The existence of Tarumanagara University today cannot be separated from the devotion of the Social Association figure Tjandra Naya (Sin Ming Hui) who became the founder of the Foundation Tarumanagara. In the beginning, several figures of the Social Association “Tjandra Naya” conducted a feasibility study to establish the College of Tarumanagara. On June 18th, 1959, an official meeting was held to form a foundation to manage the established College, which then poured in E.Pondaag’s Notary Deed in Jakarta No. 54, dated on September 11th, 1959.

The deed stated that the purpose of the Tarumanagara Foundation was to develop and enhance learning and cultural education with guidelines to cultivate decent Indonesian citizens. Furthermore, in order to implement the provisions of Law No. 22 in 1961 regarding Higher Education, an amendment was held to change the Foundation Notary Deed of Tarumanagara Foundation with E. Pondaag’s Notary Deed No. 46, dated on September 20th, 1962. Based on that amendment, Tarumanagara University was formally established on October 1st, 1962.

The Faculty of Engineering was among the first faculties to be established simultaneously with the Tarumanagara University establishment in 1962, which at that time only offered a program in Architecture.

Gradually, the Departments of Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Real Estate (later merged into the Department of Planning – Study Program of Urban and Regional Planning) were established. Soon after, the Department of Electrical Engineering, the Department of Informatics (which later became its own faculty), and the Industrial Engineering Program were formed under the Department of Mechanical Engineering. In 1993, the Department of Civil Engineering opened the Graduate Program – Masters in Construction Engineering Management. In 2002, the Department of Civil Engineering opened another Graduate Program – the Doctoral Program in Civil Engineering. In 2004, the Department of Planning opened the Graduate Program – Masters in Planning.

Graduate Programs are managed by the Graduate Program of Tarumanagara University. In the Faculty of Engineering, Tarumanagra University currently offers 6 courses, which are managed by five departments, the Undergraduate Program in Architecture, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Urban and Regional Planning, and Industrial Engineering.

The history and opening of the accreditation status of each department/program can be described as follows: The Department of Architecture opened along with the establishment of the University Tarumanagara on October 1st, 1962, which is the oldest Department of Architecture in Jakarta. The Registered Status of Architectural Program at the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia was obtained through the Decree from the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Number: 62a / B-SWT / P / 63, on May 29th, 1963, and the Recognized Status was obtained through the Decree from the Ministry of Education and Culture Republic of Indonesia Number: 0506 / O / 1984, on October 30th, 1984. The Equated Status was obtained through the Decree of Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Number: 0462 / O / 1987, on July 7th, 1987 and was based on the decision of the National Accreditation Agency of Higher Education and the Ministry of Education Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Number: 001 / BAN-PT / Ak / I / VII / 1998, where the program obtained an A rank accreditation. In 2003, based on the decision of the National Accreditation Agency of Higher Education Ministry of National Education Republic of Indonesia Number: 044 / BAN-PT / Ak-VII / S1 / XII / 2003 it obtained an A rank accreditation as well.

In line with the development progress in 1968, the Faculty of Engineering opened the Department of Civil Engineering with the Civil Engineering Program, and received a Registered Status by the Decree from the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Number: 113 / U / 1976 dated June 26th, 1976. The Recognized Status from the Decree of Ministerial Decree Education and Culture No. 0826 / O / 1986, was dated on November 25th, 1986. Then, by the Decree from the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Number: 0704 / O / 1989 an Equated Status was acquired and obtained an A rank accreditation based on the decision of the National Accreditation Agency of Higher Education from the Department of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Number: 001 / BAN-PT / Ak-I / VIII / 1998. Based on the decision of the National Accreditation Agency of Higher Education Department of National Education Republic of Indonesia Number: 039 / BAN-PT / Ak-VII / S1 / XII / 2003 the faculty obtained an A rank accreditation.

In 1981, the Faculty of Engineering established the Department of Mechanical Engineering with a Mechanical Engineering Program. On August 13th, 1981, this department obtained the Decree of the Operational Permits from the Coordinator of Private Higher Education Area III No. 10 / S / 1981, and based on the Decree from the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Number: 0502 / O / 1984, dated on October 30th, 1984, a Registered Status was obtained. Then, based on the Decree from the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Number: 009 / O / 1990, a Recognized Status was obtained on January 6th, 1990.

