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Having successfully achieved self-accrediting university status in 2004, the Hong Kong Institute of Education (the Institute) 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 reorganised 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 External Relations Department (外務處) was responsible for media liaison, external relations, publications, and the coordination of events and projects at the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd). It provided advisory services to departments and managed institutional communications and publicity.

The Department ceased operations in 2003 following organisational restructuring. Its functions were taken over by the Communications and Institutional Advancement Office (CIAO) (傳訊及拓展處). The CIAO was responsible for media relations, electronic communications, publications, promotional activities and the coordination of events and ceremonies at the HKIEd. It also supported fundraising, sponsorship and alumni-related activities.

In 2010, the CIAO was replaced by the Communication Office (CO) (傳訊處), which serves as the external communications channel. The CO is committed to elevating the visibility and enhancing the reputation of HKIEd (now known as The Education University of Hong Kong) at local, regional and global levels.

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 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, the predecessor of 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.

The External Relations Department ceased operations in 2003 following organisational restructuring. Its functions were taken over by the Communications and Institutional Advancement Office (CIAO) (傳訊及拓展處). The CIAO was responsible for media relations, electronic communications, publications, promotional activities and the coordination of events and ceremonies at the HKIEd. It also supported fundraising, sponsorship and alumni-related activities.

In 2010, the Communications and Institutional Advancement Office was replaced by the Communication Office (CO) (傳訊處), which served as the external communications channel. The CO was committed to elevating the visibility and enhancing the reputation of HKIEd (now known as The Education University of Hong Kong) at local, regional and global levels.

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.

To fit with the strategic development of The Hong Kong Institute of Education, the Department has been merged and organised into different departments and under different Faculties/Schools.

The establishment of the four Boards of Studies (1. the Board of Educational Studies, 2. the Board of Language in Education, 3. the Board of Mathematics, Science and Technology, and 4. the Board of Social and Business Studies) was a crucial step in strengthening subject specialisation. Each board was responsible for developing its own subject or discipline, and was entrusted with the important task of overseeing the needs of its affiliated departments. Adopting this infrastructure enabled the twelve academic departments to strengthen their subject expertise and course planning with the support of their respective boards.

The Divisional Board met regularly during the reporting period and developed its own work agenda, focusing particularly on programme coordination, staff development, and the maintenance and monitoring academic and professional standards during the 1994–95 academic year. From 1995 to 1996, Divisional Board meetings were held once every two months to ensure staff participation in deliberations and decisions of academic matters.

Dr Lai Kwok-chan (黎國燦) was the first Head of the Department.