Swanson School of Engineering

The Swanson School of Engineering is the engineering school of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1846, The Swanson School of Engineering is the second or third oldest in the United States.HistoryThe Swanson School of Engineering evolved out of the Western University of Pennsylvania, the former name of the University of Pittsburgh, offering specialized engineering subjects to students, although they were still required complete their classical requirements. The first graduates in these engineering subjects were Isaac Morley and J. B. Stilly in 1846. Separate degree programs in mechanical and civil engineering were announced in 1868, and four year degrees resulting in separate engineering degrees were first implemented in 1870. The school was the university's response to the years surrounding the Civil War that transformed Pittsburgh's industrial base from regional to international.By 1868, specialized degrees in civil and mechanical engineering were initiated, with mining engineering following in 1869 and electrical engineering in 1890. In 1909, the Metallurgical Engineering department was established, followed by the chemical engineering department and the world's first petroleum engineering department in 1910. Also that year, one of the nation's first undergraduate cooperative education programs was created. The Swanson School of Engineering is also the home of one of the nation's first industrial engineering departments, established in 1921.In 2007 the school was renamed to the Swanson School of Engineering after John A. Swanson, founder of the computer software firm, ANSYS, Inc., donated a total of $41.3 million to the school.