The Department of History of Armenia of YSU is coeval with YSU, it was established together with it. The first Head of the Department was Hakob Manandyan, a prominent Armenologist, the rector of the University. Then, successively Heads of the Department were eminent historians H. N. Zoryan, S. P. Poghosyan, H. G. Zhamkochyan, A. G. Abrahamyan, M. G. Nersisyan, V. A. Parsamyan, L. A. Khurshudyan, H. R. Simonyan, B. H. Harutyunyan, P. H. Hovhannisyan, A. E. Movsisyan. And Dean of Faculty of History Ed. G. Minasyan has been acting Head of the Department since October of 2020.

Throughout over 100 years of work, the Department of History of Armenia has rightfully become one of the most important center of the Armenian historiographical school. USSR AS Academician H. H. Manandyan, Academicians of AS of Armenia M. G. Nersisyan, G. B. Gharibjanyan, G. Kh. Sargsyan, H. R. Simonyan, L. A. Khurshudyan, V. B. Barkhudaryan, A. A. Melkonyan, Associate Member A. H. Simonyan, prominent historians Leo, H. Zoryan, Kh. Samvelyan, A. G. Abrahamyan, S. P. Poghosyan, H. G. Zhamkochyan, K. S. Khudaverdyan, S. T. Melik-Bakhshyan, B. H. Harutyunyan have taught and teach here over years. By the way, the majority of them are graduates of the same department. Currently 19 lectures teach at the Department, including 1 Academician of the NAS, 1 Associate Member, 4 Professors, and 9 Associate Professors.

The Department is the chief center of preparing cadre of historians. Thousands of graduate historians, hundreds of masters, researchers, PhD candidates studied here. Dozens of postgraduate students and applicants are currently studying at the chair. It is worth mentioning that the subject "History of Armenia" is taught at all the faculties of the University. Besides, Source Study of History of Armenia, Historiography, Historical Geography of Armenia, History of Armenian political parties and many other professional subjects are taught.

The Department is also remarkable with its studies in various fields of historical science. Over 1200 monographs with a volume of half a million press were published by the stuff of the Department. Those works are dedicated to all periods and problems of history of Armenia. In recent decades, the significant work done in the field of writing culture of the pre-Mashtots period, historical geography of medieval Armenia, historical demography, Armenian liberation movements, Armenian question and political parties, national ideology, Artsakh issue, Diaspora, the modern history of the Republic of Armenia. The coordination and publication of the scientific heritage of Nikoghayos Adonts, one of the prominent armenologists, is also important in the work done in recent years.

The Department plays a special and primary role in making and publishing educational plans, textbooks, manuals, maps of the subject "History of Armenia" for schools and higher education institutes of the republic. All the textbooks of History of Armenia for secondary and high school, many higher education textbooks and manuals, readers, academic and professional maps authored by the stuff of the Department were published within the past years.

The stuff of the Department take active part in university, national and international conferences. Scientific sessions and debates are organized on various problems of Armenian Studies on the Department's own initiative.

In 2005, the Chair of General History was renamed the Chair of World History. The areas of study of Chair include the entire World History from Prehistory to Modern Period. Currently, 14 professors teach at the chair, all of whom are renowned researchers of various eras and periods of world history.

The Chair of General History was established in 1952 as a result of merger of the Chairs of the Ancient World and Early Modern History with acad. Abgar Hovhannisyan as the head of the chair. Through years, renowned researchers and lecturers including professors St. Nersisyan. Gr. Mikayelyan, J. Kirakosyan, V. Diloyan, associate prof. G. Harutyunyan and many others worked in the Chair. Since 1998, Professor Albert Stepanyan has been the Head of the Chair.

Educational and methodological research of the department stretches from Ancient Oriental Civilizations to modern times. Courses on different problems of the Ancient World, Medieval History, Early Modern and Modern History are taught at the Chair, syllabi of which were developed with modern principles of higher education pedagogy, and were published. The lecturers and professors of the Chair have worked on 12 higher education and 15 secondary textbooks.

