In the early days of the Daigaku-ryo, the regular course (Myogyodo) for the education of general government officials and Sando, for the education of technical government officials, were virtually the only ones in existence, but somewhere between 724 and 729, Ritsugaku hakase (later Myoho hakase) (professor of law, for the teaching of the Ritsuryo Code) and Monjo hakase (professor of literature. for the teaching of history) were established by separating from Myogyodo, subsequently becoming independent departments between 729 and 748; they would later evolve into Myobodo (study of Code) and Kidendo (study of the histories).
大学寮が設置された当初、一般官人を育てる本科（明経道）と技術官人を育てる算道しか事実上存在していなかったが、神亀年間に律令を教える律学博士（後の明法博士）と歴史を教える文章博士が明経道から分離する形で成立し、やがて天平年間に独立した学科となり、後の明法道・紀伝道へと発展することとなる。