SHOULD I APPLY TO THE TWO-YEAR OR THREE-YEAR PROGRAM?
The two-year program is intended for students with an undergraduate background in graphic design — individuals with a BFA or BA in Graphic Design, or BFA or BA in Visual Communications (or the equivalent). Applicants to the two-year program typically also have at least two years of professional experience in the field.

These undergraduate degrees and their accompanying transcripts show us the applicant is versed in the entire range of study of graphic design: advanced typography, color theory, grids and systems, and the application of these skills across media (print, screen, motion, web, etc.). Their application portfolios usually include a mix of professional projects together with independent, self-generated work and examples of past student work.

The three-year program is for students who have visual/verbal aptitude and an interest in entering the field, but lack the academic background in graphic design that culminated in a related degree. It is possible that even without the degrees listed above an applicant has accrued enough classroom and professional experience to be competitive with those who earned undergraduate degrees in the field. Usually, however, even then the three-year candidate really needs to enter our preparatory first year to gain intensive skills in type, image, color, theory and design application over varying forms.

In our present group of three-year students, we have people with undergrad degrees in such fields as Computer Science, Literature, Fine Arts and Photography, Creative Writing and even in Neuroscience. All of their portfolios demonstrated visual skills through work that used visual and verbal language to make meaning — in personal websites; self-initiated book and magazine projects; posters for events; identity systems for themselves or small companies; and so on.

WHAT SHOULD I INCLUDE IN MY PORTFOLIO?
Your portfolio should by all means put your best and most complete work forward, which might even include three-dimensional work. Support it with working drawings, pages from your sketchbook —anything that shows you are able to “think through making.” Show drawings, prints and photographs that are good finished pieces, and some that are process pieces (as mentioned above). This shows a scope of visual engagement and lets us see the genesis of your solutions. We are looking for examples of your design sense, and while your typographic practice may be limited, we need to see some demonstration of your ability to give form to content through the use of visual language.

HOW SHOULD I FORMAT MY PORTFOLIO
Despite the program literature, slides are no longer the preferred format given newer digital options for submission. These include:

1) on disk, as individual tiffs or jpegs. Note: keep resolution appropriately small for on-screen or projected viewing (not larger than 2MB or so). Organize and sequence for viewing as a slideshow or in Preview.
2) on disk, in PowerPoint or Keynote self-running sequences
3) posted on a website; provide the URL with a disk submitted for backup

In all cases, be sure to:
· put your name on all your materials, including disks
· include a print-out of disk contents
· organize the work for our viewing (perhaps in folders for Print, Motion, Web, Student Projects, Professional Work and so on)
· provide a copy/backup disk as well
· provide hard copy of your work (in captioned thumbnail form, binder pages, as a book, etc.)
· also, be sure to give us a caption of what we are looking at: medium, date, etc., and any other brief description that helps us understand your work in context

WHERE CAN I FIND INFORMATION ABOUT THE APPLICATION PROCESS?
It’s possible to request a graduate catalog and apply online, here you will find details about tuition and financial aid.

CAN I VISIT RISD?
Yes. Information on graduate In Focus information sessions and campus tours is available online. Due to the volume of inquiries, it’s not possible to schedule individual meetings or portfolio reviews.

WHAT SCORES ARE REQUIRED ON THE GRE OR THE TOEFL TESTS?
The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required for admission to our program. However, if English is not your native language, you must submit results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum results accepted are 237 on the computer-based TOEFL, 93 on the internet-based TOEFL and 580 on the paper-based version.

CAN I APPLY FOR ADMISSION TO THE SPRING SEMESTER OR SUMMER SESSION?
Students in the Graphic Design MFA program matriculate each fall only, with no mid-year admissions. However, non-matriculated students have the opportunity to register for workshops and credit-bearing courses during the Summer Institute for Graphic Design Studies.