 Mao obtained his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the National Cheng Kung University in Tainan in 1971.He obtained his Master's of Engineering in Community and Regional Development from the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand in 1975, then his Ph.D. in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in United States in 1982.In 1982-1987, Mao was the Associate Professor, Professor and Director at the National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) in Hsinchu City.