In consideration of talent cultivation for national development, the school decided that managerial skills must be included along with existing engineering technology in its education. In 1953, the university began to seriously consider establishing new departments and colleges as part of its overall improvement plan. In 1955, the Departments of Business Administration, Transportation and Communication Management Science, Accountancy, and Statistics were established successively within the College of Business. In 1956, the originally required common courses, Chinese Literature, Mathematics, and Physics, were established as three departments, under the College of Arts and Science. Thus, the school was progressing toward a comprehensive university.

With continual improvement in its academic and research capacity following the establishment of new colleges and departments, the school was able to attract many more eminent professors and gifted students. For example, Prof. Xue-Lin Su, a very distinguished scholar, was appointed by the Dept. of Chinese Literature to teach students, whilst the Dept. of Physics recruited some outstanding students, like Paul Chu Ching-Wu, who were to become top tech talent in Taiwan. The Dept. of Foreign Languages and Literature also recruited a few very gifted students, such as Ying-Tai Lung and Diane Yin. The top talent and high achievers developed in different departments at NCKU have left a long-lasting impact on many industries in Taiwan.

In 1956, Taiwan Provincial College of Engineering was upgraded to Taiwan Provincial Cheng Kung University, and the motto of the former Provincial College of Engineering: “seek for truth, toil for good” was inscribed (by the handwriting of then President Chiang Kai-Shek) on the white gate arch. It has become a memorable symbol for NCKU since.