Guru Nanak Dev University was established at Amritsar on November 24, 1969. It was established to mark the five hundredth birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The University is a residential and an affiliating institution. In its illustrious history of thirty-six years the university has taken the responsibility of the Guru and promoting education in the arenas of science, art, management, information technology, industrial technology, environment, planning and architecture.

The territorial jurisdiction of the University extends to the five districts of Punjab. It covers the districts of Amritsar, Jalandhar, Nawan Shehar, Kapurthala and Gurdaspur.

The motto of the University as written on the emblem (Guru`s wisdom illumines all) bears ample testimony to idealism of the University. Being an affiliating University, it has to perform the role of directing and supervising the academic programmes of the various colleges located in five districts. Sprawling over an area of five hundred acres in the western direction of the city, the building of the University is made up of traditional red brick geometrical blocks. The University has thirty-nine academic departments organized under thirteen faculties, two regional campuses with two constituent colleges. The Maharaja Ranjit Singh GNDU Regional Campus is at Ladhewali Jalandhar while the Guru Nanak Dev University Regional Campus is at Gurdaspur.

The Faculty of Sciences consists of the Department of Chemistry, Department of Mathematics and Department of physics. The Faculty of Applied Sciences consists of Department of Applied Physics, Department of Applied Chemical Sciences and Technology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Food Science and Technology and Department of Applied Chemistry. The Faculty of Life Sciences has the Department of Biotechnology, Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Department of Human Genetics, Department of Microbiology, Department of Microbiology, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and the Department of Zoology. Faculty of Engineering and Technology has the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and Department of Electronics Technology. Faculty of Physical Planning and Architecture has the Department of Architecture and the Guru Ram Das School of Planning. Faculty of Economics and Business consists of Department of Commerce and Business Management and Punjab School of Economics.

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences consists of the Department of History, Department of Library and Information Science, Department of political science, Department of Psychology, Department of Sociology and the School of Social Sciences.

The Faculty of Languages heads the Department of English, Department of Hindi, School of Punjabi Studies, Department of Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit and the Department of Foreign Languages. The Faculty of Physical Education houses the Department of Physical Education.

The Faculty of Law has the Department of Law.Department of Music is under the Faculty of Music and Fine Arts. The Department of Guru Nanak Studies is organized under the Faculty of Humanities and Religious studies while the Faculty of sports medicine and Physiotherapy heads the Department of sports medicine and Physiotherapy.

Other than academics, the University has also created additional facilities for amusement and total development of its students and faculty by creating the Department of Youth Services, National Service Scheme, Public Relations Department, an auditorium, which can accommodate up to nine hundred people. Other than this there are seminar and conference rooms, sports complex, sports hostel open air theatre, faculty club and many such amenities.

The University has received the highest Five Star Level Status from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).