Commencement Information for Students
Below you will find information on the dates, deadlines and important links you will need as we get closer to Commencement.
Graduate Hooding Ceremonies
Friday, May 30 at 12 pm and 2 pm eastern
RISD Auditorium
17 Canal Walk, Providence RI
Commencement Ceremony
Saturday, May 31 at 9 am eastern (doors open 8 am)
Amica Mutual Pavilion
One Lasalle Square, Providence RI
Ticket information — action steps required
Ticket confirmation
The deadline to confirm your tickets has now passed. If you missed the deadline or have any questions, you can reach out to us at commencement@risd.edu.
Ticket pickup
Your tickets will be available for pickup on May 21–23 and May 27–30 from 10 am–4 pm at Career Services, 20 Washington Place. You will need to show a government issued or student ID in order to retrieve your tickets.
Cap and gown
The deadline to order your cap and gown has passed, no late orders will be accepted.
You will be able to pick up your regalia at the RISD Store (30 North Main Street) at the following times:
May 22—23, 10 am–4 pm (Dual Degree only)
May 27–30, 10 am–4 pm
If you have any questions in the meantime, please email risdstore@risd.edu.
Senior Week events
Celebrate the Class of 2025 with your fellow graduates at these Commencement-week events.
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!
Commencement week housing
Graduating students who live on campus must move out by noon (12 pm ET) on Sunday, June 1. If you have questions about housing, contact Residence Life at housing@risd.edu.
Meal plans
Residential meal allotments and off-campus meal plans are active through Friday, May 30. Please check the RISD Mobile App for available dining options.
Mail forwarding
Graduating students should make arrangements to have their mail forwarded to their new address. Please use this request form to have your mail forwarded.
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.)
Brown | RISD Dual Degree Program class of 2025
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 am–2:15 pm on Wednesday, May 28 and Thursday, May 29, in the Lindemann Performing Arts Center located in William Riley Hall on Brown University campus at 144 Angell 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.
The two days of presentations will be followed by a recognition dinner for graduating students and their guests at RISD’s Washington Place Auditorium on the evening of May 29. Graduating BRDD students are asked to RSVP through email.
Take RISD with you
See more about graduation and RISD items to take with you beyond commencement.
RISD Diploma
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 Experimental and Foundation Studies faculty member Alba Corrado BFA 60 PT.
During the Commencement ceremony, you will receive a scroll of paper in place of your Benson Diploma as you cross the stage. Eligible students can then pick up their diploma following the ceremony until 2:30 pm ET in Design Center 103. For those unable to collect their diplomas that day, they will be available for pickup at the Registrar on the first floor of 20 Washington Place from June 2–6.
Please direct any questions or concerns regarding diplomas, degree requirements or graduation eligibility to the Registrar via registrar@risd.edu.
Class rings
RISD does not offer an official class ring, but several alternative options are available through the Alumni Collection at the risd:store.
Yearbooks
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.
Commencement at 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 Amica Mutual Pavilion.
More in Commencement
Fun and relatively informal, our colorful ceremony is a spirited, celebratory salute to our newest art and design standouts.
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 2025? Please email us at commencement@risd.edu or call 401 454-6379.