Founded in 1948 as a two-year division of Georgia Institute of Technology, SPSU was established at the request of Georgia business and industry. It first opened its doors as the Technical Institute in Chamblee, Georgia, with 116 students, all but 10 being World War II veterans, and a staff of 12.

In 1949, SPSU became the Southern Technical Institute and was recognized as a college-level school by the U.S. Department of Education. Less than a decade later, the college migrated to its present campus in Marietta, Georgia.In 1961, Hoyt McClure was named acting director and led the movement to build eight new buildings on 120 acres of land. Since then we have continued to expand -- our campus now encompasses more than 230 acres and contains 35 buildings.SPSU became accredited as a four-year college in 1970, and was one of the first colleges in the nation to offer the bachelor of Engineering Technology degree. We also earned independence in the University System, separating ties with Georgia Tech. In the summer of 1980, SPSU officially became the 14th senior college and the 33rd independent unit of the University System.