The Faculty of Science to be a center of scientific and technological excellence nationally and internationally.

To develop honest, adaptable productive citizens; with multidisciplinary knowledge, creative thinking and analytical skills with a high degree of civic conscientiousness. To articulate and promote interaction with public and private sector and society at large, with the view to contributing towards the development of the nation. To institute mechanisms for partnership programs for improving resources and infrastructure facilities.

The Faculty of Science, which is clearly distinguished by its icon the University tower, was formed with the advent of the University College in Colombo in 1913. It continued in the same location with the establishment of the University of Ceylon in 1942. Though a section of the University moved to Peradeniya in 1949, the Faculty of Science continued in Colombo. The Faculty, in 1967, became a part of the University of Colombo, Ceylon, later re-named University of Ceylon, Colombo. In 1972 the Faculty came under the University of Sri Lanka, Colombo Campus and finally in 1978, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Presently the Faculty of Science has about 1529 undergraduate students and 371 postgraduate students, 102 academic staff and 104 other staff. The annual intake to the Faculty increased to 487 in 2007 with the introduction of two new streams, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Industrial Statistics & Mathematical Finance.

The Faculty consists of seven Departments of study – Chemistry, Mathematics, Nuclear Science, Physics, Plant Sciences, Statistics and Zoology and Environment Science, and conducts courses leading to the Bachelor of Science (03 years duration) and Bachelor of Science Honours (04 years duration). A comprehensive range of subject combinations are available for the general degree while special degree programs allow students to specialize in some of those subject areas. The Faculty together with the School of Computing of the University also offers several joint special degree programs.

The Faculty of Science conducts a number of postgraduate programs leading to the Master of Science degree and postgraduate diplomas. The Faculty also plays a very active role in research and there are many research students reading for PhD and MPhil degrees. Through the research programs the Faculty and the Departments have established strong links with both Sri Lankan and foreign research organizations. The members of the Faculty also play a prominent role in national development. Several members act as resource persons, consultants and board members in many government and non-government organizations.

The infrastructure of the Faculty developed greatly in the recent past, based on a well established development program. The program has resulted in new multi-storied buildings for the Departments of Chemistry, Physics, Plant Sciences and Zoology. The Department of Statistics shares a building with the University of Colombo School of Computing while Mathematics occupies the building annexed to the tower. The development plan also includes new buildings for Zoology, Mathematics and Statistics, extension to Plant Sciences, new Science Library Complex and the Canteen Complex.

Apart from the high reputation of the Faculty and the University the students also have many other advantages – the lively metropolitan location, a wide variety of campus clubs and societies and good facilities for sports. Further, the Faculty provides a learning environment devoid of unrest and violence. The latest published data indicate that Colombo science graduates are in very high demand among the employers. Hence, the Faculty of Science at Colombo occupies, without doubt, a pivotal position among the Science Faculties in Sri Lankan Universities.