The Department of Radio Engineering was founded in 1952, evolving from the telecommunications group of the Electrical Engineering Department. Early work established core courses and laboratories in radio, television, microwave techniques, and semiconductor devices, supporting national projects including China's first TV station.

During this period the department was relocated to Mianyang, Sichuan. Despite challenging conditions, teaching and research continued, with cooperation projects in microwave communications, devices, and integrated circuits, before returning to Beijing in 1979.

After rebuilding on the Beijing campus, research directions expanded to high-speed and multidimensional information processing, digital and optical communications, special-purpose ICs and systems, optoelectronics, and precision measurement. In 1989 the department was renamed Electronic Engineering to reflect its broadened scope, continuing to grow through national key projects and international collaboration.