The Harden College of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, started in January, 1961, with 41 students enrolled in a two-year Diploma Programme in Education. During the 1961/62 academic session, the Harden College of Education became the Department of Education, and enrolled 40 students for Bachelor’s Degree Programmes (BA and B.Sc. Education Programmes).

 The Sub-Department of Science Education existed for a period of 23 years i.e. 1982-2005, before it was approved as a full-fledged Department in August, 2005 by a decision of the University of Nigeria Senate. Currently the Department of Science Education has five academic programmes which have consecutively won full accreditation from National Universities Commission (NUC) in 2009 and 2014.