The Faculty of Social Sciences is one of the oldest, largest, and most diverse academic units at the University of Dhaka. Since its foundation on 2 October 1970, the Faculty has expanded in size and importance to include a wide range of academic disciplines that study human culture, society and politics, and that are theoretically based and empirically well-founded. The Faculty has set its goal to impart interdisciplinary knowledge, skills, and values to students in order to contribute to their academic and professional development.

The Faculty of social sciences is organized into 16 academic Departments which are responsible for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and research The Departments which constitute the Faculty are: Department of Economics, Department of Political Science, Department of international Relations, Department of Sociology, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Department of Public Administration, Department of Anthropology, Department of Population Sciences, Department of Peace and conflict Studies, Department of Women and, Gender Studies, Department of Development Studies, Department of Television, Film and Photography, Department of Criminology, Department of Communication Disorders Department of Printing and Publication Studies, and Department of Japanese Studies.

These academic Departments in the Faculty provide an intellectually challenging learning and research experience within a supportive educational setting, ensuring that students can achieve their full academic potential and build successful career paths. In addition, the Faculty is committed to delivering innovative, inspirational, and effective teaching. Faculty members are as devoted to teaching as they are to research, bringing their knowledge and expertise into the classroom and motivating students to develop and flourish in stimulating academic and social environment. A wide spectrum of courses/programs offered by different Departments under the Faculty helps students gain a strong grounding in critical/analytical thinking and research skills.

The Faculty of Social Sciences, in coordination with its constituent Departments, runs undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate programs and conducts advanced research across diverse fields of social science. The Faculty's collaborative and interdisciplinary research focuses on the most pressing issues and concerns of the society.

The Faculty is headed by the Dean who is elected for a term of two years. The Dean monitors the overall work of the Faculty and is responsible for general activities, admission, finances, and personnel administration in line with the university’s policies and regulations.

The Faculty publishes two academic journals: Social science Review (Dhaka University Studies, Part-D), a bi-annual journal and samajik Biggyan Patrika, an annual journal.