RISD Undergraduate Degrees

Sculpture at RISD prepares you to think independently and critically, to gain a command of the technical processes inherent to sculpture as a means of realizing your ideas and to develop a true understanding of sculptural issues. It is about the growth of the individual as a creative person – about enabling you to realize strong conceptual ideas through the informed use of materials and the physical process of making.

Based around a hub of core undergraduate and graduate studios, the Sculpture Department offers students opportunities to enhance and inform their ongoing work with an array of workshops, intensives, electives and seminars. Throughout the program of study, you are guided and challenged by a committed faculty, and exposed to a wide range of work and philosophies by visiting artists, critics and an active community of peers. The curriculum is further enriched by RISD's fortuitous location between Boston and New York, affording students ready access to museums, galleries, performances and other culturally rich opportunities.

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• Sophomore Studio I + II (fall/spring)
• Wood and Metal Shop Practice (fall)
• Figure Modeling or Casting Studio (fall)
• Drawing in the Third Dimension (spring)
• Surveying 20th-Century Sculpture (spring)
• Liberal Arts electives (fall/spring)
• Wintersession course (winter)

Sophomores
During the sophomore year, courses focus on such skills as wood and metal fabrication, casting, drawing and figure modeling. These classes emphasize conceptual and technical development, which are also important in each subsequent year.

• Junior Studio I + II (fall/spring)
• Metal Studio or Casting Studio (fall)
• Junior Sculpture Seminar (spring)
• Non-major electives (fall/spring)
• Liberal Arts electives (fall/spring)
• Wintersession course (winter)

Juniors
As a junior, you begin to identify areas for serious conceptual and technical investigation, supported by greater choice of electives such as robotics, advanced fabrication methods and a seminar in contemporary sculpture issues.

• Senior Studio I (fall)
• Senior Thesis Studio elective (fall)
• Sculpture Thesis Project (spring)
• Non-major electives (fall/spring)
• Liberal Arts electives (fall/spring)
• Wintersession course (winter)

Seniors
During senior year, you become increasingly self-directed, delving into your research methodology and integrating conceptual concerns with technical skills. Your final semester culminates in a thesis and degree project that articulates the central concerns of your work.