The history of the higher technical education in Slovakia has started in the year 1762 by the foundation of the Academy of Mining and Forestry in Banská Štiavnica. The establishment of the Academy of Mining and Forestry was important moment in the history of higher technical education, as it was the first educational institution in Slovakia providing technical education at the university level. The Academy of Mining and Forestry has maintained its high level of standard for more than 150 years of its existence and has founded the tradition of excellence of higher technical education in Slovakia.
More than two decades of struggles preceded the establishment and enactment of the first university in Slovakia. The Technical University of M. R. Štefánik was founded in Košice and authorised by the Act No. 170/1937 Coll. of the Czechoslovak National Council, on June 25, 1937.
The Technical University of M. R. Štefánik consisted of three sections:
| 1. Section of Construction and Transportation Engineering 2. Section of Hydraulic and Cultural Engineering 3. Section of Land Surveying Engineering. |
The very first academic year has was opened on the December 5, 1938 at the temporary seat situated in the town of Martin, where the Technical University of M. R. Štefánik was moved swiftly very short after the Munich Treaty and Vienna Verdict, when southern regions of Slovakia, including the town of Košice, were annexed to Hungary.
In February 1939 the Technical University of M.R. Štefánik has been renamed to the Slovak Technical University (SVŠT) and it has been moved to its present seat - to Bratislava. At the same time the Act No. 188 Coll. issued on July 25, 1939 has laid the legal basis for its full development. The Slovak Technical University (SVŠT – Slovenská Vysoká ŠkolaTechnická) has been expanded: three new sections were founded, twelve new institutes were established and all sections were renamed to branches:
| 1. Branch of Construction Engineering 2. Branch of Specialised Sciences 3. Branch of Forestry and Agricultural Engineering 4. Branch of Chemical Engineering 5. Branch of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering 6. Branch of Economic Engineering |
Among the founders and the most outstanding personalities of the Slovak Technical University (SVŠT – Slovenská Vysoká Škola Technická) belong such outstanding personalities as professors:
Jur Hronec (the first Rector), Karel Krivanec, Jozef Kaucky, Karel Havelka, Dimitrij Andrusov, Peter Danisovic, Emil Bellus, Dionyz Ilkovic, Frantisek, Valentin, Mikulas Gregor, Juraj Gasperik, Frantisek Kozmal, Jozef Cabelka, Jan Gonda, Ľudovit Kneppo, Štefan Schwarz
and many others who were building up the university in the harmony with other European technical universities.
The Slovak Technical University (SVŠT - Slovenská Vysoká Škola Technická) has laid the background not only for the classical technical branches and architecture but also for natural sciences, forestry, agriculture, mining and arts, which have been in a run of time separated into independent universities.
The Slovak National Council Decree issued on the April 25, 1946 has waived The Branch of Forestry and Agricultural Engineering and at the same time gave the origin to the foundation of the independent University of Forestry and Agricultural Engineering established in Košice, where it operated until it has been separated in the year 1952. In the academic year 1946/1947, the Institute of Architecture and Civil Engineering was established at the Branch of Civil Engineering. In September 1947, The Institute of Drawing and Painting, specialised to educate future secondary school teachers, was transferred to the Faculty of Pedagogy of the Slovak University (previous name of the Comenius University in Bratislava).
Higher education Act No. 58/1950 Coll. issued on May 18, 1950 has initiated substantial changes, which have influenced all areas of higher education - organisational and managerial structure, educational, scientific and research system. The Act No. 58/1950 Coll. defined, that faculty is the basic body of higher education institutions. The Slovak Technical University branches were consequentially renamed to faculties and since the academic year 1950/1951, there were the following faculties:
| 1. Faculty of Construction Engineering 2. Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering 3. Faculty of Chemical Engineering 4. Faculty of Specialised Sciences 5. Faculty of Architecture and Construction Engineering |
During the '50s, there were realised also other changes at the Slovak Technical University (SVŠT – Slovenská Vysoká Škola Technická). The Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering has been separated into two independent faculties: the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering.
Faculty of Specialised Sciences ceased to exist and its first institute ”the Institute of Mining” gave origin to the foundation of the new Faculty of Mining Engineering, which was established in the academic year 1951/1952, its second institute ”the Institute of Land Surveying” was transferred and incorporated into the Faculty of Construction Engineering.
The Faculty of Mining Engineering has been separated from the Slovak Technical University (SVŠT – Slovenská Vysoká Škola Technická) in the academic year 1952/1953 and incorporated as a part of the new Technical University in Košice.
The Faculty of Economic Engineering with three institutes - Chemistry, Civil and Mechanical Engineering - was also established in the academic year 1951/1952. However, this faculty ceased to exist in the year 1960 and its institutes were transferred and incorporated into the appropriate faculties.
In the year 1960 also The Faculty of Construction Engineering and the Faculty of Architecture and Construction Engineering were fused into a single one under the new name the Faculty of Civil Engineering.
In the year 1965, the Faculty of Chemical Engineering was renamed to the Faculty of Chemical Technology.
In the year 1976, Architecture studies were separated from the Faculty of Civil Engineering and gave the origin to the foundation of the new Faculty of Architecture.
In January 1, 1986, the Faculty of Machine Technology was established in the town of Trnava (50 km from Bratislava) and in the year 1991 this faculty was renamed to the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology.
In January 1, 1993 the new Faculty of Specialised Studies was founded in Trnava and after two years of its existence it ceased to exist in the year 1995.
In the harmony with the Slovak National Council Act, the Slovak Technical University (SVŠT – Slovenská Vysoká Škola Technická) was renamed to the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (Slovenská technická univerzita v Bratislave) on April 1, 1991.
In July 1, 2001 the Faculty of Chemical Technology was renamed to the Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology.
In October 1, 2003 the Faculty of Informatic and Information Technologies was established.
At present the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava consists of the 7 faculties.
