With the joint efforts of Xinya College, the Academy of Arts & Design, the Department of Automation and the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Tsinghua University, CDIE emerged from the rapid development of such disciplines as intelligent design, automation and robotics. Students will be awarded a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering after four-year schooling.

This major focuses on the development of students' comprehensive quality in sciences and arts. It aims to train students to become interdisciplinary talents with a solid engineering foundation, design skills and professional aesthetic ability. Relying on the strong faculty of Tsinghua University and the comprehensive advantages of multidisciplinary integration, this major will cultivate students' ability to integrate science and technology with arts, innovative design ability centering on intelligent engineering, and innovative ability to design and develop intelligent products based on the needs of information industry and society. It stresses the combination of theoretical learning and hands-on practice. Students are encouraged to actively participate in international academic exchanges and worldwide internship programs at world-renowned companies.

Disciplinary leaders of CDIE: Ma Sai, Zhang Changshui and Ji Linhong.