The university began with the founding of the Foglizzo Canavese theological studentate in 1904, which in 1923 moved to Turin. The university was canonically erected by the Congregation for Catholic Education with the decree of 3 May 1940 (Prot. N. 265/40) with the official title Pontificio Ateneo Salesiano (Latin for 'Salesian Pontificial Athenaeum'). During the Second World War students and teachers were transferred to the Salesian house in Bagnolo Piemonte.[1]
In 1958 the Salesian Pontifical Athenaeum moved to Rome. On 24 May 1973, Pope Paul VI approved its new title Pontificia Studiorum Universitas Salesiana (Salesian Pontifical University) with the motu proprioMagisterium vitae. On 8 December 1986, a Department of Youth Pastoral and Catechetics was constituted by an agreement between the Faculties of Theology and Sciences of Education.[1]
In 2012 the Faculty of the Sciences of Social Communication began to offer Catholic priests (who, by virtue of their priestly studies, possess a Bachelor's degree in either Philosophy or Theology) a three-year Master's Degree in Pastoral Communication that includes a one-year Bachelor's in Communication.