural History and Architectural Technology; meanwhile providing major supports for the expanding force of the school's postgraduate education and researches in these fields. Led by Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering He Jingtang and Member of China Academy of Sciences Wu Shuoxian, with accumulating experience in architectural education, researches and design through practices by staffs and students, the Department of Architecture has made some remarkable achievements by developing an influential, leading way of teaching with strong local rooting, and raising many generations of trained professionals, including four academicians Mo Baizhi, She Junnan, He Jingtang and Wu Shuoxian, as well as nine “Distinguished Designers” (Yuan Pei Huang, Li Tuofen, etc.) awarded by the China Exploration & Design Association. Projects done by the members of the Department of Architecture has gained lots of prizes from national design awards, won many tenders and design competitions, such as the resent winning of the bid to build China's pavilion at the 2010 World Expo'. The department teams were granted UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation Award of Excellence in 2003 with Guangyu Ancestral Hall preservation plans; and Honourable Mention in 2005 for the conservation of Zhaoxiang Huang Ancestral Hall. The school also has rich experience in designing cultural buildings, sport facilities and campus planning. Projects such as the now finished Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall, The Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium (the 2008 Olympic venue for Badminton and Rhythmic Gymnastics) and China Agricultural University Gymnasium (the 2008 Olympic Wrestling Venue), Anhui Museum, Ningbo Museum, Guangdong Hakka Museum, Leshan Grand Buddha Museum, Guangzhou International Conference and Exhibition Center etc. all has made noticeable impact in the domestic and international building scenes.
In term of architectural education, the Department of Architecture has a reputation of being the provincial top-ranking discipline of Guangdong. In 1994 and 1995, the department has been ranked excellence in China Higher Education (undergraduate and postgraduate) league table, and in 2000 and 2006, the department has been ranked excellence once again.   The Department of Architecture currently has two national outstanding courses which are “Architecture Design” and “Building Technology and Services,” and one provincial outstanding course “Architectural History.” Presently, the department has the privilege to be selected as a platform to establish China higher education advanced teaching methods, and is picked as national-ranked educational team as it is the only architectural department that achieves such a high ranking nationally.