The Department of Persian Language and Literature is one of the oldest departments of University of Tehran which has trained great students since 1934. The department started its activity even before this date, namely when Central College of Teachers (later called Higher College) was established in 1917. Thus, this department is the oldest educational group in Iran to teach Persian Language and Literature to university students. Up to 1958 was located in the Higher College an then it was moved to the main campus of the university. In September of 1942 the first Ph.D. graduate and the first Doctor of Persian Literature, Dr. Mohamad Moein, graduated from the department. He later started to work in the department as a professor in the board of "Research on Literary Texts."

Before and after him great professors have taught in the department. Here are some of them:

1. Mohammad-Taqi Bahar: a great poet of Qajar dynasty whose famous pamphlet for stylistics course edited many ancient works and is still being used
2. Badiozzaman Forouzanfar: one of the greatest contemporary scholars of literature who trained many students and whose works on the history of Persian literature and mystical literature, especially Rumi's literature, is still being referenced.
3. Ibrahim Pourdavoud: an expert on Avsta, the first translator of it into Persian, and Ancient Iran's culture and Avesta teacher
4. Saeed Nafisi: a great contemporary writer who published many valuable works
5. Sadeq Rezazadeh Shafaq: one of the activists of Qajar dynasty and Ph.D. graduate of University of Berlin who taught history of Persian literature
6. Mohamad-Taqi Modares Razavi: editor of Sanai's works and Anvari's Diwan.
7. Abdul Azim Qarib: teacher of Persian Grammar and ancient texts like Kalila and Demna
8. Gholamreza Rashid-Yasemi: editor and poet
9. Jalaluddin Homaei: edited Abu Rayhan Al-Biruni's Al-Tafhim
10. Mojtaba Minovi: great scientist and literary critic
11. Parviz Natel-Khanlari: Minister of Culture and grammarian
12. Zabihollah Safa: a regular contributor to the Encyclopaedia Iranica
13. Mohammad-Amin Riahi: Minister of Culture and editor
14. Mehdi Hamidi Shirazi: great contemporary poet
15. Lotfali Suratgar: teacher of English and literary criticism
16. Khalil Khatib: teacher of literary texts
17. Abdolhossein Zarrinkoob:literary critic and writer
18. Mohammad-Ali Eslami Nodooshan: contemporary writer
19. Amir Banoo Karimi: teacher of literary texts
20. Mozafar Bakhtiar: teacher of literary texts
21. Jafar Shahidi: translator of Nahj al-Balagha and President and Editor-in-Chief of Dehkhoda Dictionary Institute
22. Mozaher Mosaffa: poet and teacher
23. Mohammad-Reza Shafiei Kadkani: poet, editor, and writer of mystical literary works
24. Qeysar Aminpour: contemporary poet