The School of Graduate Studies and Research is constituted to administer the policies of the Senate of Queen's University as they pertain to graduate studies. The School embraces all the departments and interdisciplinary schools that offer graduate programs except the MBA program in the School of Business. These departments are grouped into five Divisions that govern the academic programs of the graduate students in the related departments.

Membership of the School includes all faculty members engaged in teaching and supervision of graduate students. The representative body of the membership is the Council of the School. The Council is responsible for setting the policies for the School as recommended by the Divisions and by the two standing committees of Council, the Steering Committee and the Fellowship Committee.  The Office of the Graduate School is responsible for the implementation of the Council's policies and the coordination of the admission and degree programs with the departments.