Founded in 1992, Qingdao Binhai University was approved by Chinese Ministry of Education as the first private vocational college in Shandong Province in 1999. In 2005, it was upgraded to be one of the first private undergraduate universities in Shandong Province. In 2009, it was accredited to award bachelor's degrees. The university consists of 15 faculties, including Fundamental Undergraduate Faculty of Arts and Science, Fundamental Vocational Faculty of Arts, Fundamental Vocational Faculty of Science, Faculty of Business, Faculty of Information and Engineering, Faulty of Electromechanical Engineering, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Faculty of International Cooperation, Faculty of Architectural Engineering, Faculty of Accountancy, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Art and Media, Faculty of Continuing Education, and Faculty of Teaching and Scientific Research on Ideological and Political Theories. It offers 34 specialties for undergraduates and 35 specialties for vocational students, which cover such disciplines as arts, science, engineering, administration, economics, art, medicine, education, etc. The university currently has more than 18,000 full-time students, over 100 of whom are overseas students.