It started with the idea of young engineers who were members of the Indonesian Engineers Association (PII) to President Soekarno to fix the protocol roads in Jakarta in preparation for the GANEFO National Sports Week. This idea was led by Ir. Slamet Bratanata, Ir. Roosseno, Ir. Sutami, Ir. Soehoed. Then at the lenso dancing event at the Pembangunan Building (Gedung Pola), an idea emerged to form an engineering faculty in Jakarta so that you didn’t have to go all the way to Bandung to study. At the beginning of its formation, Ir. Soekarno instructed that the Faculty of Engineering be under the auspices of the University of Indonesia with Chancellor Dr. Syarief Thayeb and appointed Prof. Ir. Roosseno as the first Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Universitas Indonesia.
FTUI founded on the idea of Ir. Sutami in early March 1963. President Soekarno accepted the proposal well and appointed Prof. Roosseno Soerjohadikoesoemo as the first Dean of FTUI.
On July 17 1964, dr. Syarief Thayeb issued Chancellor’s Decree No. 76 regarding the Faculty of Engineering establishment with the first three departments, namely Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering (now Electrical Engineering).
FTUI opened two new departments, namely Metallurgical Engineering and Architecture. Four decades later, Metallurgical Engineering expanded the scope of its field to Metallurgical and “Materials” Engineering.
The Gas Engineering Study Program merged with the Chemical Engineering Study Program to form a new Department named Gas & Petrochemical Engineering (now Chemical Engineering).
At first, the Faculty of Engineering located at the UI Salemba Campus before inaugurating a new building at the UI Depok Campus in 1987.
The FTUI Masters Program began with the Postgraduate Program in Engineering Science (PPS-BIT) consisting the first 4 study program, namely Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Metallurgical Engineering.
Department of Industrial Engineering formed in 1999 from Industrial Engineering Study Program. At the same year, the International Class program opened for the first time.
The FTUI Doctoral Program began with opening Civil Engineering Doctoral Program, followed by Electrical Engineering from the merger of the University of Indonesia Optoelectrotechnics and Laser Applications Doctoral Program.
Since 2005, the Indonesian Architects Association (IAI) has encouraged the formation of more Architectural Professional Programs (PPAr) in universities. Until 2009, PPAr FTUI finally formed under the auspices of the Department of Architecture.
UI inaugurated the first regular professional engineer program (PPI) in Indonesia. PPI is a continuation of the Bachelor of Engineering degree to complete the qualifications of graduates to be eligible to hold the title of engineering profession (Ir.)