The College of Aeronautics was founded in 1946 at RAF Cranfield, with the aim to provide specialist postgraduate aeronautical education in Britain.

Initially the College had four departments covering the main aspects of aeronautics; Aerodynamics headed by Prof W J Duncan, Aircraft Design headed by Prof R L Lickley, Aircraft Propulsion headed by N S Muir and Flight headed by Group Captain R C Hockey.

Between 1955 and 1969, the programme of education diversified to include the creation of new Departments of

Aircraft Electrical Engineering and of Mathematics in 1955 and in October 1958 the creation of a

Department of Aircraft Materials. New courses were planned and introduced covering subjects such as fluid

mechanics, control engineering, and automotive engineering.

In July 1967 the College presented the Privy Council with a Petition for the grant of a Royal Charter along with a draft charter for a new institution to be called Cranfield Institute of Technology.

The Insititute has since expanded, most notably in 1975 when the National College of Agricultural Engineering at Silsoe

became part of Cranfield Institute of Technology, and in 1984 where a third campus was founded at the Royal Military College of Science at Shrivenham.