The Department has a long history. It was established according to the Ministry of Higher Education of the USSR on 28 1956 “On the Department of Kharkov and UzhhorodStateUniversity.” In 1958 the Department was reorganized into the Department of Education and Psychology. In 2010 it was reorganized into the Department of Psychology and the Department of Pedagogy. In 2012 in the result of the reorganization of the Department of Psychology it has been attached to the Department of Pedagogy. In April 2013 a University-wide Department of Psychology and Pedagogy was established under the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports. 

 It was headed by Ph.D, Associate Professor N. Chernilovska (1956-1959), Honored Teacher of the USSR A. Honcharenko (acting in 1960-1965), Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor V. Homonay (1966-1986), Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor V. Saharda (1987-2005), Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor E. Solomka (2005-2012 ), Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor V. Starosta (2012-2013 ). Since February 2014 the Department is headed by the Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor U. Mykhailyshyn.

4 Candidates of Psychological Sciences, 2 Candidates of Pedagogical Sciences, 5 Senior Lecturers and 3 lecturers are involved into the training process as well as the lecturers of other Departments and leading Ukrainian Institutions.

The innovative training technologies aimed to solve theoretical and practical problems of educational work are being constantly used by the scientific staff of the Department.

In 1998 a rather effective kind of work - experience presentation of each teacher of the Department was implemented. The Innovative developments reflect the following methodological problems:

• Formation of reflective professional experience of future specialist;
• Program and student-centered approach to the process of the students self-studying;
• A dialogue form of practical lessons and seminars.

The Department provides training courses in the following three areas: Psychology and Applied Psychology for skill levels:

1. “Bachelor” - the normative study period 4 years (8 semesters), the qualification degree “Bachelor of Psychology” (6.030102)
2. “Bachelor” - the normative study period 4 years (8 semesters), the qualification degree “Bachelor of Applied Psychology” (6.030103)
3. “Specialist” - the regulatory study period 1 year (2 semesters), qualification degree “Practical Psychology” (7.03010301)

The Department staff collaborates with the International University of Szeged, Nyíregyháza Pedagogical Institute (Hungary) and the University of Prešov (Slovakia). Participation in common conferences and sharing experience are the basic forms of this collaboration.

The Department has got close ties with the Institute of Psychology after G. Kostiuk, NAPS of Ukraine, Institute of Social and Political Psychology NAPS of Ukraine, the National Academy of Internal Affairs, Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs, MukachevoStateUniversity, EastEuropeanNationalUniversity after Taras Shevchenko and KyivUniversity after B.Grinchenko.

The research work is carried out within the research topic “Features of the psychological development of the individuals under the changes in the society”

The following areas of research as psychological support of law enforcement, psychological support in emergency and crisis situations are the relevant areas of the future research.