Shandong University of Art and Design has put first priority on art disciplines, at the same time placing importance on liberal and scientific disciplines as its two supporting wings, with the goal to foster "scientific spirit, humanistic accomplishment, artistic innovation, and technical skills".

Shandong University of Art and Design includes schools listed below: School of Applied Design, School of Architecture and Landscape Design, School of Arts and Humanities, School of Continuing Education, School of Digital Art and Communication, School of Fine Arts, School of Fashion Design, School of Industrial Design, School of Modern Handicraft, and School of Visual Communication Design.

SUAD has set up Chinese Folk Art Research Institute, Image Research Institute, Landscape Design Research Institute, Glass Research Institute, Furniture Research Institute, and etc. Most faculty members and even some administrative staffs are engrossed in their research projects, covering different areas related to art and design. And each school has partnership cooperation with different companies as their off-campus base, where students could practice what they have learned.

SUAD vigorously expands its foreign exchange and cooperation with foreign universities and institutes, and has established friendly relationship with universities and colleges of art and design in America, Australia, Europe, Japan and Korea.