Commencement

For families and friends traveling from outside the US who require a visa, you will need an official letter of invitationfrom RISD. Graduating students should contact International Student and Scholar Affairs (ISSA) to begin the invitation process as soon as possible.

Airports

TF Green International Airport (PVD)
Warwick, RI (12 miles from Providence)

Our campus is about a 15-20 minute ride from Green Airport. You can find flight information at pvdairport.com or by calling 401 737-8222. Many local hotels offer shuttle service to and from the airport.

Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
Boston, MA (55 miles from Providence)

Depending on traffic, Logan airport is about a 1.5 hour drive to campus.

You can find flight information at massport.com/logan-airport and 800 23-LOGAN (800 235-6426).

Trains

Both Amtrak and the Massachusetts MBTA offer service to Providence. 

Amtrak

Schedules and fares can be found at amtrak.com or 800 USA-RAIL (800 872-7245).

MBTA

The MBTA’s Attleboro/Stoughton Line provides service between Providence and Boston. Schedules and fares can be found at mbta.com and 617 222-3200.

Buses

Peter Pan Bus Company

Daily express service to and from Green Airport in Warwick and Logan Airport in Boston. Also offers services to and from major metro areas such as Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. 

Schedules are available online or by calling 401 751-8800.

Greyhound 

Bus service to and from Providence to major metropolitan areas like Boston, New York and Washington, DC. 

Schedules and fares are available online or by calling 800 229-9424, 402 330-8552 (if you’re calling from abroad without toll-free access), 800 752-4841 (for assistance for passengers with disabilities) or 800 345-3109 (TDD).

Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) 

RIPTA provides local bus service for easy and inexpensive transportation within Rhode Island, including Providence/Newport ferries

Rental cars

If you are traveling by plane and need to reserve a rental car, you can find a list of rental services on the Green Airport and Logan Airport websites.

Ridesharing and car-sharing

On-demand transportation is available through Uber and Lyft, and at dozens of Zipcar locations on or near campus.

RISD shuttle service

Guests with mobility needs requiring transportation from campus to commencement events should call RISD Rides at 401 427-6915.

Hotels 

RISD has arranged for discounted group rates at local hotels for alumni and families attending Commencement + Reunion Weekend. We expect these blocks to fill fast. For more information on these hotels, please visit our hotels and lodging page on the alumni website. 

Find more hotel options in and around Providence on hotels.com, tripadvisor.com and other travel and hospitality sites.

Homesharing and other options

Guests can rent short-term accommodations in Providence through Airbnb, the global hospitality marketplace founded by RISD alumni Brian Chesky 04 ID and Joe Gebbia 05 GD/ID.

Providence has a vibrant food culture with a variety of cuisines and dining experiences, many within a short walk of RISD’s College Hill campus and the downtown area surrounding the Commencement venue.

Tables fill up fast throughout the city during Commencement week, so be sure to plan ahead as soon as possible.

Graduating students can order tickets online beginning February 20. Students are allowed up to six (6) free tickets for their guests. You must order your Commencement tickets by April 28, 2023. You will receive an email in early May with information on picking up your tickets.

Please note that we will only process requests made by graduating students. Please order only the number of tickets you know that you will need, so that we can accommodate larger requests

Seating is open and available on a first-come, first-served basis. You or your guests can contact us at commencement@risd.edu to inquire about accessibility concerns for your group. Each guest is required have a ticket to get into the ceremony hall, so you must pick up your tickets ahead of time. Pickup information will be provided here closer to Commencement.

The Graduate Hooding Ceremony is not ticketed, but graduates are limited to two guests.

Graduating students can order caps and gowns online from Oak Hall. The deadline for ordering your cap and gown is April 15, 2023.

You also have the option to pick a stole of your choice, free of charge, as part of your cap and gown selection. Please note that you are allowed to choose only one stole of your choice. 

We encourage you to be creative and embellish your regalia with bold decorations of your very own. Caps and gowns will be available for pickup at the RISD Store during the week of Commencement. More details to follow in May.

If you have questions about your cap and gown, email risdstore@risd.edu.

Housing 

If you live on campus, your housing will automatically be extended through Commencement week. All graduating students must move out by noon (12 pm eastern) on Sunday, June 4.

If you live off campus and your lease ends on June 1, you can sign up to stay on campus  through Commencement. Residence Life will have limited spaces available and will approve applications on a first come basis until spaces are no longer available. Please note that Residence Life will place students in residence hall spaces based on availability. Housing will be available from May 31–June 4 and must be reserved by Friday, May 12.

For more information and to sign up, please log in to the RISD housing portal and navigate to “Off-Campus Applications” to find the Commencement Housing 2023 form.

Questions about housing? Contact Residence Life at housing@risd.edu.

Meal plans

Residential meal allotments for graduating students who live on campus will continue through June 5.

Graduating students on the commuter meal plan will have it extended through June 5.

Please check myRISD for available dining options.

Graduating students should make arrangements to have their mail forwarded to their new address. Please use this [form tk] request form to have your mail forwarded.

Each year graduating seniors create an original design for the RISD Yearbook. Ordering information will be sent to students in April.

Please email csi@risd.edu with any questions.

RISD CommenceFEST is a series of social events bringing graduating students together to celebrate one another and the collective success of the Class of 2023. These events also let graduates explore resources available to them as new alumni.

This year’s CommenceFEST is May 30–June 1, 2023.

Every graduating student receives an academic diploma designed by the late John Howard Benson, a distinguished sculptor and calligrapher who taught at RISD from 1931-56. The names of the graduating students are handwritten in calligraphy by longtime Experimental and Foundation Studies faculty member Alba Corrado BFA 60 PT.

During the commencement ceremony, you will receive a scroll of paper in lieu of your official Benson Diploma. We will mail diplomas to all graduates in Summer 2023 in the weeks following Commencement. Any questions or concerns regarding diploma mailing can be directed to the Registrar’s Office via registrar@risd.edu.

RISD does not offer an official class ring, but several alternative options are available through the alumni collection at the risd:store.

risd:store offers a variety of diploma and picture frames, ornaments, jewelry and other accessories to commemorate your achievement.

On the day of Commencement, RISD-related merchandise will also be available for purchase at the risd:store booth in the Convention Center.

In their fifth and final year of the Brown|RISD Dual Degree (BRDD) program, students complete a capstone project that draws upon their experience at both institutions.

Presentations are held from noon-5 pm on Tuesday, May 30, 2023 and Wednesday, May 31, 2023 in the Martinos Auditorium of the Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, located on the Brown University campus at 154 Angell Street. All presentations are free and open to families, the Brown and RISD communities and the general public.

The two days of presentations are followed by a recognition dinner for graduating students and their guests at the Brown Faculty Club on Thursday, June 1, 2023. We ask that graduating BRDD students RSVP through email.