The teaching of Modern Greek as a second/foreign language was from very early a concern of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The teaching of Modern Greek began in the 1950s, alongside the teaching of foreign languages within the framework of the lessons and events offered to its students by the Foreign Languages Teaching Center of the University of Athens.

At the session dated 4 July 1991 of the Senate, the Interdepartmental Programme for the teaching of Modern Greek as a second/foreign language was established under the educational stewardship of the Department of Linguistics. In 1994 the Interdepartmental Master's Degree Programme of the faculties of Philology and Philosophy, Pedagogy and Psychology of the School of Philosophy of the University of Athens was established. The continuously increasing demand for the learning of Modern Greek (the hundreds of students in the beginning had expanded to thousands by the 1990s) led to the establishment of an independent Modern Greek Language Teaching Center. In 1994 it was placed under the auspices of the Interdepartmental Programme.

On the 10^th of February 2000 the Senate approved the construction of a building situated in the University campus to host the Modern Greek Language Teaching Center.

Following the Senate decision of the session of the 1^st of August 2019, the Modern Greek Language Teaching Center is an independent and autonomous academic unit. It is administered by a five-member Administrative Board, which is appointed by Senate decision following recommendations by the Rector, and consists of three faculty members from the Department of Philology of the School of Philosophy, one member of the academic staff of the Modern Greek Language Teaching Center and the President.