The School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences was formed in 1987, renamed the Faculty of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at the beginning of 2010, and has now returned to being called the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences. As in 1987, the School has two departments - the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

With the formation of the School, a new four year honours degree, the Bachelor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, was offered. The School also offered the Bachelor of Science, a three year degree.

In 2002, the School started offering two additional degrees: the Bachelor of Engineering with Honours (BE(Hons)) and the Bachelor of Computer Graphic Design (BCGD). In the BE (Hons) degree, students can enrol in the Software Engineering programme. Other engineering programmes are offered by the School of Engineering. In 2018, the Bachelor of Design was introduced, replacing the BCGD. This degree has the four majors of Communication Design, Industrial Design, Interface Design and Media Design.

In 2014 we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the internet in New Zealand - an achievement made possible in 1989 with the help of the School.

We also launched New Zealand's first MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) in 2013 and have introduced the country's first Cyber Security Lab and Master of Cyber Security. In 2016, the School was accepted as a member of iSchools, making it the first iSchool in New Zealand.