Brescia encourages its students to explore and practice leadership. To support student development, Brescia has committed to seven core competencies. These include: communication, critical thinking, inquiry and analysis, problem solving, self-awareness and development, social awareness and engagement, and valuing. All Brescia graduates will be able to demonstrate these competencies, and thereby be ready to choose leadership.Academic programs are organized into four schools: Humanities, Food and Nutritional Sciences, Behavioural and Social Sciences, and Leadership and Social Change. While most programs are offered at the undergraduate level, Brescia does have a co-educational pre-university program (Preliminary Year), a graduate degree in Nutrition and a number of post-degree diploma programs.

Faculty members are engaged in groundbreaking independent research and collaborative projects at both Brescia and at Western University. Across disciplines, students are encouraged to assist faculty with their research through a work-study program. Faculty engage students in meeting their research objectives while providing them with interesting working opportunities.