The history of SGS s intertwined with the experience of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s firs president. He had envisioned a university with a broad-based educational programme with the ability to develop the resources of the country , house hold arts, sound recreation, rudiment of knowledge, character development , community responsibility , access to the great truths of philosophy , the physical and social sciences and the inspiration of history, literature and the arts.

Thus, the GS programme of the University of Nigeria s spirited efforts to achieve these lofty aspirations within the frame of liberal higher education.

By the University lay, 1961, the College of General Studies was among the thirty – six Colleges listed for establishment. The original curriculum of the GS programme was developed by a combined team of British and American experts. The GS programme came into effect in October, 1961 in the 1961/62 academic session at Nsukka Campus while at Enugu Campus it was introduced in 1970. The GS was given the name “The John Russwarm College of General Studies “in memory of the first African scholar who graduated from Bowdoin College in 1821 in the United States of America (USA). The College of General Studies was then administered through a board, under a chair. There five divisions in the College – Language and Literature, Language and Society, Social Science, Natural Science and Humanities.

In 1964/65 academic session, the College became a Division with a Director as the head.

The first Director of the Division was Joseph Druse. The Division was made up of four Units – Use of English, Social Sciences, Natural Science, and Humanities headed by Coordinators.

The Division metamorphosed into a school in the 1999/2000 academic session and consequently the name of the head of the School changed from Director to Dean. And the name of the current Dean is Professor Apollonai Nwosu.