The Brown Graduate School awards master's degrees in the listed programs as terminal degrees or during ordinary progress toward a Ph.D. There is no provision for working for any master's degree outside of established programs. The minimum requirements for a master's degree are admission to the program and eight graduate-level courses, successfully completed. Individual departments and programs may have additional requirements regarding the number of required courses, proficiency in foreign languages, special examinations, and theses. All work to be used in fulfillment of the requirements for a master's degree must be completed within a period of five years.

Graduate work done in graduate residence at other institutions and not used in fulfillment of the requirements for a degree may be offered in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master's degree, provided it is approved by the department or program and by the Registrar. Specifically, one post-graduate course may be transferred to an 8-course master's program; two courses may be transferred to a 14-course or greater master's degree.

If a faculty member working with a master's student leaves Brown for any reason before that student has completed his or her degree requirements, it may not always be possible for that faculty member to continue working with the student as an advisor. In such cases, departments will work with students to help them locate a new advisor.