The Department of Computer Engineering was first established in the year 1985 in the Faculty of Engineering in University of Peradeniya as the oldest Computer Engineering Department in the University system of the country. The Computer Engineering stream was introduced as a separate discipline to the Faculty of Engineering in 2000. Since then, the Department of Computer Engineering has been targeting at producing fully qualified Computer Engineering undergraduates well equipped with knowledge, skills and attitudes required for the global industry, highly technical researches as well as for the field of academia. The department focuses on leveling up the competency levels of their undergraduates by providing them with deep insights about computational systems and related disciplines so that they would be able to build their own personal brand in the highly competitive field of Computer Engineering.

On par with Department’s vision which is "To be a competitive entity in teaching and research in Computer Engineering in the country and the region and to produce graduates with international recognition for their knowledge and skills, capable of taking leadership positions in the science and technology of design, construction, implementation, and maintenance of software and hardware components of modern computing systems and computer-controlled equipment that constitute the discipline of Computer Engineering", The Association of Computer Engineering Students (ACES) was formed in August, 2001 as the students’ body of Computer Engineering undergraduates of the Faculty of Engineering with the aim of maximising students’ potential by organizing different activities and events that would bring out the best within themselves and make them prepared for the next technological revolution.