Since the 1960s, over 600 students have acquired specialization based on "two-tier" educational system, and over 150 students based on "three-tier" system and MA. The alumni of the Chair currently work in different academic, cultural and political spheres. Circa 30 PhD students of the Chair of World History have pursued their PhD degrees in Armenia and abroad.

Over years, the Chair has actively been involved in research of different historical issues, including "Problems of Pre-Industrial, Industrial and Post-Industrial Civilisations", "Armenia in the Context of the East-West Relations", "Globalisation in the Context of History of Armenia", "Historiographical Mind and Communal Life", etc. More than 30 monographs and 600 articles were published by the members of the Chair in Armenia and abroad within the span of more than 60 years.

Currently, in association with the Chair, a scientific-theoretical seminar titled "World Civilisations, Their Typology and History" is organized.

International Relations and Cooperation: The lecturers of the department were invited to deliver lectures in different European and American universities: Michigan, Boston, Harvard, Krakow etc. Besides local institutions, the members of the Chair have had their professional qualification development at the Universities of Thessaloniki, Boston, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tomsk and Novgorod.

Besides scheduled courses, various professors are annually invited to deliver lectures to BA and MA students. Among them are Prof. T. Brown, Dean of Queen's College, Cambridge University; Prof. J. Russel, Head of Armenian Studies Chair, Harvard University, Prof.G. Liparitian, Head of Armenian Studies Program, Michigan University; P. L. Zekiyan, Head of Armenian Studies Chair Ca' Foscari University of Venice; Prof. T. Hoffman, Berlin University, Prof. Giusto Traina, Lecce University (Italy); Prof. S. la Porta, Head of Armenian Studies Chair, University of California Fresno; Prof. Ara Sanjian, Head of Armenian Studies Center, University of Michigan–Dearborn, etc.

The lecturers of the Department actively participate in international conferences in Moscow, St. Petersburg (Russia), Tbilisi (Georgia), Lublin (Poland), Paris, Montpellier (France), Athens, Thessaloniki (Greece), Rome, Naples, Bologna (Italy), Cambridge (UK), Boston (USA), Vienna, Gaflenz (Austria), Warsaw (Poland), Oslo (Norway), Braunschweig (Germany) etc.

After the foundation of Yerevan State University in 1921 the famous archaeologist Ashkharbek Kalantar was invited to held lectures. Just in the same year he establishes the Chair of the History of Ancient Orient and Archaeology.

Teaching of archaeology after him continued Smbat Ter-Avetisyan until 1940. After him the activities of the Chair of Archaeology stopped.

In May 1968 the rectorate of the University decided to open the Chair of Archaeology, Source Studies and Ethnography headed by Prof. A.G. Abrahamyan.

In the life of the Chair the involvement in the educational process of such great scientists as B. Arakelyan, K. Ghafadaryan and B. Piotrovski played an important role.

In 1975 the Chair was renamed Chair of Archaeology and Ethnography, the head of which became the archaeologist, Prof. T. Khachatryan, who was in charge of it till 1982.

In 1983 the Chair took Prof. S. Esayan. In that same period several important sites were investigated by the efforts of the Chair members.

In 1989 the Chair of Ethnography was established, the head of which became Docent Yu. Mkrtumyan until 2004. In the meantime, during 1994-2000, the Chair was ruled by Hr. Kharatyan.

In 2004 the Chairs of Archaeology and Ethnography were reunited again.

From 2001 the obligations of the head of the Chair of Archaeology took Prof. I. Gharibyan.

In 2002 by the efforts of the Chair members the Department of Cultural Studies was opened within the Faculty of History.

Since 2009 the head of the Chair of Archaeology and Ethnography is Dr. Prof. H. Avetisyan.

The Chair members do productive scientific and field investigations both in the Republic and abroad: by their efforts many famous sites are being excavated from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages.

