Commencement Information for Students

Check back here for information on the dates, deadlines and important links you will need as we get closer to Commencement.

Graduate Hooding Ceremonies

Friday, May 29 at 12 pm and 2 pm eastern
RISD Auditorium
17 Canal Walk, Providence, RI

Commencement Ceremony

Saturday, May 30 at 9 am eastern
Rhode Island Convention Center
One Sabin Street, Providence, RI

Ticket information — action steps required

Ticket confirmation

The deadline to order your tickets is Friday, April 24. 

Complete the form below to order up to four (4) tickets for your guests. You may request up to two (2) additional tickets in addition to your four free tickets. We will let you know if we are able to accommodate your request for additional tickets when you receive your confirmation email in May.

Ticket pickup

Students who place an order by the deadline will receive a confirmation email in May with more information about tickets. Your tickets will be available for pickup starting in late may. Your guests will need to present tickets to gain entry to the ceremony. Please only order as many tickets as you need so we can better accommodate students with larger parties. 

Reserve your tickets

Cap and gown

The deadline to order your free cap and gown is Tuesday, April 14.

All graduating students will receive a special RISD stole to wear with your cap and gown. You will also be able to order one extra stole of your choice for an additional charge. Orders will only be accepted through April 14. 

Order your cap and gown

Student speakers

Each year, two students—one undergraduate and one graduate—deliver speeches at Commencement. The deadline to apply to to be a 2026 student speaker has now passed.

All submissions will be reviewed by a committee. If your submission is selected, you will work with an editor/speaking coach to develop and rehearse a speech to deliver at Commencement. Your speech will also appear on risd.edu and on RISD’s Vimeo channel.

Student Commencement awards

This year, one undergraduate student will be chosen as the winner of the endowed Steven Mendelson Community Service Award. The qualifications for this award are:

“A senior who through their energy, efforts, and devotion has significantly contributed to the quality, diversity, and development of the community we share at RISD, while fulfilling the requirements of a quality education.”

The nomination deadline for this award has now passed.

Senior Week events

Celebrate the Class of 2026 with your fellow graduates at these Commencement-week events.

A group of students are dancing at RISD’s artist party celebration event.

Don’t forget

There is a lot to remember as you prepare for graduation. Don’t forget to make plans for your housing and meals, mail forwarding and having a great time with your classmates!

Set your name pronunciation in Workday

You can now use Workday to record the correct pronunciation of your name directly onto your profile. This feature allows fellow community members with Workday access to hear your name as you say it and would like to hear it—including when you walk across the Commencement stage this May.

To learn how to set or change your name pronunciation, click the link below. (For more about listening to name pronunciations in Workday, see this brief user guide.)

See our Workday name pronunciation guide

Brown | RISD Dual Degree Program class of 2026

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

Presentations will be held from 10:30 am–3:15 pm on Tuesday, May 26 and Wednesday, May 27, in the Metcalf Auditorium located at the RISD Museum—please use the entrance at 20 North Main Street. All presentations are free and open to families, the Brown and RISD communities, and the general public. For more information, visit Brown’s BRDD presentation page.

More in Commencement

Commencement 2026

Fun and relatively informal, our colorful ceremony is a spirited, celebratory salute to our newest art and design standouts.

For families

Find out about nearby transportation, hotels and lodging, and dining options, as well as important info for international families traveling to the US. 

Contact us

Have questions about Commencement + Reunion Weekend? Please email us at commencement@risd.edu or call 401 454-6379.