The most famous aspect of Brown is its Open Curriculum which refers to the absence of restrictions or specifications on the courses that students take. The only curricular requirements for graduation are: all students must successfully complete at least 30 courses in eight semesters; they must complete at least one concentration program (a.k.a courses in a Major); and fulfill a writing requirement (at least one approved writing course in the first two years, and one in second two years). Although there are no core courses/GIRs, within concentrations (majors) students must fulfill sets of required courses to in order to receive B.A.s or Sc.B.s. For example, the average number of required courses for an Sc.B. in Engineering is 21, and engineering students must complete a set of courses in the Engineering Core (regardless of their desired area of specialization).
Students declare their majors in the spring of their sophomore year.
Location: Providence, Rhode Island
Freshman Enrolled Each Year: ~1,600*
Total Students: ~9,480
Undergraduate Students: ~6,580
Graduate & Professional Students: ~2,800
Faculty: ~758
Institution Category: Private, Ivy League
For additional information, see Brown Facts
The following are noteworthy programs that differ from MIT practices. Unless otherwise stated, assumptions should not be made about the effectiveness of these programs.
Brown assigns each incoming first-year student two advisors: an academic advisor who is a Brown faculty member or administrator, and a Meiklejohn peer advisor. The Academic Advisor provides an institutional perspective on educational and academic options, while the peer advisor offers a student perspective on course registration, work-load, course logistics, and general aspects of student life at Brown.
Interested upperclass students must apply to be peer advisors in the Meiklejohn program. The application includes a reflective essay that describes the prospective Meikeljohn's motivation for participation in the program, along with a letter of recommendation from a faculty member or administrator. New Meiklejohns must attend a mandatory training session in the fall prior to First-Year Orientation. There are approximately 350 Meiklejohn peer advisors, annually.
Some first-year Academic Advisors also teach small, seminar courses as part of the Curricular Advising Program (CAP). Any Brown student – at any stage of their Brown experience - may enroll in a CAP course taught by their advisor. Incoming first-year students indicate their interest in enrolling in a CAP course prior to their arrival on campus in the fall. CAP course assignments are made through a lottery system.
In addition, first-year students are encouraged to complete an online workshop on the first year at Brown before arriving on campus in the fall. The goal of the workshop is to introduce students to the advising system and to help them navigate Brown’s Open Curriculum. The online workshop is available through Canvas, Brown’s learning management system.
Project 2021 is a year-long, career program that connects first-year students with professional career counsellors and peer advisors. It is designed to expose students to the career-related resources they'll need during their time at Brown, and beyond.
First Readings: Before arriving on campus in the fall, all incoming undergraduates are expected to read a common text which is chosen because of its relevance to the undergraduate academic experience, and to University-life in general. In addition to reading the text, each new student prepares a short-response paper which includes their critical reflection on the reading. Students meet in small groups, during orientation to discuss the reading and their reflections. The group discussions are facilitated by faculty members or administrators, and give students opportunities for new students to meet their some of their peers. The 2017 First Reading was, The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra. Previous readings include: The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander, and Beautiful Souls by Eyal Press.
Similar to the practices at many other colleges and universities (but different from MIT), first-year students at Brown live in "units" of 40 to 80 students in one of three areas on campus. Each unit is assigned several peer counselors (residential advisors) who provide general support, advice and guidance for students in their first year.
In addition to CAP Advising Seminars (see above) for all undergraduates, Brown offers ~ 90 First-Year Seminars annually on wide range of subjects. First-year students select seminars and are assigned through a lottery. Seminar size is limited to 20 students. The seminars provide opportunities for students to receive regular, personal and specific feedback on their work, and to engage in informal, often long-term mentoring relationships with their seminar faculty.
Although Brown offers a variety of standard study-abroad opportunities for students (see Other Programs, below), the Global Independent Student Program (GLISP) is particularly noteworthy. Each student works with a faculty sponsor to develop a course (including a syllabus and desired outcomes) along with a proposal for an associated, independent research project in an international location. After successful completion of the project (1-semester, or 1-year) they receive course-credit for their experience. A list of past GLISP course titles can be found here, descriptions of student projects can be found in this Brown Daily Herald article.
During the first two weeks of the term, Brown students can "shop" courses to decide which they would like to enroll in.
The following programs are structured and implemented in a manner similar to those at MIT.
Information and advice on internships for all students is available through CareerLab.
Brown’s Orientation Program runs for 4 days before classes start in the fall.
In addition, Brown offers 5 Pre-orientation Programs that run from 5 days to 1 week.
Swearer Center coordinates and manages service- and community-based learning opportunities at Brown.
Similar to the UROP at MIT, Brown provide students with opportunities to engage in independent research projects through the Undergraduate Teaching and Research Awards (UTRA). Students may participate during the semester or summer.
Students (in particular, those in the Humanities and Social Sciences) can engage in independent research abroad through the Global Independent Student Program (GLISP) (see description under Programs of Note - Global Learning, above).
Students must show English writing proficiency by successfully completing at least one approved writing-intensive course in first two years, and one in second two years of their study at Brown.
* All student data refer to full-time students, only.