The College

Choose a Focus

An academic concentration is the focal point of your undergraduate educational experience at Brown. It is an in-depth study centering on a discipline or disciplines, a problem or a theme, or a broad question.

Concentrations aid intellectual development by prompting conceptual and methodological study in sophisticated ways so that you gain command of an area of knowledge.

You must declare a concentration online using Advising Sidekick (ASK) no later than the middle of your fourth semester (usually spring semester of sophomore year). You must have an approved concentration in order to pre-register for the fifth semester. If you are a transfer student entering Brown with fourth- or fifth-semester standing, you must declare a concentration in your first term at Brown.

The concentration declaration functions as a kind of contract, and it is your responsibility to ensure that it has been approved prior to the deadline. Once the declaration has been approved, the departmental concentration advisor will become your academic advisor for the remainder of your time at Brown. You are strongly encouraged to update the course plan in your concentration declaration at least once in your junior year and once in your senior year to facilitate your degree clearance in your final semester and to consult your advisor should you have any questions about requirements or course options that will support your interests and learning goals.

Brown offers nearly 80 concentrations in a range of academic departments and interdisciplinary areas of study, so students have a wealth of options at their disposal.
Most students find that studying in-depth in one area allows them to maximize their opportunities for both academic rigor and choice. However, you may also choose to focus your studies in two specific areas.