The academy was established on 1 April 1950 under the auspices of the University of Pretoria and the South African Military College[1] (now the South African Army College) in Voortrekkerhoogte (now Thaba Tswane), with the goal of elevating students to a BA (Mil) or BSc (Mil) degree to meet the intellectual challenges of modern war.

[1][2]: 21  It became the Faculty of Military Science of the University of Stellenbosch in 1961, who now awarded a B Mil degree to successful students.

[1][2]: 21 The South African Defence Force's increasing involvement in the Border War from the mid-1970s produced an increased demand for junior officers, with the result that the Defence Force decided that junior officers should be "task qualified" within their respective services before becoming eligible for admission to the military academy.

De Castro is the commandant of the military academy, and the dean of the faculty is Samuel Tshehla.

[2]: 20 A three-year bachelor's degree in military science (B. Mil) is awarded to students upon graduation in December.