In the frames of educational programs the Chair greatly collaborates with other Chairs of the Faculty of History. Especially important are the laboratory works of the scientific centers of YSU with other chairs, in particular with that of the Faculty of Biology. As a basic structure for the Chair is the Laboratory of Archaeological Research of the Institute for Armenian Studies, YSU.

Today the Chair of Archaeology and Ethnography hosts many well known scientists, among them Corresponding Members of Armenian Academy of Sciences P. Avetisyan, L. Abrahamyan, M. Hasratyan, Professors I. Gharibyan, R. Nahapetyan, H. Avetisyan, docents A. Petrosyan, H. Hakobyan, M. Gabrielyan, A. Gnuni, A. Bobokhyan, H. Harutyunyan.

The Chair has three post-graduate students and one competitor, who are involved in scientific-educational programs.

By the efforts of the Chair members a great amount of monographs, textbooks, scientific articles have been published not only in the Republic, but also abroad.

The chair of Armenian Art History and Theory at Yerevan State University was established in 1996 by UNESCO. Since then it has responsibility for the Department of Art History organized during the same period. The teaching staff consist of the professors who received their education not only in the Armenian, but also in the Russian universities. Beside the full time professors there are also the scholars from the Mesrop Mashtots Matenadaran, the National Gallery of Armenia and the Museum of Russian Art who are working part time at the Chair and teach different subjects at the Department of Art History.

The members of Chair teach Armenian art history, architecture, arts, museum work, music, cinema, and also world art history, art business and management. The lectures are held in Armenian and Russian languages. The members of Chair participate in the national and international symposia, and also lecture in different universities and museums.

The Chair of Armenian Art History and Theory organized international conferences on Armenian art in Salzburg, Moscow, Bucharest, Los Angeles. Since 2012 the members of Chair cooperate with the Romanian colleagues and explore the Armenian art treasures in the collections of the Romanian museums.

For years, the Chair has developed a wide range of research activities, covering different periods of Armenian art history.

The members of Chair Department established the art library based on the art books received as a gifts from the other institutions and individuals.

The department of Cultural Studies of the Yerevan State University has acted as a separate sub-division of the Faculty of History since the academic year of 2002-2003. The department previously had only BA program. In 2006-2007 MA program was launched. The Department prepares specialists in cultural anthropology, theory and history of culture, cultural policy, contemporary cultural processes, and teaching history and theory of culture.

The chair of the Cultural Studies was established in January, 2007 within the structure of the Faculty of History of the YSU. The Chair is responsible for developing and delivering courses in cultural studies. It is also responsible for teaching the optional course of “Introduction to Cultural Studies” for other faculties of the YSU. The Chair is headed by Dr. Hamlet Lenser Petrossyan.

Currently, the professional training in the Department of Cultural Studies is carried out in the following three main complexes. The complex of cultural theory includes introduction to culturology, anthropology, cultural anthropology, philosophy of culture, sociology of culture, archaeology, ethnography, ethnosociology, cultural policy, cultural interactions, history of theories of culture, current issues of the profession and a number of other scientific systems studying culture. The Cultural History Complex includes two blocks: History of World Culture History of Armenian Culture.

Due to one-year long efforts of the YSU rector and the Chair of Cultural Studies, in September of 2008, the Higher Qualifying Commission of RA took a decision of including Cultural Studies in the list of specialties the academic degrees are conferred for (Philosophy T0006, Cultural Studies; Philosophical sciences, Historical sciences). The chair has postgraduate students (with distance learning) and applicants in the field of Cultural Studies. Four people defended their dissertations. In a short time, an experienced teaching staff has been created in the chair, through the efforts of which the teaching of theoretical-practical basic disciplines related to the field of culture is carried out today.

