[4] Upon its founding, initial courses at the VCU school were offered in mechanical, electrical and chemical engineering.

The school added a new undergraduate major in biomedical engineering in the fall of 1998.

VCU's long-standing degree programs in computer science joined the school in fall 2001.

[5] The first two of the School of Engineering's planned facilities opened in the fall of 1998—the main classroom building and the Virginia Microelectronics Research Center.

To foster growth in enrollment and faculty number, the school embarked on an ambitious campaign to expand facilities, fund endowed scholarships, chairs, and academic programs.