School of Foreign Languages (SFL), Peking University, was established in June 1999. The origin of SFL, however, dates back to the establishment of Jing Shi Tong Wen Guan (Capital School of Foreign Languages) in 1862, when the government of the Qing Dynasty, under the pressure of the time, began to launch modern industries and establish modern schools and colleges. The school was later (in 1902) incorporated into Jing Shi Da Xue Tang (Capital University), founded in 1898, as a component of the latter's Department of Foreign Languages. In 1919, Peking University abolished the School of Liberal Arts, School of Science, and School of Law, and began to "replace schools with departments". Departments such as English Literature, French Literature, German Literature, and Russian Literature were established. Peking University's foreign language discipline has gradually become an important subject of modern universities. Over the past 160 years, Peking University's foreign language discipline has shouldered the burden of history, and strived to open up new frontiers in academic research, thus forming its excellent tradition and distinctive features. In 1999, Peking University's foreign language departments were integrated into the School of Foreign Languages, which opened a new chapter in the development of foreign language discipline.SFL, traditionally strong in literary studies, has come to cover a wide range of fields and disciplines in the humanities in its research and curricula, which encompass literature, linguistics, cultural studies, regional studies, foreign religions, and ancient civilizations. SFL offers Bachelor's, Master's (including Master of Professional Studies), and Doctor's degrees, along with post-doctoral positions. For years, a large number of graduates from SFL have played prominent roles in the society, either as renowned scholars in academia or competent professionals in various fields and occupations.

As making efforts to open courses in more languages and break into new research areas, SFL keeps aiming high in its teaching and research work for more influential and positive social effect.

SFL welcomes student applicants both abroad and at home; it also desires competent scholars in the field of foreign languages and literatures from all over the world.