Collaboration and Programs

The chair carries out serious activities in the field of scientific research.
-The department of Cultural Studies together with the RA National Academy of Sciences carries out the archeological excavations of Tigranakert in Artsakh,
- In cooperation with the University of Florence, the "Silk Road: Armenia” program is being implemented, as a result of which starting from 2018 within the framework of “Erasmus +” program, students studying for a bachelor's degree and a master's degree at YSU Chair of Cultural Studies have the opportunity to study at the University of Florence (Italy) for one semester. The advantage is given to those students who specialize in the issues of cultural history and cultural heritage, which is directly related to the "Silk Road Armenia" program implemented within the framework of the above mentioned project.
- With the support of the English organization "Friends of Armenia", the chair provides annual scholarships to high-achieving, socially vulnerable students of the Department of Cultural Studies, The individual scholarships are provided to the most advanced students who show scientific and social activity.
- The Chair of Cultural Studies of Yerevan State University, headed by Hamlet Petrosyan is implementing Collection of Khachkars. Republic of Armenia, Republic of Artsakh” research program starting from 2018. The project is being implemented with a cooperation of a well-known specialist in khachkars, our compatriot Harutyun Khachatryan, living in Paris. In addition to specialists, the students of YSU Department of Cultural Studies are also involved in the works.
- The chair cooperates with the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography and the History Museum of Armenia.
- The chair also closely cooperates with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Artsakh, within the framework of which the it has carried out large-scale archaeological and anthropological research in Artsakh, developed a concept of Artsakh's cultural policy.

The lecturers of the chair carry out active research activities in the fields of cultural studies, cultural anthropology and cultural heritage research. H. Pikichyan, a specialist in traditional "modern music culture" and museum studies, is the president of the “Association of Museum Employees and Friends”. Through her efforts, many students of the department are involved in museum activities. Yu. Antonyan studies modern religious processes, is the director of many international programs, in which she participates students and graduate students. R. Mkrtchyan actively involves students in the process of anthropological examination of the results of archeological excavations.

All the lecturers of the department are being published in local and foreign journals, as well as actively participate in many local and international research programs, seminars and conferences. The lecturers of the chair also regularly provide consulting services to the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, Sports, other state and non-governmental organizations.

The Department of Cultural Studies has been organizing an annual student conference entitled "Culture, History and Modernity" since 2009, where undergraduate and graduate students of the department make presentations. The lecturers of the chair, as well as invited experts take part in the discussion of the reports.

The head of the chair is a historical scientist. Doctor, Professor Hamlet Petrosyan.

The YSU Chair of Diaspora Studies was established in 2008 at the initiative of the RA Ministry of Diaspora and by the decision of the YSU Rector. The chair began its activities in 2009, when the admission for the master's program in the specialty "Diaspora Studies" was started. In 2014, under the auspices of the largest educational and cultural organization of the Armenian Diaspora, the Armenian Educational and Cultural Union "Hamazgayin", the master's program "Armenian Studies" was started, the purpose of which is to train teachers for the schools of the diaspora.

The work of the chair is based on principles designed to enrich the practical relevance of the profession with high research qualities. These principles are: an interdisciplinary approach, a student-centered educational process, the practicality of the knowledge gained, the prospect of professional qualities, the development of research skills, the organization of professional internships.

Within the framework of the master's program "Diaspora Studies", students are provided with complete knowledge about the history and modernity of the Armenian and other diasporas, a deep understanding of the role of the diaspora in contemporary time, an ability to conduct studies on diaspora issues and knowledge of the methodologies of various scientific disciplines related to diaspora studies.

In recent years, students and graduates of the YSU Chair of Diaspora Studies have been involved and successfully participated in research programs of the chair and its foreign partners (conferences in Armenia, Lebanon, Russia, USA, round tables, etc.), in field researchs organized by the chair (Romania, Russia), in various professional competitions organized by diaspora organizations.

In 2016, the Chair of Diaspora Studies organized an international conference "Armenian Diaspora of the Russian Federation", and in 2012 and 2013 the yearbooks "Diaspora Studies" were published.

Postgraduates and applicants of the Chair of Diaspora Studies successfully defended their dissertations.

The graduates of the Chair of Diaspora Studies work at YSU and in the state bodies of the Republic of Armenia, engaged in relations with the diaspora.