PSI as a Department emerged in October 2002. It has changed in name a couple of times. In the beginning, it was known as Department of Strategic Studies (DSS). In the 2005/2006 academic session, it metamorphosed into Department of Policy and Strategic Studies (DPSS). As the University expanded, a need arose to split the department into two and in the 2007/2008 session, there emerged Department of Political Science (DPS) and Department of International Relations and Strategic Studies (DIRSS). A year after the split, specifically in the 2008/2009 academic session, there was a return to status quo as the programmes hitherto separated were merged into a single department once again. The re-merger culminated in what is currently known today as the Department of Political Science and International Relations (DPSI or PSI Department).

With a student population of 20 and an academic staff of 6 in 2003, the Department steadily grew in leaps and bounds and today boasts of over 400 students and faculty strength of thirty (30) spread across the three fully accredited programmes of Political Science, International Relations and Policy and Strategic Studies. The academic staff profile is boosted by two Full Professors, two (2) Associate Professors, three (3) Senior Lecturers, and other categories of staff. Also on the list of Faculty are three adjunct lecturers made up of two (2) Professors (who are also international faculty) and one Associate Professor.

The Department of Political Science and International Relations is currently poised to projecting what The Chancellor of the University, Dr. David O. Oyedepo often emphasizes as the restoration of the dignity of the black race. In addition to this, the Department is tacitly aligned and committed to the University’s Vision 10:2022 and the Professor AAA. Atayero administration’s ‘ReCiTe’ (Research, Citation, Innovation and Teaching) agenda, both aimed at evolving Covenant University into a World-Class Research University and One of the Top 10 universities in the world by 2022.

To this end, PSI, through research, citation and teaching pedagogy in our areas of core competence, including diplomacy, peace and conflict, power, negotiation, nation building, gender, public administration, et cetera, is positioned and committed to the realization of the University vision. Also the PSI has domesticated the University Vision and Agenda by its own Departmental Vision, namely ‘Mission to Rebuild our Research and Academic Capacity”, with a drive to embark on research production that will lead to the leapfrogging of the Department to one of the Top Ten Research-Departments in the University, in one year.