The history of our faculty dates back to the year 1998. In that year, the School of Theory of Politics was established as part of the Faculty of Arts – and a year later the first students of political science could start their education with us. In the year 2001, the Department of Political Science was set up; it consisted of three schools specialising, respectively, in theory of politics, political culture and history of political thought. Three years later, in October 2004, the Polish Accreditation Committee highly evaluated the quality of education offered by the Department, thanks to which it was upgraded to the rank of Institute of Political Science.
The new faculty came into existence as a result of conjunction of the mentioned Institute of Political Science and the Institute of International Relations, which until then had functioned as an organisational unit of the Faculty of Historical Science. The beginnings of this institute date back to 1 May 1999, when the School of International Relations was set up. It was an organisational unit of the Institute of History and Archive Studies; Professor Sławomir Kalembka became the Head of it. The School was focused on both didactic and research activities, with the latter being concentrated on the 19 th and 20th centuries, first and foremost on Poland’s relations with its eastern neighbours and countries of Western Europe. On 1 April 2000, the School was transformed into the Department of International Relations, an independent organisational unit that was headed by Associate Professor Zbigniew Karpus. The dynamic development of the Department, resulting inter alia in the increase of the number of associate professors and full professors, was the premise for transforming it into the Institute of International Relations. This took place on 1 March 2005.
The Faculty of Political Science and International Relations was established on the basis of the resolution of the Senate of Nicolaus Copernicus University (No. 22 of 31 March 2009). Professor Roman Bäcker became its first Dean – and he occupied this post until 2016. His Deputy Dean for Student Affairs was Associate Professor Zbigniew Karpus, whereas Professor Marek Jeziński became the Deputy Dean for Education Affairs and Associate Professor Michał Strzelecki – the Deputy Dean for Scientific Affairs (from 1 December 2010).
The Faculty of Political Science and International Studies is authorised to grant a PhD degree in the field of political science and the degree of habilitated doctor in the same field. In 2013, the Faculty was granted category A by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education – in recognition of its activities and scientific potential.