The Federal University of Minas Gerais, since 1975, offers, to the Mechanical Engineering Students, the option of Aeronautical Engineering trajectory. With this option, the graduating students obtain the Mechanical-Aeronautical engineer title, and are permitted, by the Federal Engineering Council, to develop the attributed functions of such professional. Currently, UFMG, ITA and USP, are the three most renowned brazilian universities able to graduate this kind of engineer.

Since the trajectory creation, the course has graduated more than 400 engineers, wich are found working, in the majority, at Embraer and Brazilian airlines.

The Center for Aeronautical Studies (CEA) has the objective of gather and support all the research and educational activities developed by the professors and students of the Aeronautical Engineering trajectory of UFMG. From all the activities, one highlights CEA among other Brazilian Aeronautical courses, the development and operation of aircraft prototypes.

Currently, there are already 5 prototypes completely developed at CEA. This practice, advised by several aircraft designers and adopted at the german universities for years, shows many advantages on the engineering education: Design creativity, Capacity of fullfilling ideas, practice on managing resources, linkage between design and manufacturing, teamwork, professional liability, among many more others capacities that can be explored at this engineering field.