Quick Answer: The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the largest student enrollment of the University System of Georgia institutions, with satellite campuses in Savannah, Georgia, and Metz, France. The school was founded as the Georgia School of Technology as part of Reconstruction efforts to build an industrial economy in the Southern United States after the Civil War. Initially, it offered only a degree in mechanical engineering. By 1901, its curriculum had expanded to include electrical, civil, and chemical engineering. In 1948, the school changed its name to reflect its evolution from a trade school to a technical institute and research university. Georgia Tech is organized into seven colleges with about 31 departments and academic units, and emphasizes the academic fields of science and technology.