The Cracow University of Technology was established in 1945, to become an independent entity in 1954. During 60 years of activity the school has developed into a strong university which at present employs in total over 2100 staff, including nearly 1200 academic teachers; among 190 professors and associate professors there are over 70 full professors. Over 17 thousand students are enrolled in degree courses.
From the seven faculties six are authorized to grant doctoral degrees (the youngest among them, Faculty of Applied Physics and Computer Modelling, will apply for the authorization in 2003), and four are entitled to confer the title of associate professor. Therefore all the conditions necessary for the Cracow University of Technology to be considered an autonomous university are met, CUT being one of three of this kind in Cracow . On the national scale the university is ranked between the fifth and seventh position among over twenty universities of technology in the country. Some of the faculties are ranked on higher positions and the faculties of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering are among the elite in Poland .
The university has substantial fixed assets. It is located on two campuses - close to the historic city centre in Warszawska Street and in Czyżyny on the area of former airport - of the total area of 1,1 sq. km. The university is also an owner of historical objects - former royal palace in Łobzów in Podchorążych Street , a building in Kanonicza Street (which hosts Kanonicza Street Gallery and Zależny theatre) and a wooden villa in Zakopane. The various facilities include numerous faculty laboratories that enable for research and educational activities. The University also has a sports hall in Kamienna Street and a waterfront sports centre in Żywiec.
The strong position of the university is a sound ground for undertaking activities towards adaptation to the new changing economic and civilization conditions. In 1997 on the initiative of the Cracow University of Technology a Special Economic Zone was established. On a part of the area contributed by CUT (29,5 hectares allotted from the Czyżyny campus) a Technology Park was created, under the management of the Centre for Advanced Technologies (the company with CUT as a shareholder). This important element of technology transfer brings the university benefits not only as the material input by the companies operating in the park. It also creates conditions for the staff to exchange ideas and for graduates to find employment (the graduates being clients of the University Career and Promotion Service).
The University itself is constantly changing by, for example, introducing new degree courses. Among these the inter-faculty degree course of computer science should be mentioned, introduced in 2001/2002 and realized at five faculties. Aimed at IT application in different areas of technology, it is to prepare the graduates to use modern tools in the era of IT revolution. The project has been prepared for several years. Serious investments in the area of networking infrastructure have been undertaken: both campuses have their own optical fiber optic network and are included in the Municipal Computer Network, similarly as the students hostels for 1800 students.
Cultural activities of students and staff should be emphasized - student club Kwadrat, Nowinki radio, GIL gallery, Cantata choir and the sports activities of the Academic Sports Association which has been scoring brilliant success. This follows one of the messages included in the mission of the Cracow University of Technology as an institution of high public utility.