Introduction of B.Sc. Honours course in Zoology in 1946 led to the inception of the Department of Zoology as a separate entity and since then the Department has shown remarkable progress over the years in teaching and research. M.Sc. course in Zoology was introduced in 1960 under the teaching Department of Utkal University which was functioning from the Zoology building. The Department of Zoology shifted to the present campus of Utkal University in 1973. Subsequently, an independent M.Sc. course began in 1981 in the erstwhile Ravenshaw College affiliated to Utkal University and became a full-fledged Department when Ravenshaw became a University in 2006. The interdisciplinary course of Public Health was introduced in collaboration with other science and humanities departments, namely, chemistry, economics, geography and sociology, in the year 2010. Life Science, M.Phil and Ph.D. program, was initiated in collaboration with the Department of Botany in 2014. At present, courses are offered in B.Sc. Honours and Electives in Zoology, M.Sc. in Zoology and Masters in Public Health. 

The Department is also engaged in research and teaching activities in Biochemistry and Biotechnology courses under the academic umbrella of the School of Life Science. This department has well developed infrastructure and sophisticated equipment for undertaking in-depth research in any branch of Integrative Biology. The Department offers Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Aquatic Biology specialization at the post-graduate level while research activities are centered around neuroscience, cancer biology, redox biology, stress biology, applied microbiology, OMICs studies, aquatic biology, and toxicology. Besides, as a partner in the Center of Excellence in Environment and Public Health, the Department’s faculty members are engaged in inter-disciplinary research in drug designing, nanotechnology, and bioprospecting. The department has been recognized by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India under FIST. The faculty members have developed research collaboration with national and international institutions of repute and are recipients of funding from UGC, DBT, DST, BRNS, MoEF and Cleveland Clinic Foundation, USA. The placements of our students both in India and abroad, reflect the excellent performance and success of the department in teaching and research.