The Faculty of Manufacturing Technologies is one of the nine faculties of the Technical University of Košice which ranks among the leading higher educational institutions in the Slovak Republic.
Based on the recommendations of the OECD and the call of the Ministry of Education, the Faculty of Professional Studies with the seat in Prešov was established by the Technical University of Kosice on 9 July 1992. The resolution entered into force on 1 September 1992. The experimental faculty should have become a part of non-university education network of practice-oriented universities based on German Fachhochschulen model eventually the world first technical university of mining – Mining Academy in Banská Štiavnica.
On 1 January 1993, prof. Ing. Karol Vasilko, PhD. was appointed the first dean of the faculty. The faculty started its activities in the school year 1992/93 with 71 students in the field of General Mechanical Engineering. After receiving basic theoretical knowledge, during the fourth semester the students had been put into manufacturing enterprises within the region to get technical experience. Under the enterprise managers and the faculty guarantors supervision, the students were solving specific business problems. If being successful, they were granted credits and very often rewarded financially. There was great interest in the study proved by the number of the students enrolled in next school years. The graduates had no problem to assert themselves at work.
Because of the fact that the National Council was not sufficient to approve the amendment to the Higher Education Act on diversification of higher education into universities and vocational colleges, the Rector of Technical University of Košice prof. Ing. Karol Florian, PhD. filed the Academic Senate of the Technical University of Košice the proposal for annulment of the Faculty of Professional Studies. After a series of student-led protests supported by state and local governments some members of the Parliament as well as the Minister of Education proposed the following solution on the further existence of the faculty.
The Academic Senate of the Technical university of Košice took into consideration the following facts and the Rector’s proposal for annulment the Faculty of Professional Studies was not approved. On the contrary, at the next session on 15 April 1996 the transformation to the faculty with a full 5-year engineering studies and a new name: the Faculty of Manufacturing Technologies with the seat in Prešov, Technical university of Košice was approved.
On 3 April 1997 the Accreditation Commission of the Slovak Government adopted a positive opinion for the accreditation at the Faculty of Manufacturing Technologies for 5-year engineering study. Subsequently on 20 May 1997 the Minister of Education granted the right to act state examinations at the Faculty in the engineering study branch Production Engineering. The first graduation ceremony at the Faculty of Manufacturing Technologies was held on 18 July 1997 and the new study programme Manufacturing Technologies was originated.
At present the Faculty provides university studies in all three levels of higher education in full-time and part-time form. The Faculty consists of three institutes and eight departments.
There are two main buildings suitable for the teaching process and the two student dormitories with a dining room.
- Bayerova Street 1, Prešov – The main school building is located there, in which the Faculty management, the study department, the one institute, the three departments, the aula, the lecture halls, classrooms and laboratories, the faculty library and the ICT are situated.
- Štúrova Street 31, Prešov – There is the school building in which the two institutes, the five departments, the large multifunctional aula, the lecture halls, classrooms, laboratories, gymnasium and a sauna are situated.
- Budovateľská Street 13, Budovateľská Street 31 – There are the two student dormitories and one dining room.