UEMA had its origin in the Federation of Higher Schools of Maranhão (Federação das Escolas Superiores do Maranhão – FESM), created by Law 3,260, of August 22, 1972, to coordinate and integrate students from Maranhão higher education system. FESM, initially, was created by four higher education units: School of Administration, School of Engineering, School of Agronomy and Faculty of Caxias. In 1975, FESM incorporated the São Luís School of Veterinary Medicine and, in 1979, the Faculty of Education of Operators.[7]
An FESM was transformed into the State University of Maranhão – UEMA, through Law No. 4,400, of December 30, 1981, and its operation was authorized by Federal Decree No. 94,143, of March 25, 1987, as a special regime Autarchy, legal entity of public law, in the multicampi modality. Initially, UEMA has three fields and seven teaching units:
Basic Studies Unit;
Engineering Studies Unit;
Administration Studies Unit;
Agronomy Studies Unit;
Veterinary Medicine Studies Unit;
Caxias Education Studies Unit;
Imperatriz Education Studies Unit
UEMA was subsequently reorganized by Laws 5,921, of March 15, 1994, and 5,931, of April 22, 1994, amended by Law 6,663, of June 4, 1996. In principle, UEMA was linked to the State Secretariat of Education. After the administrative reform implemented by the State Government in 1999, SEDUC was transformed into the Human Development State Management – GDH.
UEMA was separated from the GDH by State Law No. 7,734, dated April 19, 2002, which provided for new changes in the Government's administrative structure, and became part of the State Planning and Management Department.
On January 31, 2003, with Law No. 7,844, the State underwent a new structural reorganization. The State System for Scientific and Technological Development was created, of which UEMA became part, and the university started to be linked to the State Management of Science, Technology, Higher Education and Technological Development – GECTEC, today, Secretary of State of Science, Technology, Higher Education and Technological Development – SECTECz
With its main campus in its own Cidade Universitária Paulo VI , the university maintains 19 training and study centers scattered across the state:
Bacabal: Centro de Estudos Superiores de Bacabal – CESB
Balsas: Centro de Estudos Superiores de Balsas – CESBA
Barra do Corda: Centro de Estudos Superiores de Barra do Corda – CESBAC
Caxias: Centro de Estudos Superiores de Caxias – CESC
Codó: Centro de Estudos Superiores de Codó – CESCD
Coelho Neto: Centro de Estudos Superiores de Coelho Neto – CESCON
Colinas: Centro de Estudos Superiores de Colinas – CESCO
Coroatá: Centro de Estudos Superiores de Coroatá – CESCOR
Grajaú: Centro de Estudos Superiores de Grajaú – CESGRA
Itapecuru-Mirim: Centro de Estudos Superiores de Itapecuru-Mirim – CESITA
Lago da Pedra: Centro de Estudos Superiores de Lago da Pedra – CESLAP
Pedreiras: Centro de Estudos Superiores de Pedreiras – CESPE
Pinheiro: Centro de Estudos Superiores de Pinheiro – CESPI
Presidente Dutra: Centro de Estudos Superiores de Presidente Dutra – CESPD
Santa Inês: Centro de Estudos Superiores de Santa Inês – CESSIN
São João dos Patos: Centro de Estudos Superiores de São João dos Patos – CESJOP
São Luís: Centro de Ciências Agrária – CCA, Centro de Ciências Sociais Applicadas – CCSA, Centro de Educação, Ciências Exatas e Naturais – CECEN, Centro de Ciências Tecnológicas – CCT
Timon: Centro de Estudos Superiores de Timon – CESTI
Zé Doca: Centro de Estudos Superiores de Zé Doca – CESZD
The central library of the library network is in São Luís, the library system had a total of 61,598 different monographs, 4,500 electronic publications and around 1,400 journals in 2018.[8]
