University of Nevada, Reno, College of Engineering Records

When the University of Nevada was founded in 1874, the state government placed strong emphasis on the importance of mechanical arts and mining. Therefore, the university emphasized instruction in mining engineering and related disciplines. The university register listed a school of engineering for the first time in the 1896-1897 academic year. It was divided into two subcategories: a School of Mines and a School of Engineering, Civil and Mechanical, though it did not have its own dean until 1914. The School of Engineering continued to include mining until 1951, when it separated from the college and became its own entity. In the late 1950s, nuclear engineering was added to the curriculum, but due to financial troubles in the early 1970s, it was absorbed into electrical engineering.

As of 2021, the College of Engineering offers degrees in ten fields: biomedical, chemical, civil, computer science, electrical, engineering education, engineering physics, environmental, and materials science.