The UniMAC was established on 16^th October, 1959 by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of the Republic of Ghana. After Ghana attained independence from colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah established this citadel of training and learning with a vision to produce a patriotic cadre corps of journalists to play an effective role in the emancipation of the African continent.

It started as the School of Journalism, which was a department of the Accra Technical Institute (now Accra Polytechnic). Mr. Richard McMillan, who at the time was due for retirement as the Director of the British Information Services in Ghana became the first Principal and journalism tutor. After the 24^th February 1966 overthrow of the Nkrumah Government, the school moved to the present location which used to house the Ghana Press Club.

The Institute took its present name after the General I.K. Acheampong-led National Redemption Council (NRC) passed its first Legislative Instrument (NRCD 275) to formally establish the UniMAC. In 2006, under the Fourth Republic, Ghana’s Parliament passed the Ghana Institute of Journalism Act (Act 717) to transform the Institute into a degree-awarding tertiary institution.

In 2009, the President of the Republic granted the Institute a Charter to award its own certificates, diplomas and degrees. This was a manifestation and testimony to the pivotal role that the Institute has played and continues to play in the development of the nation’s human resources in such critical areas as communication, media and journalism. Thereafter, UniMAC obtained approval from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission to introduce four master’s degree programs, which began in September 2014.