The history of Sokoine University of Agriculture dates back to 1965 when it started as an Agricultural College offering diploma training in the discipline of agriculture.

After the dissolution of the University of East Africa and the consequent establishment of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) in July 1970, the College was transformed into a Faculty of Agriculture of University of Dar Es Salaam (UDSM) and thereby started offering Bachelor of Science in Agriculture.                                                  .

In 1974, the Division of Forestry was established and hence the faculty was named Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry.

The introduction of Bachelor of Veterinary Science in 1976 and the establishment of the Division of Veterinary Science, the Faculty was re-named “Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Sciences”.                                                    .

The Faculty was on the 1st of July 1984 transformed, through Parliamentary Act No. 6 of 1984, into a full-fledged University and became known as Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA).

The university was named Sokoine University of Agriculture in honor of then Prime Minister of Tanzania Edward Moringe Sokoine who died on 1984.

Major Developments & Timeline

From 1965 up to the present day, The Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) has experienced major developments and transformation  in various areas of its operation. 

At its establishment in 1984, SUA was organized into Faculties, Directorates, Institutes, Centres and administrative Departments/Units. It started with three faculties namely the Faculty of Agriculture, Faculty of Forestry and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. 

Later on the following faculties, Institutes and Directorates were established; Directorate of Research and Postgraduate Studies (1986), Institute of Continuing Education (1988), Development Studies Institute (1988), Sokoine National Agricultural Library (1991), Computer Centre (1993), Faculty of Science (1999), SUA Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (1999) and Pest Management Centre (2000). 

For a period of 10 years since 2004, Moshi University College of Cooperatives and Business Studies were nurtured as a Constituent College of SUA until it was elevated into a fully-fledged Moshi Cooperative University (MoCU) in 2014.

Time and Major Developments at Sokoine University of Agriculture.

1965

• The start of Morogoro Agricultural College.
• Offering diploma training in the discipline of Agriculture.

1970

• The College was transformed into a Faculty of Agriculture of University of   Dar es Salaam (UDSM).
• Started offering Bachelor of Science in Agriculture.      

1974

• The Division of Forestry was established.
• The faculty was named “Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry”. Of University of Dar es Salaam.

1976

• The introduction of Bachelor of Veterinary Science.
• The establishment of the Division of Veterinary Science, 
• The Faculty was re-named “Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Sciences” of the University of Dar es Salaam.

1984

• The Faculty was transformed, through Parliamentary Act No. 6 of 1984, into a full-fledged University.
• University became known as Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)
• It started with three faculties namely the Faculty of Agriculture, Faculty of Forestry and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

1986

• Directorate of Research and Postgraduate Studies (DRPGS) was established.

1988

• Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) was established.
• Development Studies Institute (DSI) was established.

1991

• Sokoine National Agricultural Library (SNAL) was established.

1993

• Computer Centre was established.

1999

• Faculty of Science (FoS) was established,
• SUA Centre for Sustainable Rural Development was established.

2000

• Pest Management Centre (SPMC) was established.

2004

• Moshi University College of Cooperatives and Business Studies (MUCOBS) was nurtured as a Constituent College of SUA .

2007

• SUA was granted its Charter

2014

• MUCOBS was elevated into a fully-fledged Moshi Cooperative University (MoCU).
• The University embarked on a restructuring process of its organizational and management structures.

2015

• Faculty of agriculture was split to form College of Agriculture and School of Agricultural Economics and Business Studies.
• Development Studies Institute (DSI), SUA Centre for Sustainable Rural Development and Department of Social Sciences was merged to form College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH).
• Computer Centre was transformed into the Centre for Information and Communication Technology (CICT)
• Directorate of Undergraduate Studies was established
• Directorate of Development and Planning was established

2016

• Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was transformed into College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

2017

• Faculty of Science was transformed into Solomon Mahlangu College of Sciences and Education.
• Directorate of Research and Postgraduate Studies (DRPGS) was transformed into Directorate of Postgraduate Studies,Research,Technology Transfer and Consultancy.