The University of Economics in Katowice was established in December 1936 (on the basis of the decree of the Minister of Religious Faith and Public Enlightenment of the Republic of Poland of 1936) as the private School of Social-Economic Sciences. Education was then started at the only Faculty of Industrial Organization on 11th January 1937 and this date is considered to be the beginning of the school operation. In 1938 the Faculty of Public Administration was started. Studies at both faculties lasted 3 years and had professional nature. The organizer and first vice-chancellor of the University was Józef Lisak, PhD. The first seat of the School was the rented rooms of the spacious building of the then secondary school – Silesian Technical Research Institutes.

As of 1st September the school stopped its operations due to war and occupation. Its activity was resumed already in February 1945 when education of both Faculties was re-established. Moreover, forms of education were extended, especially of the economic one, for example by establishing the Central School of Accounting and Finance. Also the teaching staff was extended. During the post-war years a big migration of population was a common phenomenon in Poland. It also included academic teachers. Many representatives of academic work from other academic centres stopped at that time temporarily or permanently in Katowice, taking an active part in the existing forms of education, and at the same time ensuring a high level of education at the school in Katowice. Its alumni were looked for by industrial enterprises as well as governmental and self-governmental administration. The curriculum, valid until 1948, was organically rooted in the local needs and economic conditionings of the region.

Also the number of students was systematically growing. Taking this tendency into consideration the University got its own two buildings in Katowice, in the area of ul. 1 Maja and Bogucicka: a classical, functional building of the former town hall of the town commune of Zawodzie (present Vice-Chancellor’s Office) and a school building, adapted to academic teaching (present “A” building). After renovating the rooms from war destruction the academic year of 1946/1947 was inaugurated in the new seat. Around the aforementioned two buildings, during the 1970s and 1980s a whole complex of new buildings was created, making a certain academic centre which is still expanding. At the same time the status and position of the School was changing. In 1950 the economic education was made uniform in the whole country. The School in Katowice, just as all universities of economic, was nationalized and transformed into the School of Economics. Education at the Faculty of Public Administration was ceased and in its place the Faculty of Trade was established. A well-developing autonomous Central School of Accounting and Finance was in 1950 transformed into the Faculty of Finance and Accounting which was functioning until 1958. The Faculty of Industrial Organization was re-named into the Faculty of Industry Planning. In the academic year of 1952/1953 the School was granted the right to confer the master’s degree on its alumni. 1950s were characterised in teaching by domination of the issues of central planning, accounting and finance.

During 1958-1968 the School had single-faculty structure, mass-educating full-time, evening, extramural and extension students. A network of consultation points was created in Opole, Bielsko, Częstochowa and Rybnik.

1960s passed by under the banner of educating in the scope of economics of industry and industrial enterprises. The Faculty of Trade and Nutrition Economics was established as late as 1968 and in 1974 it was transformed into the Faculty of Trade, Transport of Services, significantly extending the area of research and teaching. Step by step the prestige of the School as a research centre was increasing. In 1960 the Faculty of Industry was granted the right to confer the title of PhD hab. (in Polish: doktor habilitowany) in Economic Sciences. The second of Faculties was granted the same rights in 1979 (in the scope of conferring the title of PhD in Economics and in 1991 – to confer the title of doktor habilitowany in Economic Sciences).

In 1972 the School of Economics in Katowice was given the name of Karol Adamiecki, an outstanding engineer and economist, scientist and activist, Polish co-creator of the science of organization and management. In 1974, together with economic universities from Kraków, Poznań and Wrocław the School in Katowice was renamed to the Academy of Economics, receiving dignity of the name whose content it has been since recently implementing.

In 1992 instead of the Faculty of Industry the Faculty of Management was established and in place of the Faculty of Trade, Transport and Services – the Faculty of Economy. Significant organizational changes at the Academy took place in 2002 when the third Faculty was established – the Faculty of Finance and Insurance as well as teaching at the Research-Teaching Centre in Rybnik was started, which, in cooperation with the Centres of the Silesian University of Technology and University of Silesia creates a Complex of Schools in Rybnik. In 2009 fourth Faculty was established – the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication which in 2010 was granted the right to confer the title of PhD.

Since 1st October 2010, on the basis of the Act of 5th August 2010 on giving the Karol Adamiecki Academy of Economics in Katowice (Journal of Laws of 2010 no 165 item 1117) a new name, the School was given the name of the “University of Economics in Katowice”.

Presently the research – teaching base of the University is also created by such units as: Inter-Faculty Centre of Teaching and Promotion of Foreign Languages, Information Technology Centre, School of Physical Education and Sport, Main Library and departmental libraries, Publishing House of the University of Economics in Katowice, Centre of Research and Expert Opinions, Centre of Research and European Studies, Research Centre of the Social Dialogue of Labour, Academic Career Centre, Silesian School of Foreign Economic Languages.