It was established in Glebe House, on the corner of Spring Garden Road and Barrington Street, with the aim of extending educational opportunities for Catholic youth and training candidates for the clergy.

With this change of leadership the university's reputation thrived as a liberal arts institution and expanded its undergraduate programs, with the most notable being the Faculty of Commerce in 1934 (now known as the Sobey School of Business), which was the first of its kind in Canada.

In 1940 the Upper Province of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) was invited to succeed the Christian Brothers as both administrators and faculty.

[10] Due to rapid growth the college was fast outgrowing the Windsor Street campus, and so the Gorsebrook Golf Club was purchased in 1943.

[14] In 1951, the High School moved with Saint Mary's College to the Robie Street campus where they occupied three classrooms on the second floor of the new McNally building.

Saint Mary's High School "A" and "B" basketball teams won three straight Halifax City Championships.

A plaque detailing the history of the high school was placed at the entrance to the McNally building in 1988 as part of a Twenty Five year reunion.

[citation needed] In early 1994 workers renovating the Rice Residence found that an exterior wall on the 16th storey was dangerously unstable and posed a hazard to those walking below.

It was not forcibly closed by the province, but the minister of education stated that he would only licence teachers who had graduated from the three approved universities.

In March 2005, Saint Mary's started the “Science Building Renewal Project” which was estimated to cost $100 million.

The project focused on modernising and expanding the science faculty's resources, generally renewing the architectural, mechanical and electrical infrastructures of the Science Building, providing additional office and research space to faculty members, improving lab layout, and integrating with future campus developments.

The three-storey $17.5 million complex links the Science Centre, the Burke Building and the Patrick Power Library.

The $8 million project was funded by a donation from real estate developer and manager Richard Homburg and the university's capital campaign.

It is home to the English as a second language program as well as the Sobey School Business Development Centre, which moved back to campus from a downtown location.

Made possible through generous donations from the estate of the late alumni Bob Dauphinee and SMU parents Glen and Nancy Holmes.

The Canadian University Report stated that overall student satisfaction had a grade of B+ in 2013, the same as in 2012, A− in quality of teaching, A− in class size, A− in buildings and facilities and improvement shown in six key categories.

[25] In 2010, the men Huskies won their first CIS University Hockey Cup by defeating the Alberta Golden Bears 3–2 in overtime.

[citation needed] SMUSA provides such services as a safe drive program, tutor database, online book exchange, health and dental plans and the Gorsebrook Lounge.

[26] Peter MacKay, a federal cabinet minister from Nova Scotia, also criticized the chant as "offensive and dangerous".

[27] A review conducted in the following months detailed a plan to require sensitivity training for the frosh leaders and to discuss informed consent with the incoming students.