RISD|CE offers six certificate programs for young adults. Students uncertain about committing to an entire certificate program may wait up to one year before declaring their intent and paying the $25 per semester fee retroactively. Courses may also be taken on an individual basis without enrolling in a certificate program. Students who have taken any of the required courses in the past year and whose instructor attests to their satisfactory completion of said course(s), going back no further than the fall 2007 semester, can have those courses applied to their transcripts if they apply for candidacy by September 2008. Please note that courses applied to a certificate program retroactively are assigned a “P” or passing. Letter grades are only assigned to courses that apply to the program and that are taken after a student has declared candidacy. For more information, please call 401 454-6200.

>> download young artist certificate application

Certificate Program in Animation (YA)
RISD|CE's certificate program in animation gives students a glimpse of the industry and art that surround the study of animation. Participants in this program practice the craft with authentic tools and techniques that are both traditional (pencil and paper) and cutting edge (3D modeling software). Using these methods they create exceptional frame-by-frame movies that result from their study of figure drawing, character design, movement, storytelling, modeling, texturing and lighting. In order to earn the RISD|CE Certificate in Animation, students must complete five of the following courses within three years.

• Start Cartooning*
• Fundamentals of Drawing*
• Digital Drawing Board*
• Introduction to Figure Drawing*
• Design Fundamentals from A to Z*
• 3D Modeling with Maya*
• Unreal Game Design*
• Maya Movement + Character Creation*
• Drawing for Animation
• Giant Robot*
• Animaking the Music Video*
• Pixel Painter*
• Animesthetic: Beyond Anime + Manga*
• Comic Book Creator*
• Drawing Space Fantasy*

* These courses are offered this semester.

Certificate Program in Comic Art (YC)
Comic books blend words and pictures, but it takes skill and practice to create this unique art form. This certificate program begins with foundation courses in drawing and illustration, which facilitate the development of the creative imagination. As they advance, participants will learn to develop their own narratives and to render them as unique works of sequential art. Successful students complete the program with fine-tuned artistic literacy and original comic pages for their portfolio. In order to earn the RISD|CE Certificate in Comic Art, students must complete five of the following courses within three years:

• Start Cartooning*
• Fundamentals of Drawing*
• Digital Drawing Board*
• Introduction to Figure Drawing*
• Design Fundamentals from A to Z*
• 3D Modeling with Maya*
• Maya Movement + Character Creation*
• Loving Letters
• Web Comics
• Comic Book Creator*
• Giant Robot*
• Pixel Painter*
• Animesthetic: Beyond Anime + Manga*
• Drawing Space Fantasy*

* These courses are offered this semester.

Certificate Program in Fashion Design (YF)
RISD has a great reputation for producing up-and-coming fashion designers and likewise, RISD|CE strives to make the world of apparel accessible to a younger audience. This certificate program encompasses five courses that include instruction in design and sketching techniques as well as the basics of patternmaking, drafting, construction, sewing techniques and even fashion photography. Taken together, these courses assist students in the development of critical skills and techniques required for future study of any aspect of fashion design, and in the assembly of a strong design portfolio. In order to earn the RISD|CE Certificate in Fashion Design, students must complete five of the following courses within three years:

• Introduction to Figure Drawing*
• Young Fashion Designers:A Runway to Success*
• Young Fashion Designers: Creative Constructions*
• Fashion Photography*
• Fashion Illustration*
• Designing for the Red Carpet: A Celebrity Fashion Riot
• The Clothing Designer’s Path to Pursuing Personal Style*
• Fresh Fashion: Exploring Innovative Materials*
• Fashion Forward: Design the Next Hot Trend
• Digital Fashion Studio

* These courses are offered this semester.

Certificate Program in Game Design (YG)
RISD|CEÕs certificate program in game design teaches students the techniques and design principles required to create their own virtual worlds. Students in the program use industry-standard tools to create the user interface and modeling of complex imagined virtual realities -- including fully animated characters and detailed, multi-level environments -- all the while exploring such topics as character design, animation, texturing, lighting, level building and scripting. As the multi-billion dollar video game industry continues to grow, opportunities for game artists and designers are at an all-time high. In order to earn the RISD|CE Certificate in Game Design, students must complete five of the following courses within three years:

• Fundamentals of Drawing*
• Digital Drawing Board*
• 3D Modeling with Maya*
• Character Animation
• Computer Animation*
• Drawing for Animation
• Flash Graphics
• Unreal Game Design*
• Heroes in Space
• Basic Game Design with Flash
• Giant Robot*
• Animaking the Music Video*
• Maya Movement + Character Creation*
• Pixel Painter*
• Animesthetic: Beyond Anime + Manga*
• Comic Book Creator*
• Lights, Camera, Action: Editing Digital Movies*

*These courses are offered this semester.

Certificate Program in Photography (PH)
RISD|CE has long offered a number of creative photography courses in our Young Artist Program, and many of our students have been honored with Rhode Island Scholastic Art Awards for their photographs and portfolios. As a next step, we offer this five-course certificate program for students considering pursuing advanced studies and/or a future career in photography. In addition to traditional photography techniques, topics in the areas of digital photography and computer design prepare students for the innovative new frontiers of this exciting art form. Courses also focus on developing skills and techniques that assist young artists in building a comprehensive body of work for professional-looking portfolios. In order to earn the RISD|CE Certificate in Photography, students must complete five of the following courses within three years:

• Introduction to Black-and-White Photography*
• Color Photography without a Darkroom
• Introduction to Digital Photography*
• Digital Drawing Board*
• Advanced Digital Photography
• Beyond the Darkroom
• Fashion Photography*
• Black-and-White Photography II: Beyond the Basics*
• Digital Lighting Studio*

*These courses are offered this semester.

Certificate Program in Art School Preparation (AT)
It is never too early to begin the intensive preparation necessary to create a first-rate high school portfolio. Our Art School Preparation Certificate Program is designed for students interested in a future in visual art or design, and is intended to supplement (not replace) a traditional high school art program by making more advanced courses available. It focuses on developing skills and techniques in drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking and/or graphics through challenging projects that prepare students for the highly competitive world of art and design. In order to earn the RISD|CE Certificate in Art School Preparation, students must complete one course in each of the following five categories within three years (Note: Students may substitute one requirement with a course from another Young Adult Certificate Program):

GENERAL STUDIO + ART HISTORY

• Art Studio*
• Art from Art
• Rebel Art: Voice of the People*

DRAWING STUDIOS

• Fundamentals of Drawing*
• Introduction to Figure Drawing*
• The Art of Ideas
• Fashion Illustration*
• Sculptural Drawing *
• Figure Drawing II: Explorative Media

2D DESIGN STUDIOS

• Design Fundamentals from A to Z*
• Loving Letters
• Color Fever*
• Design Challenge

PAINTING STUDIOS

• Painting Studio*
• Watercolor Studio: Painting with Translucence

3D DESIGN STUDIOS

• Introduction to Sculpture*
• Ceramic Sculpture*
• Carving Soapstone

*These courses are offered this semester.