On January 21st, 1993, the Mechanical Engineering Program Status was Equated through the Decree of the General Directorate of Higher Education in the Department of Education and Culture No. 16 / DIKTI / Kep / 1993, and obtained the Accreditation Status A based on the decision of the National Accreditation Agency of Higher Education and the Decree from the Ministry of Education Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Number: 001 / BAN-PT / Ak-I / VIII / 1998. In 2003, based on the decision of the National Accreditation Agency of Higher Education Department of National Education Republic of Indonesia Number: 045 / BAN-PT / Ak-VII / S1 / XII / 2003, the program obtained an A rank accreditation.

The Department of Informatics was opened in 1992 as one of the majors in the Faculty of Engineering, and in 2000, it separated from the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Informatics was then formed. Along with the location of the secretariat of the Department of Informatics, the faculty moved from Block J to Block R Campus I Tarumanagara University. In line with the need for further studies in Engineering, the Industrial Engineering program was opened in 2005 under the Department of Mechanical Engineering with corresponding operating permission from the General Director of Higher Education Ministry of National Education Republic of Indonesia Number: 4222 / D / T / 2004. In 2008, there was a sufficient number of students receiving high achievement that they were able to be accredited by the National Accreditation Agency.

The Department of Real Estate Tarumanagara University was established on March 11th, 1991, by the Decree of the General Director of Higher Education Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia No. : 155 / Dikti / Kep / 1992.  The construction of the property with all it’s relevant aspects, in line with the economic level development, required its own expertise. In order to support the requirements, Bachelor of “Real Estate” experts were needed and were able to apply their academic and professional expertise in the development and management of districts and buildings as well as Real Estate businesses. The Real Estate Studies Program then transformed into the Department of Planning and Regional Planning Program by obtaining the accreditation rate B from the National Accreditation Agency of Higher Education Ministry of National Education Republic of Indonesia Number: 017 / BAN-PT / Ak-IV / VII / 2000, dated July 21st, 2000. In 2005, this faculty managed to maintain the value of accreditation ratings B in accordance with the National Accreditation Agency Decision No. 017 / BAN-PT / Ak-IX / S1 / X / 2005.

The Department of Electrical Engineering and Electrical Engineering Program is the fifth department after the Department of Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Planology. The inauguration of the establishment of the Department of Electrical Engineering was dated on August 10th, 1992, which is supported by the General Directorate of Higher Education Decree No. 155 / Dikti / Kep. / 1992, dated April 28th, 1992. After operating for five years and producing graduates, the status of the Electrical Engineering Department confirmed to be “recognized” by the Decree of General Directorate of Higher Education Number : 352 / Dikti / Kep / 1998. Changes in the status of the determination system for higher education institutions changed the status of Electrical Engineering Department in 2000 and resulted in a rank B accreditation which was supported by the Decision of National Accreditation Agency of Higher Education Ministry of National Education of Indonesia number: 008 / BAN-PT / AK-IV / VI / 2000. Soon after, according to the accreditation in 2005 by the National Accreditation Agency Decision No. 022 / BAN-PT / Ak-IX / S1 / XII / 2005 the department managed to increase the value of accreditation to a rank A.

When the University was first established, there were only Undergraduate Education Programs offered, however, throughout the years, more departments and programs were formed, including Master and Doctoral Education Programs. In addition, the composition of lecturers originally only consisted of graduates with Bachelor degrees, however, the University now employs lecturers and Professors who have a Masters and Doctoral education. Similarly in the academic stage, more lecturers have achieved their Associate Professor qualifications and the Faculty of Engineering has even established four professors in the last 5 years. Two candidates are currently in the progress to becoming Professors. The growth of these resources is followed by the institution’s commitment to the availability of facilities and infrastructure supporting the learning process.

This progress encourages the University to dare to have a fairly large-scale vision that aspires to be a recognized university in the country and become known for its excellence in the region. This vision is supported by the educational mission according to the virtuous, qualified scientific learning and discovery, and highly skilled training, as well as technological investment through research and design.

In this framework, the Tarumanagara Foundation provides a facility called the “Tarumanagara Knowledge Center”, where it has become a source of knowledge for lecturers, and where students have the opportunity to utilize it for the development of experience through the representative space and equipment provided. This Center also provides the University the facility to complete selections of new admissions with a clear base. The entrance requirements include the ability and enthusiastic intention to learn and also the willingness to live accordingly on campus.