The General Board of Studies was composed of academic staff and was responsible for the University's academic policy. This encompassed degree regulations, curriculum and syllabus matters, admissions to degree courses, examinations and award of degrees. The Board did not have competence in certain areas such as academic staff appointments and promotions, or research, which were the responsibility of the constituent colleges. A number of departmental boards were appointed for subject areas, and these reported to the General Board (there were at various times boards for medicine, languages, history and philosophy, maths and engineering, experimental science, biology, law and music).
Minutes are signed and indexed. Minutes were printed from 1888.