The University of Dar es Salaam was established in 1961 as an affiliate college of the University of London. It then became an affiliate of the University of East Africa in 1963, shortly after Tanzania gained independence from the United Kingdom.
In 1970, the University of East Africa was split into three different independent universities: Makerere University in Uganda, the University of Nairobi in Kenya and the University of Dar es Salaam.
The university has five campuses in and around the city of Dar es Salaam and operates academically through a number of schools and colleges, some of which are exclusive to specific campuses. Colleges include include engineering and technology, information and communication technologies, natural and applied sciences, humanities, social sciences, agricultural sciences, food technology and health and applied sciences, law and education.
The main campus, called Mlimani, is located 13km west of Dar es Salaam city centre and is home to the faculties of education, arts and social science, and science. The Nkrumah Hall, a building on the Mlimani campus, is featured on the back of the Tanzanian 500 shilling bill.
The Institute of Journalism and Mass Communication provides the university with its fifth campus.
