Sophomore Advising

Overview

Sophomore year is your first in your selected major. During this year you will work with two assigned advisors—one in your major and the other from Liberal Arts.

Your degree program advisor will be assigned from the full-time faculty of your chosen department. This advisor may change as you progress through the program.

Your assigned Liberal Arts advisor is also a member of the division’s full-time faculty. If you elect a Liberal Arts concentration, you will also work with the department’s concentration coordinator. Please contact the Liberal Arts division coordinator for operations and administration if you have any questions about Liberal Arts requirements.

Advising in your major and in Liberal Arts runs from sophomore year through the end of your degree program. Your second and third years are especially important for ensuring steady progress toward meeting graduation requirements.

Stay in contact with your academic advisors to ensure that you are:

In your sophomore year you will typically take five classes per semester, with a mix of courses in your major and in Liberal Arts.

Please note that any changes you make to your course/credit load during the academic year may impact financial aid or visa status for international students.

Consult the academic calendar or click timeline links for dates and details.

To find your academic advisor, log into Workday with your RISD credentials and follow these steps.

Find your advisor in Workday

Sophomore-year timeline

September

  • Fall add/drop registration period—(first seven days of the semester, starting on the first day of classes; consult your advisor if you have questions about adding and/or dropping a class)
  • Start of required sophomore course sequence in your major

October

  • Mid-semester meeting with your major advisor and mapping out your major courses.
  • Mid-semester meeting with your Liberal Arts advisor to go over Liberal Arts requirements and courses
  • Concentration exploration: If you are interested in a Liberal Arts concentration and/or an interdisciplinary concentration, contact the respective concentration coordinator to discuss the curriculum and requirements
  • Deadline to resolve incomplete grades assigned in the previous spring semester (or summer)
  • Mid-semester warnings of unsatisfactory progress via RISD email—contact your advisor asap if you receive a warning
  • Mid-semester advisor check-in—schedule asap

November

January

  • Wintersession add/drop registration period—(first seven days of the semester, starting on the first day of classes; consult your advisor if you have questions about adding and/or dropping a class)

February

  • Spring add/drop registration period—(first seven days of the semester, starting on the first day of classes; consult your advisor if you have questions about adding and/or dropping a class)
  • Deadline to resolve incomplete grades assigned in the previous fall semester

March

April

  • Major and Liberal Arts advisor check-ins (schedule both asap)
  • Secondary major exploration: If you are interested in a secondary major, meet with your academic advisor and the department heads in your home department and the prospective secondary major department
  • Interdisciplinary Study Option (ISO) exploration: The ISO allows approved students to substitute 3-12 departmental credits with credits from outside their department. Meet with your advisor, your major department head, and the head of the department you're considering for an ISO
  • Liberal Arts advisor check-in
  • Course withdrawal period: During this period students may withdraw from a course and receive a "W" grade
  • Mid-semester warnings of unsatisfactory progress via RISD email—contact your advisor asap if you receive a warning