Many of the GTU's constituent seminaries were established at various locations throughout the Bay Area in the early 20th or even the late 19th centuries.

In the 1970s, construction began on a Louis I. Kahn-designed building to house the GTU library.

Traditionally, deans have held the John Dillenberger Professorship in their general field of specialization.

The current dean, Uriah Y. Kim, is the John Dillenberger Professor of Biblical Studies.

Ph.D. students are encouraged not only to take advantage of the academic resources available to them at the University of California at Berkeley, but are also required to include a non-GTU scholar in their exams or dissertation committees.

As such, students have collaborated with UCB faculty members in the anthropology, critical theory, ethnic studies, history, philosophy, sociology, etc.

There are four doctoral departments, with more than 30 concentrations, encompassing the breadth of religious and theological scholarship at the GTU.

Only Ph.D. students have unrestricted access to registering for UCB classes (subject to approval of course instructors).

Although faculty members are employed at their respective seminaries and centers, they commit to supervising doctoral and masters students, as well as occasionally teaching advanced GTU-wide courses.

Former faculty members include Naomi Seidman, Daniel C. Matt, David Alexander, John Dillenberger, and Roy I.