The Faculty of Social Sciences and Political Science (FISIP) was established in July 2009. This faculty immediately opened three (3) study programs: political science, international relations, and sociology. This rapid step was actually supported by extensive preparation since the year 2000. All of these study programs are not entirely new but rather continuations of pre-existing programs. The Sociology program is an expansion of the Sociology of Religion (SA) program, and the Political Science program is a development of the Islamic Political Thought (PPI) program. Both SA and PPI had been established by the Faculty of Islamic Theology and Philosophy (FUF) since the early 2000s. Meanwhile, the International Relations (IR) program had also been developing for several years under the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences (FEIS). Therefore, the establishment of FISIP UIN Jakarta in 2009 was more of an effort to solidify and reorganize the social science studies within the UIN Jakarta environment.

The rapid growth of social science studies within UIN Jakarta was driven by the increased scholarly interests of its academic community, which were no longer limited to normative and doctrinal aspects of religion. When UIN Jakarta was still known as the State Islamic Institute (IAIN), only these two aspects were the main focus of study. This limitation had long been considered inadequate, prompting the inclusion of empirical and objective sciences. The formation of several general faculties over the past decade, including the Faculty of Psychology, the Faculty of Science and Technology, the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, and the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, reflected this shift in scholarly orientation. FISIP is a part of the broader transformation of UIN Jakarta, which has been rapidly expanding until now.

In addition to scholarly reasons, the establishment of FISIP also aimed to address future societal dynamics. Rapid social changes require competent social scientists to analyze various social and political issues effectively. Thus, UIN Jakarta must actively identify and provide answers to these issues. Equipped with deep knowledge of Islamic civilization, FISIP UIN Jakarta aims to integrate Western and Islamic scholarly traditions in the development of social sciences. The faculty will involve scholars from religious faculties to teach the normative aspects of Islam and scholars from other faculties to enrich the knowledge of Islamic civilization. Through this enriched teaching and learning process, FISIP UIN Jakarta intends to produce social science graduates with a broad knowledge of horizon.