History

Established in 1971 as Grant MacEwan Community College, the institution was named after Dr. J.W. Grant MacEwan, author, educator, and former lieutenant governor of Alberta. The college was established by the Government of Alberta to fill a perceived need for college-level programs that focused on career development. Initial educational offerings included one and two-year certificate and diploma programs.

In 1988 the college was granted approval to offer university transfer credit. In 2004, MacEwan became an accredited degree-granting institution offering its first baccalaureate degrees. On September 24, 2009, the institution became Alberta's sixth university and was officially renamed Grant MacEwan University. In September 2013, the university officially re-branded itself as "MacEwan University" for all public communication and marketing purposes; legally, the name remains Grant MacEwan University.

In February 2019, MacEwan University was officially named an Undergraduate University in the Post-Secondary Learning Act.