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Having successfully achieved self-accrediting university status in 2004, the Hong Kong Institute of Education phased in a new academic structure in September 2005 by merging four existing Schools into two Faculties: the Faculty of Languages, Arts and Sciences ("FLAS"), and the Faculty of Professional and Early Childhood Education ("FPECE"). FLAS comprised of the Departments of Creative Arts and Physical Education; Chinese; English; and Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences and Technology; whereas FPECE was composed of the Departments of Curriculum and Instruction; Early Childhood Education; Educational Policy and Administration; and Educational Psychology, Counseling and Learning Needs.

The Institute took further actions in enhancing its academic and research capacities following the submission of the Development Blueprint in 2007. Apart from creating the new position of Vice President (Research and Development) and implementing strategic recruitment and appointment exercises, a new academic structure which reorganized the two Faculties into a three-Faculty structure was launched on 25 August 2008. The five academic departments initially under FPECE came under the Faculty of Education Studies; whereas the newly created Faculty of Languages took over both the Department of Chinese and Department of English, and the restructured Faculty of Arts and Sciences housing the Department of Creative Arts and Physical Education as well as the Department of Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences and Technology. And from 1 September 2009, the two Departments under the Faculty of Arts and Sciences were reorganised into the Departments of Cultural and Creative Arts; Health and Physical Education; Mathematics and Information Technology; Science and Environmental Studies; and Social Sciences.

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences was renamed the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences with effect from 1 September 2012, to reflect the strategic growth in research capacity and teaching expertise in liberal arts and social sciences in relation to the Institute's re-submission for the re-titling exercise.

The English Department was one of the two Departments at the Institute of Language in Education ("ILE"). It was part of ILE's organisational structure since its establishment in 1982, for the ILE was set up to improve the teaching and learning of Chinese and English as subjects, and the use of these languages across the curriculum. The English Department was responsible for running courses in English, both as a subject and as a medium of instruction for teachers of content subjects. There was an approximate ratio of 1 expatriate native-speaker to 1 local member of staff within the English Department. While ILE ceased to exist as an independent body from 1 September 1994 following its amalgamation with the Colleges of Education and the Hong Kong Technical Teachers' College, the work of the English Department had been taken over and continued in the Department of English at the Hong Kong Institute of Education.

Between 1994 and 1998, the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd) operated a matrix academic structure consisting of ‘programmes’ and ‘departments’, and they ran in parallel with one another to enable inputs from various departments to the same programme. On the ‘programmes’ side of the matrix, there were three Divisions responsible for the operation and monitoring of academic programmes; whereas the ‘departments’ provide the focal point for the development of subject expertise, research and other scholarly activities.

The three Divisions were the Division of Primary Education, the Division of Early Childhood Education (renamed the Division of Pre-primary Education in the 1997/98 academic year), and the Division of Secondary, Technical and Special Education). For the Division of Primary Education, it was responsible for organising initial primary education and further primary education programmes.

In order to match HKIEd’s development to a tertiary level institution, the matrix was replaced by a new academic structure of four Schools and within which the departments and centres were housed, in the 1998/99 academic year.

During the 1997/1998 academic year, the Division of Early Childhood Education was renamed the Division of Pre-Primary Education, and the Department of Early Childhood Studies was established to further academic specialisation.

The Department of Early Childhood Education ("ECE") at The Education University of Hong Kong ("EdUHK") traced its origins to 1981, when Grantham Training College launched a Two-Year Part-Time Course of Training for Kindergarten Teachers. This initiative was established in response to recommendations made in the 1980 Green Paper on Pre-School Services and Primary Education. It was a day-release programme designed for teachers already working in pre-school education—a sector that had previously received little attention in local educational planning. This course marked the beginning of formal kindergarten teacher training in Hong Kong and laid the foundation for the development of early childhood education in the region.

In 1994, Grantham College of Education merged with four other Colleges of Education to form the autonomous Hong Kong Institute of Education ("HKIEd"), the predecessor of The EdUHK. With this merger, the Early Childhood Education Division was entrusted with the kindergarten teacher training programmes previously offered by Grantham College. The following year, in the 1995/1996 academic year, the Division of Early Childhood Education was formally established and launched its first Certificate in Kindergarten Education (CD(KG)) Programme, marking a new phase of structured professional training.

To fit with the strategic development of the University, the Department has been merged and organised into different departments and under different Faculties/Schools.

The Department of Social Studies was established in September 1994. It was created through a consolidation of the Departments of Chinese History, Economics and Public Affairs, Geography, History, and Social Studies from three former Colleges of Education, i.e. Black, Grantham and Northcote. The Department provided the focal point for the development of subject expertise, research and other scholarly activities.

In order to generate greater coherence and enterprise among cognate departments, the Department of Social Studies became part of the Board of Social and Business Studies, alongside the Departments of Fine Arts and Business Studies.

The Department of Science and Mathematics was established in September 1994. It was created through a consolidation of the expertise areas of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Science, Computer Studies. Home Economics and Mathematics. The Department provided the focal point for the development of subject expertise, research and other scholarly activities.

In order to generate greater coherence and enterprise among cognate departments, the Department of Science and Mathematics became part of the Board of Mathematics, Science and Technology, alongside the Departments of Engineering and Technology Studies and Physical Education.

Until the 1997-98 academic year, the Department of Mathematics was formally established and separated from the original Department of Science and Mathematics. The former Department of Science and Mathematics was also renamed the Department of Science.

The Department of English Language Education ("ELE") was first known as the Department of English under the newly amalgamated Hong Kong Institute of Education ("HKIEd") in 1995. Since then, it was known as the Department of English until the academic reorganization in academic year 2012/2013. It had also been organized into different academic entities throughout the years:

• 1994–1998: Department of English, Board of Language in Education;
• 1998–2005: Department of English, School of Languages in Education;
• 2005–2008: Department of English, Faculty of Languages, Arts & Sciences;
• 2008–2012: Department of English, Faculty of Languages;
• 2012–Present: Department of English Language Education, Faculty of Humanities.

Before the Hong Kong Institute of Education was established in 1994, the Department of Economics and Public Affairs existed within three Colleges of Education: Northcote, Grantham and Sir Robert Black.

The courses designed by this Department hoped to prepare students to teach E.P.A. at the lower secondary school. It aimed at providing them with the knowledge, strategies techniques necessary in teaching the subject. It also helped the students to acquire a deeper understanding of Hong Kong society and its relationship with other parts of the world.

The Department of Social Studies (later renamed the Department of Social Sciences in 1998) was established in September 1994. This Department was formed by merging the Departments of Chinese History, Economics and Public Affairs, Geography, History and Social Studies from the mentioned three Colleges of Education.

In the academic year 2008/2009, the Department of Early Childhood Education underwent a significant structural transition as part of the Hong Kong Institute of Education ("HKIEd")'s broader institutional reform. Following the submission of the Development Blueprint - Becoming a University of Education in June 2007, the Institute took decisive steps to enhance its academic and research capacities. These included the establishment of the office of Vice President (Research and Development) in January 2008 to provide leadership in promoting a strong research culture and infrastructure within the Institute.

In August 2008, a new academic structure was introduced, reconstituting the existing two Faculties into three. As a result of this restructuring, the four academic departments previously housed under the Faculty of Professional and Early Childhood Education ("FPECE"), including the Department of Early Childhood Education, were transferred to the newly established Faculty of Education Studies. This move reflected the Institute’s commitment to strengthening its academic foundation and aligning its organisational structure with its evolving educational and research priorities.