The Center for Hispanic Studies at Kennesaw State University was founded as a collaborative project involving the Department of Foreign Languages at Kennesaw State University, the Ministry of Education and Science, and the generous support of the Office of International Education of the Georgia Board of Regents. It originated as a result of the growing importance of the Spanish language and Hispanic culture within the United States in general and the state of Georgia in particular and the resulting demand for teachers and professionals properly trained in these areas. However, the first step toward its creation lay in the long habit of cooperation between the Department of Foreign Languages at KSU and the Foreign Language Consultant at the Georgia Department of Education. This led to an association with the newly arrived Spanish Language Consultant and ultimately to the request that KSU become a language and culture resource center sponsored by the Office of Education and Culture of the Embassy of Spain in the United States.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the Embassy of Spain in the United States and Kennesaw State University on 7 November 2000, established KSU as a resource center for language and culture (Center for Hispanic Studies) under the sponsorship of the Office of Education and Culture, thus making KSU a part of the growing network of North American universities linked with the Embassy of Spain in the United States. The intent of the MOU is to promote not only the study of the language but also an appreciation and understanding of the various groups in U.S. society that speak Spanish as their first language. The Board of Regents has in turn supported the initiative by awarding a series of "Global Partnership" grants to the Center which have facilitated the Department's and Center's outreach efforts in the KSU service area. Although at the outset the University of La Serena, Chile, was envisioned as the South American partner, time and distance have conspired to prevent their active participation.

The Center of Hispanic Studies formally opened in May 2001. Although initially housed in the Department of Foreign Languages, it is now an independent entity within the Institute for Global Initiatives.