This department was established in 1977 and started its activities by admitting 60 students. Currently , with a total of 714 students in BA, MA and PhD programs( 518 BA students, 149 MA students and 47 PhD students) and 23 faculty members , the department is conducting its educational and research activities . With regard to the number of students succeeding in passing the MA University Entrance Exam, this department has managed to keep its rank among the top three Iranian universities in the past 10 years, which can be regarded as the result of the ceaseless endeavors of the hardworking teachers of the department.