The Faculty of Humanities and Educational Sciences, to which the Department of Social Sciences belongs, was established in 1977. It was one of the first faculties opened at An-Najah National University under the name Faculty of Arts. Within a short period, the faculty developed significantly, strengthening its academic staff, advancing its academic programs, and greatly improving its administrative systems.

The Department of Social Sciences is considered one of the most important departments within the Faculty of Humanities and Educational Sciences. It was established in the first semester of 2023 following the merger of the Faculty of Educational Sciences with the Faculty of Humanities into a single faculty under the name Faculty of Humanities and Educational Sciences. The faculty now consists of four academic departments: the Department of Social Sciences, the Department of Languages, the Department of Educational Sciences, and the Department of Sports Sciences.

The department provides modern laboratories equipped with the newest technological devices, including the Tourism and Archaeology Program Laboratory and the Geography Program Laboratory (Geomatics track).