Campus Life

Living at RISD you’ll find inspiration, relaxation, fun and friends — in an energizing and supportive atmosphere that complements your creative explorations and makes your time here everything it was meant to be. The RISD experience is not just about long hours in the studios and classrooms, it’s also making connections with friends and classmates — over long meals or a quick cup of coffee, at group dinners or late at night in the dorm lounge.

Academic Calendar

The academic year is divided into Fall, Winter session and Spring semesters. Fall semester typically runs from mid-September through mid-December, with a break for Thanksgiving recess in late November. Students break again for holiday vacation around December 15 and return for Winter session around January 3. Winter session typically runs from January 3 through mid-February. Students then have a week-long winter break. Spring semester begins around the third week of February and runs through the end of May, with a week-long Spring Break at the end of March.

Undergraduate Studies

RISD offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (BFA), which is usually completed in four years of study. In addition, the college offers professional baccalaureate degrees, which require thirty credits beyond the BFA and are usually completed in an additional year of full-time study. These include the Bachelor of Architecture (BArch), Bachelor of Interior Architecture (BIA), Bachelor of Industrial Design (BID), and Bachelor of Graphic Design (BGD) degrees. Nearly all Architecture students complete the fifth year in order to obtain their first professional degree. 

Liberal Arts Foundation

RISD requires that students complete 42 credits in the liberal arts, constituting almost a third of the coursework toward the BFA. You are required to complete credits in English; History, Philosophy + Social Sciences (HPSS); and History of Art + Visual Culture. RISD also requires general liberal arts credits which may be fulfilled in any of these departments or in areas such as math, science or foreign language. Students can also choose a concentration in English (Literary Studies or Creative Writing), History of Art + Visual Culture or HPSS by focusing their liberal arts elective classes in one of those areas.
 

 

Visiting and Contact Information