The UAB Philosophy Department offers courses covering a broad spectrum. Courses are taught in the history of Western philosophy, ethical theory, applied ethics including bioethics, social and political thought, legal philosophy, philosophy of science, epistemology and metaphysics, and Continental philosophy. A particularly prominent focus in the department embraces a variety of areas within philosophy of science, including social sciences, cognitive science and neuroscience, biology, climate ethics, and others. The department's Center for Ethics and Values in the Sciences is especially supportive of research and teaching concerning ethical issues in the practice of science, and sponsors workshops and conferences for faculty and students.

Faculty research, which is both theoretical and practical, covers many of the areas identified above. Members of the Department of Philosophy publish widely in leading journals in philosophy and in other fields related to their research, bringing the knowledge gained from interaction with philosophical and other intellectual communities into the classroom. 

The Department has had a long-standing interest in ethics, which continues with a focus on moral psychology and bioethics. The Department sponsors an Ethics Bowl team, which won the national championship in 2010 and the national Bioethics Bowl championship in 2011. Another focus of the Department is in social, political, and legal thought. Available within the major in Philosophy is a concentration in Philosophy, Politics, and Economy, bringing together coursework in philosophy, political science, and economics. There is also a minor in Philosophy and Law.