The second degree granting unit inaugurated at Villanova University was the College of Engineering, which began instruction in 1905 under the name of the School of Technology. It was the fourth engineering program to be established at a Catholic school of higher education in the United States (after The Catholic University of America, 1896, Manhattan College, 1896, and the University of Notre Dame, 1897).

Dr. A.B. Carpenter, a graduate of Lehigh University, was hired in 1904 to organize and direct the School. He was ably assisted by Rev. James J. Dean, a young faculty member in the sciences. It was their responsibility to develop the curricula, hire faculty and plan the facilities needed.

Programs in Civil Engineering and Electrical Engineering were the first to be initiated, with a total of twelve students enrolled. In 1908, an undergraduate program in Mechanical Engineering was established, and in 1909, the first engineering bachelor's degrees were awarded. An undergraduate program in Chemical Engineering was established in 1919.

In the years following the Second World War, the College expanded its degree offerings to the masters level, establishing graduate programs in each of its four engineering departments. A fifth undergraduate degree program in Computer Engineering was added in 1993. A combined Bachelors/Masters Program is available in all programs.  In 2003, a Doctoral Program was instituted. 

Three Research Units

• The Center for Advanced Communications (CAC)
• The Center for Nonlinear Dynamics and Control (CENDAC)
• The Villanova Center for the Environment (VCE), a joint effort with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Accreditation

All of the College's undergraduate degree programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).