The rapid development of public and private institutes of art in Malaysia reflects the importance of the field of art and design in the development of the nation. The Faculty of Art and Design (FSSR), founded in 1967, has brought fame to the university and to the country through various artistic activities and achievements. As a matter of fact, the faculty is the only Faculty of Art and Design in
Malaysia to have obtained the ISO 9001 : 2000 certification. Initially known as the School of Applied Arts, the Faculty of Art and Design was originally adjoined to the School of Architecture, Planning and Land Survey. Its temporary studios and classrooms were located at Petaling Garden, before moving to Section 17, Petaling Jaya in 1970. It started with three full-time lecturers and two part-time lecturers. The first batch counted 33 students enrolled in the foundation course. The following year, three programmes of specialization were created, namely Fine Arts, Graphic Design and Textile Design. Twenty-six students attended these courses, while forty students enrolled in the foundation course. In 1973, as several more programmes were added, the School of Applied Arts seceded and became known as the School of Art and Design (Kajian Seni Lukis dan Seni Reka, or KSSR). Nevertheless, KSSR still used part of the School of Architecture complex when it moved to the Shah Alam campus in 1974. Finally, in early 1982, KSSR moved to its own building which it still occupies today.
