Like all of Brown's fine departments, the Philosophy Department takes a special pleasure in contributing to the teaching and training of undergraduates, as part of Brown's overall commitment to a liberal education. The Department offers a range of courses suited to newcomers to philosophy, covering subjects from the philosophy of religion, to the philosophy of science, to the philosophy of literature, as well as survey courses on various periods of the history of philosophy.

For undergraduates with a deeper interest in the subject, there are programs leading to the A.B. degree, the A.B. degree with honors, and the combined A.B.-M.A. degrees. As well as the standard philosophy concentration, there is an interdisciplinary concentration in Physics and Philosophy. The standard concentration also encourages an inter-disciplinary approach by allowing students to apply related courses in other departments towards the fulfillment of their concentration requirements. The requirements also allow ample room for concentrators to pursue their individual interests, as these develop.

The Philosophy Department also houses a Ph.D. progam. Brown has been traditionally strong in epistemology, philosophy of mind, metaphysics, ethics, and history of philosophy, and is currently also strong in political philosophy and in aesthetics.