Department of "Mechanics" is one of the oldest departments at KazNU. It was organized in 1935 under the name "Theoretical mechanics". From 1939 to 1981 it was headed by honored worker of higher school of the Kazakh SSR Professor I. D. Molyukov, who as an intellectual, scientist, high-level teacher made an invaluable contribution to the formation and development of mechanics in Kazakhstan. Training of mechanical specialists at the University reached its peak in the seventies-eighties of the last century, when the rector of KazSU (from 1971 to 1986) worked major organizer of science and higher education, the founder of the Kazakhstan school of mechanics of machines of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan Umirbek Arislanovich Dzholdasbekov. The creation of this scientific school is the result of purposeful, tireless, painstaking and long – term work of U. A. Dzholdasbekov – an outstanding scientist and world-renowned expert in the field of the theory of mechanisms and machines, the winner of many international awards. In 1970, the Department established research laboratory of machine mechanics. In 1973 on the basis of specialization "Theory of mechanisms and machines" of the Department of theoretical mechanics the Department of applied mechanics was organized. From 1970-1988 –head of the Department of applied mechanics was elected academician Dzholdasbekov U. A. in different years, the duties of the head of this Department were performed by professor Ualiev G. U. and proffessor Rakhimov E. R.

   In 1978,on the basis of the departments of theoretical mechanics and applied mechanics the department of "continuum mechanics" was organized headed by corresponding member of NAS RK, honored worker of science of KazSSR, Professor Ershin Sh. A. From 1981 to 1992 the department of theoretical mechanics was headed by corresponding member of NAS RK, Honored worker of science of KazSSR, Professor Sapa V. A. In 1980 at the Department of applied mechanics was organized scientific-research laboratory for mechanics of weaving looms STB, in 1983. - Republican scientific and methodical center for robotics, training laboratories: "Modeling of problems of applied mechanics", "Theory of mechanisms and machines, programmed learning". At the Department was established training and research laboratory of hydromechanics. In 1981, the Department of "mechanics of continua», was divided into two: "Mechanics of liquid, gas and plasma", head of Department was Professor Ershin Sh. A., "Mechanics of solids", head of Department wasassociate professor Amandosov A. A.

   In 1989 the Department of "mechanics of liquid, gas and plasma" and "solid mechanics" were combined into one Department of "mechanics of continuum", head of Department – Professor Ershin Sh. A., and from 1992 to 1997 – head of Department of theoretical mechanics, Professor E. R. Rakhimov From 1992 to 1999 the Department of applied mechanics was headed by corresponding member of NAS RK, Professor G. U. Ualiev.

   In 1997, the Department of theoretical mechanics and applied mechanics – in the Department of "theoretical and applied mechanics", head of the Department – professor Ualiev G. U. in October 1999, the Department of mechanical cycle were combined into one Department of "Mechanics".