Academics
Undergraduate study
First-year program
Liberal Arts departments
Graduate study
Degree programs
- Architecture
- Ceramics
- Design Engineering
- Digital + Media
- Furniture Design
- Glass
- Global Arts and Cultures
- Graphic Design
- Illustration
- Industrial Design
- Interior Architecture
- Jewelry + Metalsmithing
- Landscape Architecture
- Nature–Culture–Sustainability Studies
- Painting
- Photography
- Printmaking
- Sculpture
- Teaching + Learning in Art + Design
- Textiles
Certificates and concentrations
Founded in 1877, RISD stands out among the world’s preeminent colleges of art and design. Its community of critical thinkers and makers shares a belief in the value of hands-on learning, experimentation and an ever-evolving approach to an immersive, discipline-based studio education reinforced by studies in the liberal arts.
Exceptional academic resources
RISD Museum
Students appreciate direct access to lectures, concerts, screenings and a rich collection of more than 90,000 works of fine art, design and decorative arts from around the world at this popular regional destination.
Fleet Library at RISD
With more than 150,000 circulating books, RISD’s library offers a wide range of specialized resources in art, design, architecture and more in a beautifully redesigned historic grand banking hall.
Co-Works Research Lab
At this interdisciplinary research space, students and faculty make use of advanced tools and processes to experiment, explore materials and engage in innovative collaborations.
Color Lab
Hosting an impressive collection of creative materials and research objects, this interdisciplinary space provides students and faculty with essential resources for investigating the significance of color across all art and design fields.
Nature Lab
Through state-of-the-art imaging systems and unmediated access to more than 80,000 specimens, students explore design in nature and the symbiosis between artistic and scientific research.
Center for Arts & Language
Students interested in honing their writing skills for academic papers and professional development find peer tutoring and other welcomed support outside a classroom setting.
Gelman Student Gallery
Students are invited to propose and curate group shows for this vibrant gallery, which is ideally located at the entrance to the RISD Museum.
Sol Koffler Graduate Student Gallery
As RISD’s primary venue for exhibiting graduate student work, this inviting space downtown hosts a series of ever-changing exhibitions throughout the academic year.
Woods-Gerry Gallery
Activating the first floor of an iconic 19th-century mansion at the crest of College Hill, RISD’s original student gallery is now the primary venue for exhibiting undergraduate work.