The Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Gadjah Mada University (FIB UGM) was inaugurated on March 3rd, 1946, bearing the name Faculteit Sastra, Filsafat, dan Keboedajaan. During its course of development, the faculty has changed its name six times, i.e. Faculteit Sastra, Filsafat, dan Keboedajaan (3 March 1946 – 13 August 1949), Faculteit Sastra dan Filsafat (19 December 1949 – 13 August 1950), Faculteit Sastra, Pedagogik, dan Filsafat (14 August 1950 – 14 October 1955), Fakultas Sastra dan Kebudayaan (15 October 1955 – 6 October 1982), Fakultas Sastra (7 October 1982 – 22 June 2001), and Fakultas Ilmu Budaya (23 June 2001 – present). The change of the name into Faculteit Sastra dan Filsafat was timed to coincide with the inauguration of Gadjah Mada University as the earliest state university on 19 December 1949. Further development involved an establishment of new faculties, namely Faculty of Geography and Faculty of Philosophy which were formerly Department of Geography and Department of Philosophy respectively. In addition, the former Department of Pedagogy developed into the Faculty of Psychology, the embryo of what is now known as Yogyakarta State University (formerly IKIP Yogyakarta).
In its most recent development, FIB UGM has established a Non-Degree (D3), Undergraduate (S1), and Post-Graduate (S2 and S3) Programs. The D3 Program offers eight Study Programs, i.e. Arabic, English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, French, Archives, and Tourism. The undergraduate Program is comprised of the Department of Anthropology Study Program Cultural Anthropology, Department of Archaeology Study Program Archaeology, Department of Western Asia Study Program Study Arabic Literature, Indonesian Department Study Program Indonesian and Indonesian Literature, English Department Study Program English Literature, Nusantara Department Study Program Javanese Literature, Roman Department Study Program French Literature, Department of History Study Program History, Study Program Japanese Literature, and Study Program Korean. The Post-Graduate Program, which offers both Master (S2) and Doctorate (S3) Programs, is comprised of eight Study Programs, i.e. Anthropology, Archaeology, Linguistics, American Studies, Performance Arts and Fine Arts Studies, Literature, History, and Middle-East Studies. In addition, FIB UGM also manages a Indonesian culture and language learning program for foreign students, which is run through the Indonesian Culture and Language Learning Services (INCULS)