Established in 1922 as a humble technical school, Makerere University is one of the oldest and most prestigious English Universities in Africa. In January of that year, the school, which was later renamed Uganda Technical College, opened its doors to 14 day students who began studying Carpentry, Building and Mechanics.

The College soon began offering various other courses in Medical Care, Agriculture , Veterinary Sciences and Teacher Training. It expanded over the years to become a Center for Higher Education in East Africa in 1935. In 1937, the College started developing into an institution of higher education, offering post-school certificate courses.

The University transitioned from the Faculty-based to the collegiate system on 1st July 2011 and as of 1st July 2014, Makerere University officially transformed into a Collegiate University with 10 Constituent Colleges including the School of Law, all operating as semi-autonomous units of the University. The University comprises the University library and other research-oriented units such as the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT) and Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR).