The Department of Marine Engineering of KDU is the pioneer in Marine Engineering education in Sri Lanka which formed in 1991 to cater to the demand of Marine Engineers for the Sri Lanka Navy. The department has been fulfilling its mission and helping to gradually strengthen the Navy with much needed Marine Engineering knowhow. So far the department has produced over 200 Marine Engineers to the Sri Lanka Navy, and many of them have risen to occupy very high posts. Today, the department implements a recently revised curriculum aligning itself with modern needs and demands of Marine Engineering.

In terms of infrastructure, the department is well-equipped with necessary laboratory and workshop facilities for practical sessions and student projects. Further, with the collaboration of industrial giants, the department ensures collective and individual guidance for its students with a view to making them outshining personalities in the global maritime community. Thus, the path is now open for qualified youths in the country as well as in the region to earn a Marine Engineering degree with a global demand.