The Faculty of Engineering, University of Ruhuna was established on 1^st July 1999 at Hapugala, Galle. First batch of students was admitted on 27^th March 2000. It is the third state Faculty of Engineering in Sri Lanka after those at University of Peradeniya and University of Moratuwa.

The infrastructure for the faculty was well supported and driven by one of the former Minister of Education (the late) Honorable Richard Pathirana. As a result, within a short period of time (in 3 years), a large scale infrastructure complex was built at Hapugala, including three Department Buildings with Laboratories, an Administration Building, a Computer Centre, a Guest House, a Lecture Theater Complex with two large Drawing Offices, three Student Hostels, a Canteen with Medical Unit and Student Center, a Library; twenty Staff Quarters, internal roads and a Security Building. All of these facilities were designed for quick and easy access, and ample provision was made for future expansion.

Academic Departments and Fields of Specializations

The Faculty consists of four Academic Departments, namely Civil and Environmental Engineering (DCEE), Electrical and Information Engineering (DEIE), Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (DMME), and Interdisciplinary Studies (DIS). At the commencement, the faculty offered three (03) General Engineering Degree Programs specialized in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Information Engineering, and Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. The Department of Interdisciplinary Studies was established mainly to extend the support for other three department by delivering courses in Mathematics, Management, Engineering Economics, Communication, Humanities, Social Sciences, Arts, Professional Ethics and other similar multi-disciplinary areas.

Recently, another two (02) fields of specializations; Computer Engineering, and Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture have been introduced to facilitate more preferences for undergraduate students. As a result, the last student intake to the faculty from 2019/2020 A/L Mathematical stream was recorded as 530.

Semester-based System for Engineering Education

From the start, the faculty introduced a semester-based system for Engineering Education of students. In this system, a year is divided into two semesters, and a semester continues for a period of nineteen weeks in total. The time allocation for a semester is further divided as; First Half (7 weeks), Recess (1 week), Second Half (7 weeks), Study Period (1 week), Examination (2 weeks) and Vacation (1 week). The two other Engineering Faculties at Peradeniya and Moratuwa have adopted a similar semester-based system two years thereafter, replacing their old style British system of year-end examinations.