School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering in Hainan University, founded in 1958, was restructured and developed from the former Agricultural Mechanization and Electrification Teaching and Research Section at South China College of Tropical Crops (established in 1960). The School set up undergraduate majors and began to enroll students in 1981. In September 2005, the School of Electromechanical and Information Engineering at South China University of Tropical Agriculture was established. In September 2007, the former South China University of Tropical Agriculture and Hainan University were merged to be New Hainan University, and School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering of Hainan University was then established.

The School takes "based on Hainan, facing the country, focusing on science, developing specialities and striving for the first-class" as the development goal, relies on the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port and national key strategy plan, and takes the construction of the first-level disciplines of Mechanical Engineering as the basis, with the goal of promoting multidisciplinary fusion and development and constantly improving its schooling level and comprehensive strength.

There are currently 99 faculty members in the School, of which 60 have senior titles, including 1 distinguished academician and 2 national-level talents, 69 teachers win the title of provincial and ministerial-level talents, and multiple teachers enjoy overseas study or visiting experience. The teaching staff is structured with reasonable academic and education background, winning high academic level and social influence.

The School is composed of Department of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering, and Department of Automotive Engineering with 1,488 undergraduate students enrolled and 3 undergraduate majors set up, including Mechanical Design and Manufacturing and Automation, Automotive Engineering, and Automation. The School boasts 3 national first-class undergraduate majors (Mechanical Design and Manufacturing and Automation, Automotive Engineering and Automation), 2 provincial-level first-class undergraduate majors (Vehicle Engineering and Automation), 2 provincial-level characteristic majors, 1 provincial-level Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center, 2 provincial-level excellent courses, 1 provincial-level first-class undergraduate course and has won the "First Prize of Provincial-level Teaching Results of Higher Education of Hainan Province".

Over the years, the School has been closely focusing on the development demands of local strategic emerging industries in Hainan Province, and committed to scientific research in mechanical engineering, agricultural engineering, control engineering and other fields. The School has the first-level discipline authorized to offer master's degree program in "Mechanical Engineering (080200)", second-level discipline authorized to offer master's degree program in "Agricultural Mechanization Engineering (082801)" and professional master's degree programs in "Machinery (085500)", "Control Engineering (085406)", and "Agricultural Engineering and Information Technology (095136)". There are 294 enrolled students pursuing master's degree. The School has established 1 Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, 3 Engineering Research Centers in Hainan Province, 1 Modern Industrial College in Hainan Province, 2 Foreign Academician Workstations in Hainan Province, and 1 Academician Team Innovation Center in Hainan Province. In the past three years, the School has undertaken over 110 national and provincial-level scientific research projects, with scientific research funds amounting to more than RMB 46 million, and published more than 300 academic papers in famous journals at home and abroad, winning 1 first prize of Hainan Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award, 4 second prizes of Hainan Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award, and 1 Hainan Provincial Outstanding Scientific Research Achievement Award in Higher Education.