After Kitty Hawk: First Aerospace Programs

August 26, 2013 7:15 AM

Which aerospace program came first: the one at MIT or the one at the University of Michigan?

At Michigan, the aerospace program began in 1914, the same year MIT established the first formal course in aerospace engineering. Michigan's was the first collegiate program, so wouldn't it have involved formal courses? I know there must be an important distinction here that I am not able to see.

posted by Francolin to Society & Culture (3 answers total)

I don't see any material difference between the programs except possibly in emphasis. Both offered courses in aerospace engineering in 1914.
posted by valkyryn at 7:43 AM on August 26, 2013 [1 favorite]

I'll bet that you could call their departmental administrative staff to get more thorough answers.
posted by oceanjesse at 7:54 AM on August 26, 2013

It's not entirely clear to me if "MIT establishes the first formal course in Aeronautical Engineering in the U.S." means "course" as in a single class or "course" as in a sequence of classes leading to a degree. It looks like MIT generally uses course to mean the latter, but that is confused by the next entry in that timeline, "Course XVI created" which would seem to refer to the Aeronautics major overall. I say call the department.
posted by Rock Steady at 8:03 AM on August 26, 2013