The department was established in July 2003, previously it is the school public class teaching and research office under the publicity department.

In July 2003, the department was separated from the publicity department of the university, renamed as the public course teaching department, and became the depart-level teaching unit of the public course teaching of the university, mainly responsible for the teaching and related management of the ideological and political theory course, college Chinese, college English, college physical education and other public courses of the university.The public course teaching department consists of ideological and political theory teaching and research office, university physical education teaching and research office, university English teaching and research office, university Chinese teaching and research office.

In March 2009, after the success of the school reform, in July, department of independence from general course instruction, changed its name to refer marxism-leninism, becomes the ideological and political theory course teaching designing teaching units, the department has the thought morals tutelage and legal foundation teaching and research section, introduction to the basic principle of teaching and research section of marxism, MAO zedong thought and Chinese characteristic socialism theory system introduction to teaching and research section, in modern Chinese history, teaching and research section, comprehensive teaching and research section in outline five teaching and research section.He has undertaken the teaching work of ideological and moral cultivation and legal basis of the whole school, introduction to the basic principles of marxism, introduction to MAO zedong thought and the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, outline of China's modern and contemporary history, the situation, situation and policy of guizhou province.

In July 2018, the school of marxism was renamed and established on the basis of the ideological and political major of the former marxist-leninist education department and the college of economics and politics, guizhou normal university. The college is independent, materialized and directly under the management of the school.