WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A CANDIDATE?
We are looking for candidates who demonstrate a solid working knowledge (both technical and critical) of their medium(s), have produced a coherent body of visual work and show future promise. It is very helpful if applicants can demonstrate in their materials some working familiarity with contemporary art and ideas, through both their work and their articulation of their interests as artists.

IS THERE A "RISD STYLE" OF WORK THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR?
No. We are not so much concerned with issues of a particular style or technique as we are with the creative and imaginative approaches to visual and critical problem solving. We believe that “style” or form evolves from the particular set of issues an artist engages. One person may choose video as the best medium to visualize an idea; another might construct a website, while still others might make a series of images, create a site-specific installation or invent new exhibition paradigms altogether. There is no single “RISD look” to the work of our graduate students or to the work of our faculty; rather, there is a diversity of approaches tailored to individual goals.

WHO EVALUATES APPLICATIONS TO THE GRADUATE PROGRAM IN PHOTOGRAPHY?
Full-time faculty in the Photography Department review applicants’ materials together, as a group. Current graduate students participate in the first round of viewing. After initial viewing, the full-time faculty meet again to review the top candidates’ portfolios and read applications materials, including artists’ statements and letters of recommendation. At the conclusion of that meeting, a list of accepted and wait-listed candidates is established.

WILL IT BE DETRIMENTAL TO MY APPLICATION CHANCES IF I HAVE NOT VISITED THE CAMPUS OR ATTENDED ONE OF THE OPEN HOUSES?
The success of your application is not dependent in any way on a campus visit or personal contact. We encourage attendance at the RISD “In Focus” open houses as information-gathering opportunities for more informed decision-making about whether RISD is the right choice for you.

HOW MANY APPLICATIONS TO THE GRADUATE PROGRAM IN PHOTOGRAPHY DO YOU RECEIVE EACH YEAR AND HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE ADMITTED?
We generally receive about 200 applications each year for seven openings. Our current facilities and staffing only permit us to admit up to seven students a year.

MUST I REMAIN IN RESIDENCE AT RISD FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS WHILE FULLFILLING THE MFA PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS?
Yes, we require that students be in residence at RISD for two consecutive years. The program is very intensive and peer-oriented, which means that exchanges and relationships among graduate students and faculty during those two years form a crucial component of the graduate experience.

WHAT PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA DO YOU USE IN EVALUATING APPLICATIONS?
Of all the components of the application for admittance, documentation of the applicant’s visual work is, without doubt, the most important. In the initial round of application review, we only look at applicants’ visual materials. Those candidates who remain in the applicant pool after this round will have the rest of their applications carefully reviewed, including personal statements, transcripts, and letters of reference. This second round of review yields a ranked list of admissible candidates. The accepted candidates are contacted immediately and if any of these individuals decides not to matriculate, we contact those on the wait list in ranked order.

I DIDN’T GO TO ART SCHOOL. WILL THIS HURT MY CHANCES OF ADMISSION TO RISD’S GRADUATE PROGRAM?
Not at all. Our graduate students come from all kinds of educational backgrounds, including four-year colleges, universities, art schools and other pre-professional schools. It is not unusual for graduate students to have trained for other kinds of careers before deciding to return to graduate school to pursue their desire to be artists. However, the work of students who are accepted into the program is on par with those who have studied photography in undergraduate school.

IN ADDITION TO THE PORTFOLIO OF 20 IMAGES, MAY I ALSO SUBMIT VIDEOTAPES, CDS OR DVDS FOR MY PORTFOLIO?
Yes. We ask that applicants submit 20 digital files of their “stills” in a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation (on a CD), but applicants may also submit additional time-based media on CD or DVD if it is part of their primary form of expression. If applicants are unable to submit their work in a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation, they may submit a sheet of 35mm slides. Detailed portfolio instructions are available on the graduate Photography program fact sheet.

A further note about the portfolio: It cannot be stressed enough how important well-exposed and edited images are to a successful application. Emphasize the coherence of your work where your vision is demonstrated. Avoid a random sample of media and styles of expression. If text is important to your work, be sure that it can be read easily when projected. Consider using text in your presentation to provide more information about the work shown.

Will it be detrimental to my application chances if I only submit still images (or documentation of still images) and don’t have other kinds of visual material such as videos, CDs, etc.?
No. In fact, sending too much material that is not well selected and competently executed could be detrimental to the effectiveness of your application.


WHAT ARE MY CHANCES OF RECEIVING A PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARSHIP?
Roughly 35 to 40 eligible graduate students who have been admitted to RISD are nominated by their departments for Presidential Scholarships. From among them, twelve Presidential Scholars are selected by a committee of graduate program Coordinators, RISD’s Director of Multicultural Affairs and the Dean of Graduate Studies. Review criteria are the same as for departmental admissions; no additional material is required from applicants for this scholarship. RISD is dedicated to increasing the racial and ethnic diversity of its staff, faculty and student body to better reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of contemporary US society. This funding is intended as an incentive to those historically under-represented in the professions for which RISD prepares people to commit to careers as artists, designers, and educators

WHEN AND HOW WILL I BE NOTIFIED OF THE ACCEPTANCE OR REJECTION OF MY APPLICATION?
Accepted candidates will be notified by telephone and e-mail immediately after a decision has been made, sometime around mid March. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by formal letter from the RISD Admissions Office before the end of March. Slide and VHS tape materials will be returned under separate cover if you provided a SASE (CDs/DVDs are not returned). Candidates who have been wait-listed will be notified as such and will be admitted on a rolling basis as openings occur and until all available positions have been filled.

MAY I INQUIRE AS TO WHY MY APPLICATION WAS NOT ACCEPTED?
Unfortunately, it is not practical to provide individual applicants with specific reasons for not being accepted into the program. We review over 200 applications and have no mechanism for recording group discussions during the evaluation process. Consequently, we cannot provide any feedback about how your application fared in the process.