University and in 1946 the institution became an autonomous university with architecture, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering faculties. With its long history of 249 years, its modern teaching environment, and well-qualified teaching staff, Istanbul Technical University today is the personification of engineering and architectural education in Turkey. Istanbul Technical University not only played a leading role in the modernization movement of the Ottoman Empire, but has also maintained its leadership position in the changes and innovations taking place in the construction, industrialization, and technological realms during the modern days of the Turkish Republic. Engineers and architects trained at Istanbul Technical University have played significant roles in the construction of Turkey. Alumni also played a significant role in Turkish politics. Academics The structure of faculties, except the Faculty of Science and Letters, at ITU is comparable to those of "schools" in the U.S. institutions, where each faculty is composed of two or more departments in line with a comprehensive engineering field. For example, the Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering consists of the departments of electrical engineering, control engineering, electronics and communication engineering. Faculty of Civil Engineering Civil Engineering Geomatics Engineering Environmental Engineering Faculty of Architecture Architecture Urban and Regional Planning Industrial Product Design Interior Architecture Landscape Architecture Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Electrical Engineering Control Engineering Electronics and Communication Engineering Faculty of Computer and Informatics Computer Engineering Artificial Intelligence and Data Engineering (Undergraduate) Information Systems Engineering (Joint programme with SUNY) Faculty of Mines Mining Engineering Mineral Processing Engineering Geological Engineering Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering Geophysical Engineering Faculty of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering Chemical Engineering Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Food Engineering Bioengineering (UOLP) Faculty of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Shipbuilding and Ocean Engineering Faculty of Sciences and Letters Mathematics Engineering Physics Engineering Chemistry Molecular Biology and Genetics Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics Aeronautical Engineering Astronautical Engineering Meteorological Engineering Faculty of Management Management Engineering Industrial Engineering Economics Maritime Faculty Marine Engineering Maritime Transportation and Management Engineering Faculty of Textile Technologies and Design Textile Engineering Fashion Design Textile Development and Management ITU-TRNC Education and Research Campuses Computer Engineering Electrical and Electronics Engineering Economics and Finance Architecture Maritime Business Management Maritime Transportation Management Engineering Marine Engineering Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Preparatory School of Foreign Languages Institutes and Research Centers There are several Research Groups in ITU, including: Energy Institute