When the United States joined World War II in 1941, the College of Engineering faced many changes. To aid the war effort, the College of Engineering instituted several specialized training programs. In 1943, an Army Specialized Training Program was created to provide students with language and advanced engineering skills. The Civil Aeronautics Pilot Training Program was also instituted, training students to be pilots for the Military Air Transport Service. The College of Engineering also shortened the duration of its academic programs in order to accelerate training for technical branches of the Army. Enrollment dropped significantly during World War II, but accelerated quickly following the war as students returned to the University of Maryland on the G.I. Bill. During the war, the College of Engineering moved from its original home in Taliaferro Hall to what is now H.J. Patterson Hall.