In 1973 the University School of Industrial Engineering in Tarragona, which had developed out of the Technical College founded by the Ministry of Work in 1956 joined the Polytechnical University of Catalonia (then UPB). As of the academic year 1961-62, this School provided courses in Industrial Engineering in the specialities of Mechanics, Electricity and Chemistry.

Within the framework of the Law of University Reform, the University of Barcelona created the Divisió VII which incorporated all of the Tarragona and Reus University centres, among which was the Faculty of Chemistry which ran the speciality in Industrial Chemistry. Later it included the newly created university centres, among which was the Tarragona University School of Computing.

With the creation of the Rovira i Virgili University by the Catalan Parliament in 1991, the Tarragona University School of Computing and the University School of Industrial Engineering disappeared and their studies – as well as the previously mentioned speciality in Industrial Chemistry – were absorbed by what is known today as the School of Engineering. It is, therefore, a young school but with more than 35 years of experience.

In 1995, the following programmes were segregated: Chemical Engineering, Industrial Technical Engineering, speciality in Industrial Chemistry, and Agricultural Technical Engineering, speciality in Agrarian and Food Industries. These programmes are now taught by the newly-created Engineering School.

At first the School of Engineering was located in the Tarragona Educational Complex until, in the academic year 2001/2002, it moved to its current site on the Sant Pere Sescelades Campus.