The Santander School of Civil Engineering was created by Royal Decree (12-12-1963). Teaching started on the first course in October 1966. Thanks to the reorganisation of teaching techniques and making full use of the existing university infrastructure, chiefly being the facilities of the Menendez Pelayo International University with its hall of residence, the start of the schad was heralded an unprecedented success, not only  Santander was the only capital city in the North of Spain without solely university studies, but moreover the setting up of a Civil Engineering School in the Cantabrian capital was achiened, in an era in which the only school was in Madrid, created in 1802 after the drive and tenacity of Agustín de Betancourt.           

The School represented the first Higher Education teaching centre in the region. It was the first step of the process that culminated in the creation of the University District of Santander  later named the University of Cantabria in October 1972.

In the 1999/2000 Academic year a new Study Programme was implemented. This year also saw the start of the new degree Technical Engineering in Public Works, specialising in Civil Construction.

To date, 34 years of students have completed their degrees in Civil Engineering, amounting to a total of 2,500 graduates. The three sets of students who have completed their degree in Technical Engineering in Public Works, specialising in Civil Construction, amount to a total of 150 graduates.