Address: Avenida Coronel Pereira Lima, 1233, 12228-900 São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil
Aerospace, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronics
Engineers for Brazilian aviation are trained at ITA, the Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica, a public higher-education institution maintained by the Brazilian Air Force in São José dos Campos, in the state of São Paulo. The institute dates from 1950: a decree of 16 January of that year turned two existing preparatory and engineer-training courses into its fundamental and professional courses and made ITA part of the Centro Técnico de Aeronáutica, the aerospace technology centre on whose campus it stands.
The undergraduate degree is a five-year Bachelor of Engineering, with two years of fundamental courses followed by three years in a professional specialty. The professional courses include aeronautical, aerospace, computer, electronic, mechanical and civil engineering. Master’s and doctoral programmes complete the offer, with more than 1,000 graduate students.
Entry is highly competitive. The annual admission exam fills only about 110 to 120 undergraduate places a year, while recent exams have drawn more than 7,000 candidates. Students receive housing and meals during their studies.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, Electrical and Electronics, Mechanical Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Close partnerships with Embraer and Brazilian Air Force
Research:
Cutting-edge research in aerospace technology and defense systems
State University of Campinas combines engineering, bioengineering and computer vision, a technical profile close to ITA's computer and electronic engineering courses.
With engineering, marine science and physics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro is another Brazilian engineering school whose fields partly overlap with ITA.
Listed fields in materials and physics, plus engineering, make Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul relevant to aerospace and mechanical studies.
Federal University of Santa Catarina pairs engineering with computer vision and ecology and sustainability, a comparable technical university elsewhere in Brazil.
Engineering and computer vision work at University of São Paulo runs parallel to ITA's technology focus, within a much broader university.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
In the United States, United States Air Force Academy pairs aerospace engineering with military and strategic studies, echoing ITA's link to an air force.
France's ISAE-SUPAERO is devoted to aerospace, aeronautical and space systems engineering, the closest match to ITA's aeronautical and aerospace courses.
Italy's Politecnico di Torino lists automotive engineering, aerospace engineering and ICT among its fields.
In the United Kingdom, Cranfield University concentrates on aerospace, engineering and management.
Israel's Technion - Israel Institute of Technology covers engineering, aerospace and computer science, among other fields.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is ITA located and which body runs it?
ITA is in São José dos Campos, in the state of São Paulo, and is a public higher-education institution maintained by the Brazilian Air Force. It forms part of the Centro Técnico de Aeronáutica complex.
What happened in 1950 to create the institute?
A decree signed on 16 January 1950 transformed two existing courses for preparing and training aeronautical engineers into the fundamental and professional courses of ITA. The institute has therefore been counted as founded in 1950.
How is the undergraduate programme organised?
It lasts five years: a two-year fundamental cycle shared by all students, then a three-year professional cycle in one engineering specialty. The degree awarded is a Bachelor of Engineering.
Which engineering fields can students choose?
The courses include aeronautical, aerospace, computer, electronic, mechanical and civil engineering.
How difficult is admission to ITA?
Selection is by an annual exam. Only about 110 to 120 places are open each year, and recent exams attracted more than 7,000 candidates, so the process is very selective.
Does ITA offer graduate study?
Yes. Master's and doctoral programmes exist alongside the undergraduate courses, and more than 1,000 graduate students have been counted.
Where can applicants find the current rules and calendar?
Admission rules, dates and course details are published on the institute's official website, which should be checked for the latest exam calendar.
Additive Manufacturing, Aeronautics, Aerospace, Aviation, Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), Mechanical Engineering, Research and Development, Robotics
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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