The idea of a technology school in Georgia was introduced in 1865 during the Reconstruction period.
Main article: History of Georgia Tech Establishment Atlanta during the Civil War, c. The university is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Georgia Tech fields eight men's and seven women's teams that compete in NCAA Division I athletics, which have won five national championships throughout their history. Today, Georgia Tech is organized into 6 colleges and contains about 31 departments and academic units, with emphasis on science and technology. In 1948, the school changed its name to reflect its evolution from a trade school to a larger and more capable technical institute and research university. By 1901, its curriculum had expanded to include electrical, civil, and chemical engineering. Initially, it offered only a degree in mechanical engineering. The school was founded as the Georgia School of Technology as part of Reconstruction plans to build an industrial economy in the post- Civil War Southern United States. Established in 1885, it is part of the University System of Georgia and has satellite campuses in Savannah, Georgia Metz, France Shenzhen, China and Singapore. The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech and GT or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Location in the United States Show map of the United States