The Department of Psychology traces its beginning to the early 60’s when such courses as Measurement and Evaluation, Educational, Developmental, and Counselling Psychology were offered at the Addis Ababa University. Even so, there were very few adequately trained instructors who could teach some of the above courses.  In 1962, the Department was established within the then Faculty of Education, and with emphasis on Guidance and Counselling.  That aim was “to prepare school counsellors”. In 1966 a minor program was initiated. Up to 1976, i.e. until the minor program was phased out, ninety one students had benefited from the program.  In addition to the minor program, the Department’s objectives were to offer various psychology courses to prospective teachers and administrators, and to students of various faculties.  As a unit of the Faculty of Education, it participated in the training of secondary school teachers in various fields.  Research and community services were also some of its other functions.

In 1974 the Department began its first degree program in Educational Psychology with fifteen students.  The program was initiated on the following inter-related premises:

Ø  The development of the Country demanded effective allocation and utilization of trained man power.

Ø   Qualified people in guidance and counselling could help institutions to identify the interests, capabilities and attitudes of young people and direct their training in areas where they could be most productive.

Ø  The Ethiopian school system was in serious need of trained persons to study and handle various academic as well as emotional problems of students and create a conducive atmosphere for effective teaching and learning.

In 1977, the Department was placed within the College of Social Sciences.  Cognizant of the fact that field of psychology is too diverse and broad to be known only by one of its sub-fields, the Department was then named Department of Psychology.  However, In 1983/84 the name of the Department was changed to the Department of Educational Psychology and was restored under the Faculty of Education.  

Currently the Department has 27academic staff members (21 full-time, 4 home base, and 2 expatriates). Out of these 2 are Professors, 3 are Associate Professors, 8 are Assistant Professors, 12 are Lecturers and one Graduate Assistant.  The Department runs two undergraduate regular and evening programs, four MA programs in Measurement and Evaluation, Counselling, Developmental and Social Psychology, and one PhD program in Applied Developmental Psychology. Presently the Department has 300 and 200 undergraduate and graduate students respectively.  It offers service courses to about 2000 students per semester.

The realization of the proposed programs B.A. degree in Psychology, M.A. degree in Measurement and Evaluation, M.A. degree in Counselling Psychology, M.A. degree in Developmental Psychology, M.A. degree in Social Psychology and PhD degree in Applied Developmental Psychology will help the Department to launch others in the long run. Thus as a result of its current state with various programs and activities, the Department hopes to grow into an Institute of Psychology or Center for Psychological Studies. This hope has already been indicated in the mission and vision statements and incorporated in the overall strategic planning of Addis Ababa University.

Yet, with the advisement of the Ministry of Education and subsequent endorsement of the AAU, it was felt necessary that the Department revise its existing undergraduate program as much as possible and begin offering the courses as of the first Semester of 2008. Hence the details that follow and the specific courses that are identified and designed to be offered in a period of three years, are hoped to meet the urgent needs of the Nation in general and the  Ministry of Education in particular.