The Swanson School of Engineering Since 1846, the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering has developed innovative processes and designs that have shaped our state, our country, and our world. Swanson School faculty and students are on the forefront of developing solutions to create a better future and continue its founding commitment to industrial, electrical, and mining engineering, the fields the world relies on for its energy and raw materials. The Swanson School also focuses on our health, our planet, and the ingenuity that keeps us competitive with recognized programs in bioengineering, sustainability, and energy. Nanotechnology, manufacturing, and product innovation are also critical strategic initiatives. The Swanson School of Engineering prepares graduates through actual experience to enter exciting careers in advanced research and industry. Students find their place in the workforce through our established co-op program and working partnerships with engineering’s top companies. Our faculty and staff represent countries around the world and are internationally recognized for providing excellent educational programs, for conducting cutting edge research, and for creating the partnerships that shape the industry. International experience in engineering is a core component of the academic curriculum, with study abroad programs offered in South America, Europe, and Asia. The mission of the Swanson School of Engineering is to produce highly-qualified engineers and useful creative research and technology through academic excellence. The faculty and staff at the Swanson School of Engineering are recognized for providing excellent educational programs, for conducting leading edge research, and for creating innovative industrial partnerships. Since 2000, undergraduate enrollment has grown almost 40 percent to approximately 2,800 students. Undergraduate first-year engineering students are among the most academically successful in the entire university, with average SAT scores of 1395 and GPAs of 4.2. Graduate enrollment has increased nearly 40 percent as well, to 988 students, and PhD enrollment has increased nearly 60 percent to 438 candidates. Faculty research and journal publications have soared, and research productivity within the School now exceeds $90 million.
History The University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering has a long and distinguished history. The earliest engineering courses at Pitt were established in response to the growth of Western Pennsylvania during the early industrial revolution, with the first degrees of “Engineer” awarded in 1846, thereby establishing Pitt as the nation’s sixth earliest engineering program. The involvement of Pittsburgh industry in the years surrounding the Civil War transformed a regional industrial base into one with strong international significance, and the University responded to the need. In 1868, specialized degrees in Civil and Mechanical Engineering were initiated, with Mining Engineering following in 1869, and Electrical Engineering in 1890. In 1909, the Department of Metallurgical Engineering was established, followed by the Department of Chemical Engineering and the world’s first Department of Petroleum Engineering in 1910. Also in that year, the School created one of the nation’s first undergraduate Cooperative Education Programs. Pitt Engineering’s tradition of innovative programming resulted in the establishment of one of the nation’s first Industrial Engineering Departments in 1921. The most recent department, Bioengineering, was established in 1998. Among the many prominent individuals associated with the early history of the School were Samuel Pierpont Langley and Reginald A. Fessenden. Langley, who is credited with developing the engineering science of aerodynamics during his 24 years at Pitt, designed the first heavier-than-air craft capable of flight and greatly influenced the Wright Brothers. Fessenden, brought to Pittsburgh by George Westinghouse as the first electrical engineering department head, obtained more than 300 patents. Through his pioneering studies with voice transmission, he is now credited with being the “Father of Radio” and made the first broadcast of the human voice in 1906.