RISD Undergraduate Degrees

RISD distinguishes itself among art schools by emphasizing the value of liberal arts studies as a complement to studio work. A firm grounding in the liberal arts will give you, among others things, a confident grasp of historical, cultural and social contexts; a strong critical vocabulary; skill in creative research; and an improved ability to express yourself in speaking and writing.

To graduate, students are required to complete 14 three-credit courses in Liberal Arts: three courses in English (9 credits), four courses in the History of Art and Visual Culture (12 credits), three courses in History, Philosophy and the Social Sciences (9 credits), and four additional courses (12 credits) in any of the three departments or in special divisional electives that fall outside those departments.

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ENGLISH OVERVIEW

The Department of English offers a wide range of courses in literature, literary and cultural theory and various forms of writing, emphasizing the connections between reading and writing and our broader political, historical and cultural contexts. Most classes are based on discussion rather than lectures. Courses include both traditional and unconventional approaches to British and American literature, along with those incorporating world literature and examining the dialogue among diverse literary traditions. Many explicitly invite thinking about literature in terms of other disciplines, including courses in the following areas: Eco-Theory and Environment Studies, Gender and Sexuality, Literature and Visual Culture/Popular Culture, Literary/Critical Theory, Postcolonial Cultures and Literatures, and Race and Ethnicity.

OPTIONAL CONCENTRATION IN ENGLISH

At any point during your time at RISD, you may sign up for the optional Concentration in English (9 courses/27 credits), an opportunity to pursue more deeply your interests in literature and writing. The concentration allows you to shape your own program of study, whether you want to take as many different types of English courses as possible, or focus on one particular area. You can concentrate on developing integrative work in text and image or performance, on investigating cultural and aesthetic concepts and issues, or on creating a body of work in fiction, poetry or nonfiction.

• 1 course (3 credits): E101: Literature Seminar: Design in Words or an
approved equivalent
• 1 course (3 credits): Contemporary Critical Theory or an approved
equivalent
• 1 course (3 credits): Seminar in Literature or Creative Writing
• 6 courses (18 credits): English electives

SELECTED COURSES

Postcolonial Literature 2: Ireland,
Asia, and the Pacific
Seminar: Chester Himes
Seminar: Joyce, Synge, Yeats, and
their Antecedents
Seminar: Metaphor
Seminar: Novels that Long to Be You
Shakespeare
Thingamajigirl: Objects, Humans,
Femininity
Visual Poetry

After Hollywood: Cinema in the 1970s
The Bible as Narrative Art
Blake and Hogarth
The Canterbury Tales
Contemporary Ecological Fictions
Epic
Fiction Writing Workshop
Poetry Writing Workshop
Postcolonial Literatures 1: Africa and
the Americas