National Institute of Technology Patna is the 18th National Institute of Technology created by the Ministry of H.R.D. Government of India after rechristening the erstwhile Bihar College of Engineering Patna on 28. 01. 2004. NIT Patna marked its humble beginning in 1886 with the establishment of pleaders survey training school which was subsequently promoted of Bihar College of Engineering Patna in 1924. This made this institute the 6th Oldest Engineering Institute of India. The graduate level curriculum was later elevated to the post graduate level in 1978. The institute is situated on the south bank of holy river Ganges behind Gandhi Ghat, one of the most important and reverential place of Patna. The Gandhi Ghat is associated with the immersion of ashes of father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi in the river Ganges. The campus has a picturesque river view with historic building presenting a spectacle of architectural delight and natural beauty. National Institute of Technology Patna has been declared as an Institute of National Importance and has been granted a fully Autonomous Status by MHRD, Government of India. The Institute has also been declared as a Centre of Excellence of impart high level education training , research and development in science, engineering technology and humanities. It is imparting high quality education & values at UG (B.Tech), PG (M.Tech) & Ph .D programmes through its experienced faculty well versed in their respective field of engineering an technology with well equipped laboratories . At present the Institute has seven disciplines viz. Architecture, Civil Engineering, Compute Science & Engg., Electrical Engg., Electronics & Communication Engg., Information Technology and Mechanical Engg., and well established departments of physics, Mathematics and Humanities and Social Science. National Institute of Technology Patna aims at setting out very high education standards and holds long record of academic excellence. The pedagogical aspects have been formulated to suit not only the needs of the contemporary industrial requirements but also to develop human potential to its fullest extent in a range of professions. Extra curricular activities are planed through games and sports, cultural programmes and NSS activities. Cultural activities provide a platform to know about the culture of various states and regions of the country and opportunity for national integration. Ever since its rechristening, NIT Patna has been on the fast track of development and has undergone numerous facelifts because of which placement records have witnessed unprecedented growth and is touching new heights as the graph of placement is increasing remarkably.
The Department of Architecture was established in the Bihar College of Engineering (BCE) Patna in the year 1979 under Patna University. It was the first time that architectural education had commenced in Bihar. When BCE Patna was rechristened as National Institute of Technology Patna on 28th January 2004, it came under the control of Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India. The Department of Architecture and Planning offers programmes in Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.), Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP), Master of Architecture (Sustainable Architecture) and Ph.D. in Architecture and Planning. The B.Arch. course, apart from ful¬filling the functional requirements, leads towards creativity, innovation and aesthetics in the approach for design of buildings and its environments. The postgraduate course in Master of Urban and Regional Planning, which commenced from 2012-13, imparts knowledge of urban and regional planning, green infrastructure, environment planning, sustainability and energy efficient aspects in urban and regional planning. It emphasizes on creating new ideas and innovative concepts of physical / spatial planning in the present scenario. The nomenclature of Department of Architecture gets changed to Department of Architecture and Planning in the year 2020. This course is affiliated by Institute of Town Planners, India. The M.Arch. programme stated in 2019-2020, the nomenclature of this post graduate programme was changed to Master of Architecture (Sustainable Architecture) from session 2022-23. The Course content focused more on environmental issues related to built environment, ecology, energy conscious built structure, Artificial Intelligence, Building Simulation and different means of passive architectural methods. The Ph.D. programme started in year 2009 with research areas in Architecture, Urban Planning, Regional Planning, Environmental Planning, Transport Planning, Architectural Conservation, Landscape, Housing, Healthcare Architecture and Construction Planning Management, etc.