The establishment of Faculty of Engineering of Yogyakarta State University was started by opening B I/II course program in the year of 1956. This course program was aimed at enhancing the quality of teaching and educator staffs of vocational schools in Indonesia which was conducted by the Ministry of Education and Culture such as in Bandung, Semarang, and Surabaya.

In the year of 1956, B I/II Engineering course was officially opened in Yogyakarta consisting of two departments, i.e. (1) Mechanical Department and (2) Building Development Department. Afterwards, according to Minister of Education and Culture’s decree no. 82600/S dated 31 August 1957, a new department was opened started from 1 September 1957, i.e. Bridge Construction Department. Thus, in the academic year of 1957/ 1958, B I/ II Engineering course had three departments. Those were (1) Mechanical Department, (2) Building Development Department and (3) Bridge Construction Department. Due to the lack of applicant, the last department was changed into Civil Department in the academic year of 1962/ 1963.

In the year of 1961, there was a fundamental change for B I/ II Engineering course based on Minister of Education and Culture’s Decree no. 7/1981 dated 7 February 1961. And based on mentioned decree, the name was changed into FKIP Bagian Teknik (Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan bagian Teknik or Engineering Division of Faculty of Teacher Education and Educational Sciences) which was part of Gajah Mada University. Faculty of Engineering of Yogyakarta State University commemorates this moment as its anniversary.

  Since 1 May 1963, Minister of PTIP no. 55 year: 1963 dated 22 May 1963 issued the establishment of IKIP Jakarta (Institute Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan or Institute of Teacher Education and Educational Sciences), IKIP Bandung, IKIP Yogyakarta, and IKIP Malang. It consisted of (1) Faculty of Educational Sciences, (2) Faculty of Social Sciences Education, (3) Faculty of Arts and Literatures Education, (4) Faculty of Exact Sciences Education, and (5) Faculty of Engineering Education.

Starting the academic year of 1956/ 1966, Faculty of Engineering Education which is suited the need of electronic teachers opened a new division, i.e. Electronic Engineering Department.

By the time, the demand for vocational teachers and instructors of Engineering in BLPT (Balai Latihan Pendidikan Teknik or Engineering Education Training Center) were rising. Therefore, started on 1976, the Government supported by the World Bank Education Program IV contributed aid to FKT IKIP Yogyakarta and FKT IKIP Padang in terms of adequate tools and infrastructures by building up a new FKT campus of Yogyakarta located in the north of the Center building of IKIP Yogyakarta.             

There were four aspects of aid which was donated through World Bank Education Program IV, i.e. (1) the constructing of new building completed with lecturing offices, labs, and workshops; (2) improving lecturers competencies through domestic and foreign training; (3) fund for  development and implementation program; (4) educational consultant support (expert from aboard).

The main program from the World Bank Education Program IV for FKT IKIP Yogyakarta and Padang is to prepare and produce creative teachers to teach in Lab and workshop for Vocational School (SMK). Therefore, the curriculum should be adjusted and orientated to curriculum of Vocational School. By implementing that new curriculum, the departments of FKT IKIP were turned out into (1) Department of Electrical Engineering Education; (2) Department of Electronic Engineering Education; (3) Department of Mechanical Engineering Education; (4) Department of Automotive Engineering Education; and (5) Department of Architectural Engineering Education. 

The implementing of the new program was started in the academic year of 1979/ 1980. However, the new building of FKT IKIP Yogyakarta and Padang was legalized by the President of Republic Indonesia, Soeharto on 14 October 1981 in Yogyakarta.

The support from the World Bank Education Program IV in terms of project was officially ended at 31 December 1980 and the first graduates were in the academic year of 1982/ 1983. Then, since 1981 until 1983, FKT IKIP Yogyakarta and Padang got aid from UNDP (United Nation Development Program) in terms of grant (hibah). The support from UNDP finally can be continued until the late of 1984.

Based on Minister of Education and Culture Republic Indonesia’s decree no. 0141/O/1983 dated 5 March 1983 and no. 0554/O/1983, the name of FKT was changed into FPTK (Faculty of Vocational and Technology Education). Besides, Family Welfare Education Department that in the first instance was part of Faculty of Educational Sciences was integrated into FPTK. As a result, since that period, FPTK had six departments; those are (1) Department of Electrical Engineering Education; (2) Department of Electronic Engineering Education; (3) Department of Mechanical Engineering Education; (4) Department of Automotive Engineering Education; (5) Department of Architectural Engineering Education and (6) Family Welfare Education Department. After the aid from World Bank ended, FPTK still had a chance to get support from UD-3 in terms of operational support started from in the year of 1986 until 1991.

By the time, the demand for vocational teachers and instructors in BLPT (Balai Latihan Pendidikan Teknik or Center of Engineering Education and Training) were rising. The Government supported by the World Bank Education Program IV contributed aid to FKT in terms of adequate tools, machineries and infrastructures.  

There were four aspects of aid which was donated through World Bank Education Program IV, i.e. (1) the constructing of new building completed with lecturing offices, labs, and workshops; (2) improving lecturers competencies through domestic and foreign training; (3) fund for  development and implementation program; (4) educational consultant support (expert from abroad).

It was expected that FKT IKIP was able to prepare and produce competence teachers to teach in Lab and workshop of Vocational School (SMK) for electrical engineering course,  electronic engineering course, mechanical engineering course, automotive engineering course and building course. Then, in 1983, Family Welfare Education Department that in the first instance was part of Faculty of Educational Sciences was integrated into FPTK. 

Based on a wider mandate from Minister of Education, FPTK conducted non-educational study programs for diploma degree. Then, in 1997, the name was changed into Faculty of Engineering. In recent years, management system of Faculty of Engineering of Yogyakarta State University has achieved one of certificates from International Organization for Standardization (ISO) i.e. ISO 9001: 2000 for Management Affair. Since May 2010, the certificate has migrated into ISO 9001: 2008.

Faculty of Engineering Yogyakarta State University supports “UNY Go International” program by starting to prepare the blue print in achieving World Class University.