The FFCLRP was created by a decree of the State Government of São Paulo in October 1959, and its first activities began in March 1964. The official and definitive authorization came two years later, with a second governmental decree published in May 1966. Eventually, it was incorporated into the University of São Paulo in 1974. The Biology, Psychology and Chemistry courses began in 1964, with the collaboration of the Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, one of the medical schools of the University of São Paulo. The FMRP provided not only rooms for the operation of the courses, but mainly staff and professors. The first director of the FFCLRP was a medical professor, Dr. Lucien Lison. Later, the FFCLRP built its own premises in Ribeirão Preto, which currently occupy an area of 40.499.59 m². Two characteristics were noteworthy at the beginning of the FFCLRP activities: the Propedeutic Cycle and the Course Conclusion Monograph. The Propedeutic Cycle was a one-year course comprising academic disciplines common to all courses. At the end of this cycle, each student should choose their respective area of specialty. Already at that time there was a concern with the basic interdisciplinary training of students, which would have a strong influence on their future research work. The students' preparation for scientific research was the second outstanding characteristic of the FFCLRP. Until 1971, students were required to develop research guided by one of the school professors. The results of these guided research acitivies were presented in the form of a monograph. Although the monograph was extinguished from the curricular structure as of 1972, the departments of Biology and Psychology and Education still maintain it as a requirement for the awarding of bachelor's or licentiate's degrees. In the Chemistry Department, the monograph was replaced by a 240-hour compulsory internship. In 2010, the University Council of the University of São Paulo approved the restructuring of the Departments of the FFCLRP, which included the incorporation of the Department of Music, adding to a total of seven departments.
Currently, the FFCLRP comprises seven departments: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science and Mathematics, Education, Information and Communication, Music, Psychology, and Physics. These Departments award bachelor's and licenciate degrees in Biology, Psychology, Pedagogy and Chemistry, as well as Information and Documentation, Medical Physics, Biomedical Informatics, Mathematics applied to Business, Technological Chemistry, Biotechnology and Agroindustry, Chemistry, Forensic Chemistry, Psychology, Artistic Education, and Music.
