EVOLUTION OF THE (AERO)SPACE ENGINEERING STUDIES IN ITALY IN THE PAST 20 YEARS

The paper presents the evolution and trends in the Master studies in aerospace engineering in Italy, looking at the last 20 years. In the year 2000, a major reform of the higher education in engineering took place in Italy, with the introduction of the so-called “Bologna system” and the clear separation of Bachelor and Master studies. With this reform, a relatively high flexibility was given to universities to define their program structures. The ministerial rules defined only broad subject areas within which courses and credits should be allocated. This reform allowed to diversify the educational profile within each University and, even more relevant, allowed to create mobility across the country between Bachelor and Master study programs. The paper will show the basic facts and figures in the 6 Italian Universities participating in the PEGASUS network (Politecnico di Milano, Politecnico di Torino, Università di Pisa, Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II”, Sapienza Università di Roma, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna), elaborating on the impact of the potential workforce for the sector.