Mergers and Changes

The Institute of Design, founded in Chicago by László Moholy-Nagy in 1937 as The New Bauhaus, merged with Illinois Institute of Technology in 1949.

Chicago-Kent College of Law, founded in 1887, became part of the university in 1969, making Illinois Tech one of the few technology-based universities with a law school.

Also in 1969 Stuart School of Management and Finance, now Stuart School of Business, was established thanks to a gift from the estate of Lewis Institute alumnus and Chicago financier Harold Leonard Stuart. The program became Stuart School of Business in 1999.

Midwest College of Engineering, founded in 1967, joined the university in 1986, giving Illinois Tech a presence in west suburban Wheaton with what is today known as the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Campus, with offices and classrooms housing some programs offered by the College of Computing.

In December 2006 University Technology Park at IIT, an incubator and life sciences/tech startup facility, was begun in existing research buildings on the south end of Mies Campus.

The Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship opened in October 2018 through a donation from Ed Kaplan (ME ’65) and his wife, Carol. With a focus on innovative thinking, entrepreneurship, and transitioning new ideas into products and processes, the Kaplan Institute houses the Institute of Design, the Janet & Craig Duchossois Idea Shop, and the Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) Program among other facilities.

Today, Illinois Institute of Technology is the only tech-focused university in the city. It stands at the crossroads of exploration and invention, advancing the future of Chicago and the world. Its graduates lead the state and much of the nation in economic prosperity. Its faculty and alumni built the Chicago skyline. And every day in the living lab of the city, Illinois Tech fuels breakthroughs that change lives.

Illinois Tech is one of 22 institutions that comprise the Association of Independent Technological Universities.