Shortly after the establishment of the Tbilisi State University, the Department of Psychology was opened under the guidance of Dimitri Uznadze. Initially, the branch of psychology was represented only by one psychologist, Dimitri Uznadze. Due to his huge efforts, a psychology lab was established in 1923 under the department. In 1926 the society of psychologists was established in Georgia uniting the university alumni. Dimitri Uznadze’s Theory of Set was created and developed just at the Department of Psychology. Moreover, he established the Georgian School of Psychology. Dimitri Uznadze led the Department of Psychology until the end of his life.
From 1950 the Department of Psychology was led by Uznadze’s follower, Academician Revaz Natadze. The range of research activities carried out at the department was extremely wide. Research topics covered all the branches of psychology: general psychology, differential, child and genetic psychology, educational psychology and defectology. Despite the diversity of problems, the department based its activities on Uznadze’s experimentally justified theory of set. Thus, experimental research activities were widely undertaken. The Department of Psychology was regularly presenting its scientific products to local and international forums.
Back in the thirties Uznadze started to put in practice the scientific achievements in the field of psychology. Psycho-technical laboratories, psychological and methodological departments for child education as well as clinical psychology departments at hospitals were opened. But this success failed to develop during Uznadze’s lifetime, because under the government order dated 1937, psychology could only have developed as a fundamental science. Although orientation to fundamental psychology brought international recognition to a lot of research activities in this field, the fields of practical and applied psychology significantly lagged behind the world level. By the sixties, when the opinion ripened in the society about the significance of achievements in psychological science for improving production efficiency and the opportunities for its introduction were created, it became necessary to further develop relevant branches and train relevant staff. Just during the tenure of Academician Natadze at the university, the Department of Industrial and Engineering Psychology (in 1971, head of the department – Prof. G; Kechkhuashvili), later in 1981 the Department of Social Psychology (head of the department – Assistant Professor R. Kvartskhava) and the Department of Pedagogy and Age Psychology (head of the department – Prof. A. Baindurashvili) were separated from the Department of General Psychology.
Although students were taught psychology since 1918, the Faculty of Psychology was established as an independent unit only in 1990. The newly established Faculty of Psychology was led by Prof. G. Mchedlishvili.
In the nineties the Faculty of Psychology was preparing students in four specializations: general psychology, social psychology, age and pedagogy psychology and industrial and organizational psychology.
In 2005 the Faculty of Psychology, along with other faculties and departments, merged with the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences as the department. Since 2008 it was represented as the psychological direction of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences.
Pedagogical science has existed at the university since its foundation. The Institute of Pedagogy led by Dimitri Uznadze was functioning at the university since 1919. It was just in 1919 when the university started to prepare teachers. The pedagogical faculty was set up at the university in 1922 and Professor Korneli Kekelidze became its dean. The department of pedagogy was functioning under the faculty of philosophy since 1930 and the course of pedagogy was delivered at all the faculties of the university. At various times the department of pedagogy was led by famous scientists, including Giorgi Tavzishvili, Shalva Sikharulidze, Konstantine Chkuaseli, Giorgi Kiknadze, Davit Lortkipanidze, etc.
From 1930 to 2002 all alumni, along with their basic specializations, were awarded a qualification of a teacher.
In 1990 the Department of Pedagogy joined the newly established Faculty of Psychology and in 2006 the Teaching and Research Institute of Pedagogy was created, which joined the Faculty of Humanities
Presently about 1400 students are undergoing their studies at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences (three stages of education) and about 60 professors are teaching them; 4 bachelor’s degree programs and up to 15 master’s and doctoral degree programs are being implemented at the faculty.
The faculty has educational and scientific laboratories, computer center, library, material and financial resources, which ensure high level of teaching and research activities.
