Psychology as an academic discipline began in the region of Bangladesh in the first quarter of the 20th century when this country was a part of India under the British rule. In 1921, the University of Dhaka established a Psychology Laboratory in the Department of Philosophy headed by Professor G. H. Langley. In fact, it was the first Psychology Laboratory in Bangladesh and the second such laboratory in undivided India. The Psychology Laboratory of the University of Dhaka earned recognition and reputation as one of the oldest and best organized Psychology Laboratories in this region. In 1965, the Department of Psychology was established in the University of Dhaka by offering one-year Master’s Degree. Two years later in 1967, a 3-year B. Sc. (Honors) program was started. Later Psychology branched out to offer MS in Clinical Psychology in 1995 and Educational and Counseling Psychology in 2011. The Department of Psychology is concurrently offering Three Masters Programs Namely Master of Science in Psychology, Master of Science in School Psychology and Master of Science in Industrial–Organizational Psychology from the session 2015-2016. The department has been also offering a two-year long MPhil and three-year long DPhil Degree programs since its inception.

At present 6 professors, 5 associate professors, 11 assistant professors, 1 Supernumerary Professor, 3 Honorary Professors, 5 lecturers, and 10 staffs are serving the department. A total of about 700 students are studying in BS, MS, MPhil, and PhD programs in the department. There are 2 rooms used for psychology laboratories equipped with modern apparatuses and instruments and 75 desktop computers connected to LAN and hi-speed broadband internet. There is a seminar room with 2000 plus reference books and several local and foreign journals, and facilities for 100 students there to read.  Fifteen rooms are furnished for teachers including chairman, 2 rooms for staff, 1 room for photocopy-cum-store, and 3 rooms each for staff, male and female teachers to refresh. There are two classrooms, one for accommodating as many as 80 students and the other for about 40 students. It is noteworthy that the number of students enrolled in 1st year undergraduate program is about 150. The department organizes monthly invited talks meant mainly for teachers and senior students given by reputed psychologists and other allied professionals of home and abroad under the auspices of Professor Dr Muhammad Raushan Ali Memorial Lecture Series on Human Resource Development and Management since January 2016. The department publishes annually a journal named the Dhaka University Journal of Psychology since 1972, the 42th volume of which is due to be published by 2021.