The Department of Political Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka is the oldest Department of Political Science in Nigerian Universities. At University of Nigeria, Nsukka, a full-fledged Department of Political Science, as a part of the Faculty of the Social Sciences started officially on 13^th October, 1960, when 17 first year students (out of a total of 220 university-wide) started their classes for the first degree (B.Sc.) programme in Political Science. In June 1963, the Department produced its foundation graduates, 17 of them, out of a total of 118 of the University. The Department runs Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), Single Honours degree programme in addition to Postgraduate Diploma (PGD), Master of Science (M.Sc.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) programmes.

The Faculty also offers Combined Honours Bachelor of Science Degree Programmes in the following pairs of subjects:

• Political Science/Geography
• Political Science/Philosophy
• Political Science/Psychology
• Political Science/Religion
• Political Science/Sociology and Anthropology

The Department has had some outstanding scholars as former Heads, and some of them are Professor Edward Wilmot Blyden, Professor Eme Awa, Professor Humphrey Nwosu, Professor Okwudiba Nnoli, late Professor Miriam Ikejiani-Clark, Professor Elochukwu Amucheazi, late Dr. Aforka Nweke, Professor Assisi Asobie, Professor Obasi Igwe, Professor Emmanuel Onyebuchi Ezeani, Professor Jonah Onuoha, among others. Currently, the Head of Department is Professor Obasi Igwe.