Graduate Study at Rhode Island School of Design
Students who come here do well not only out of their own efforts but out of their association with others who are also trying, thinking and making. This constructive competition is wonderful stuff for any artist or designer. David Frazer • Professor of Painting
graduate students come to campus from throughout the world, bringing a variety of perspectives and experiences to their work. At RISD the experience doesn’t begin or end in the studio or classroom, yet it clearly centers around deep disciplinary immersion and creative exploration. It’s about conducting research, constantly asking questions and building a rewarding hands-on relationship with materials. And it’s about learning to better articulate strong concepts through close attention to process and the infinite details of creative practice.
Studio exploration and the development of critical frameworks are furthered through in-depth discussion and critique meant to move work forward and inspire each student to make new breakthroughs. Working both individually and collaboratively, students draw energy and inspiration from one another while also gaining invaluable insights from the professional artists, designers and scholars who teach here. Those pursuing liberal arts degrees benefit from cross-disciplinary study in the context of an exceptionally creative community. The critical perspectives they gain encourage students to push the boundaries of conventional research and surface vital new ideas.
What I’ve learned here is that you can be both an artist and a designer. I’ve stopped worrying about what I am and started thinking about what the work does. Maria Rull Bescos • MFA in Graphic Design
Graduate students at RISD are very much engaged with the world and with one another— collaborating together in the studio and beyond, talking about shared interests, projects, curatorial efforts and more. As they work to advance research in their respective fields, they also benefit from interdisciplinary seminars, studios and public programs that foster provocative discourse about contemporary theory and practice.
The professional artists, designers and educators who teach at RISD share an extraordinary range of knowledge of their fields along with a true commitment to working with students in individualized ways. Each year hundreds of exceptional visiting artists, designers and other intellectuals also bring a world of ideas and new perspectives to campus.
beyond the studio, graduate students curate shows, work as teaching and research assistants, spearhead public art projects and engage in a wide range of opportunities unique to RISD and Providence. Given a heightened interest in the type of thinking and problem solving that goes on in studios, they’re often invited to work on collaborative projects with nonprofits, businesses and other organizations. A strong synergy between RISD and neighboring Brown University affords graduate students opportunities to take classes at Brown and use the university’s extensive libraries and facilities. This collaborative relationship opens up endless possibilities for stimulating cultural and intellectual programming beyond everything RISD already offers. Beyond College Hill, graduate students connect with what’s current in art, music, dance, theater and making in Providence and throughout the region. They often take day trips to Boston and New York, adding to their understanding of what it means to become a contemporary (and often multidisciplinary) creative practitioner.
the specialized facilities and caliber of equipment at RISD provide everything students need to hone work in various disciplines. Small departmental galleries across campus—along with spontaneous installations that spring up whenever and wherever possible—offer interesting visual surprises as students walk to studios and classes. Gatherings organized by the Graduate Student Alliance and a steady stream of openings and shows at both Sol Koffler Graduate Student Gallery and Gelman Gallery are welcomed opportunities for the larger student community to come together.
At the RISD Museum, students have access to more than 100,000 works from around the world—from ancient sculpture to Impressionist paintings and contemporary art in every medium. The Nature Lab’s high-end microscopes, aquariums and collections of flora and fauna offer other valuable resources. The Center for Arts & Language fosters interest in and support of written communication, assisting graduate students with the thesis process. And the Material Resource Center is just one of many special collections housed at the Fleet Library at RISD, one of the most extensive and beautiful art and design libraries in the world.
many graduate students discover that taking the time to question and probe, to push and pull and wrestle with what motivates them can lead to unexpected outcomes. As one recent MFA graduate notes, “The thing I came here to change is the way I approach my work. I came here to change my process in a conscious way—I just didn’t know what it was called yet.”
Graduate students form a closeknit community at RISD based on mutual respect and a shared commitment to moving research, thought and studio work forward. They value exchanging ideas and learning more about each other’s extraordinary backgrounds and experiences, often beyond the world of art and design. And they value deep, meaningful conversations—both visual and verbal.
This place is full of the wildest chutzpah and most valuable experimentation I’ve ever seen. RISD artists are figuring out wondrous and meaningful things to do with incredible materials, and their knowledge is both deeply technical and deeply engaged with cultural questions. Natalie Jeremijenko • visiting artist
Architecture
MArch • 2- + 3-year programs
Ceramics
MFA • 2-year program
Digital + Media MFA • 2-year program
Furniture Design Glass
MFA • 2-year program / Post-B • 1-year program
Global Arts and Cultures MA • 1.5-year program (coming in fall 2019)
Graphic Design MFA • 2- + 3-year programs
Industrial Design MID • 2- + 2.5-year programs
Interior Architecture
risd.edu/academics
MFA • 2- + 3-year programs
MA • 1-year+ program / MDes • 2-year+ programs
Jewelry + Metalsmithing MFA • 2-year program / Post-B • 1-year program
Landscape Architecture MLA • 2- + 3-year programs
Nature–Culture–Sustainability Studies MA • 1.5-year program
Painting
MFA • 2-year program
MFA • 2-year program
Printmaking MFA • 2-year program
Sculpture
MFA • 2-year program
Teaching + Learning in Art + Design MAT • 1-year+ program / MA • 1-year program
Textiles
MFA • 2-year program
Front and inside covers feature a collaborative work by Melissa Weiss MFA 18 GD, Lauren Traugott-Campbell MFA 18 GD and Tatiana Gómez Gaggero MFA 18 GD.
risd.edu/grad/apply
Photography