The thesis

Consisting of a final body of work and a written component, the thesis is both a culmination of the graduate experience at RISD and a catalyst for future professional and creative practice.

To view examples of discipline-specific projects online, please visit Digital Commons @ RISD or search the Fleet Library at RISD’s graduate thesis index. You may also view highlights from recent thesis projects in the Book of Thesis Books.

Deadlines

May 26

Electronic submission of final thesis

Process for 2023: You must email a final copy of your thesis (as a PDF) to your GPD for uploading by Friday, May 26, 2023. The electronic thesis (which does not have to include signatures) will be catalogued by the Library and will also be posted to RISD’s Digital Commons, unless you elect to opt out on the thesis submission form.

Making your master’s thesis available to the RISD community and future grad students, and to artists, designers, scholars and employers worldwide is an important and valuable part of higher education. However, you may not want to have your thesis available online for reasons of publishing agreements, patents or other intellectual property issues. Review the digital thesis license agreement for more information.

Feel free to email Marc Calhoun (mcalhoun@risd.edu) with specific questions.

Submission of bound final thesis

You will submit a PDF copy to your respective departmental GPD, or advisors (who will forward onto the Library).

If you would like the RISD Library to have a physical copy of your thesis, contact Marc Calhoun (mcalhoun@risd.edu) to make arrangements.

Important note: The physical copy must be the same content as the online version. Your thesis is a snapshot of a moment in time, the library cannot accept re-edited or substantially different versions.

Library archiving requirements for bound thesis

  • Official title page, including the names of all thesis committee advisors.
  • The title page must follow the wording outlined in this sample (inserting your own title, name, department, year, etc.).
  • Copyright page
  • Abstract
  • Table of contents
  • Captions or list of illustrations (including image credits as needed)
  • Footnotes/endnotes and bibliography (source citation)
  • Page numbers
  • If your thesis is bound unconventionally and/or includes original artwork such as prints, include an appendix describing the materials and/or process to ensure accurate Library cataloguing.

    • *Your thesis will be recorded in both the Fleet Library’s online catalogue and the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC)—an international bibliographic database.

    Reminders

  • Obtain all required thesis committee signatures during final crit week.
  • Proofread the entire thesis.
  • Use your full legal name, not a nickname.
  • Use only one, consistent thesis title.
  • Abstract must be clear and succinct.
  • All materials must be archivally sound (acid-free paper, sturdy binding, etc.).
  • No loose pages.


Watch a thesis presentation

Thesis Presentation: Jiaai He, Interior Architecture

Recent Interior Architecture graduate Jiaai He shares her thesis and experience in the MFA program.

Thesis Presentation: Steven Kaplan-Pistiner, Jewelry + Metalsmithing

Recent Jewelry + Metalsmithing graduate Steven Kaplan-Pistiner shares his thesis and experience in the MFA program.

Thesis Presentation: Ayumi Kodoma, Furniture Design

Hear about the thesis making and writing experience from recent Furniture Design program graduate Ayumi Kodoma.

Thesis Presentation: Rohit Sen, Industrial Design

Recent Industrial Design graduate Rohit Sen shares his thesis and experience in the MFA program.

Thesis Presentation: Joon June Yoon, Digital + Media

Recent Digital + Media graduate June Joon Yoon shares her thesis and experience in the MFA program.

Requirements

Each graduate department has its own written thesis guidelines. Please consult your graduate program director and thesis chair, and familiarize yourself with departmental guidelines for written thesis criteria and deadlines for proposals, outlines, drafts and final copy.

Past graduate thesis books—which are archived in the RISD Fleet Library and stored in many departmental offices—provide general examples. The Center for Arts & Language offers thesis workshops, individual tutoring and additional support materials.

RISD Grad Show 2022 on view online

In celebrating the collective accomplishments of this year’s graduating class, RISD Grad Show 2022 invites viewers to experience an expansive range of exploratory work by emerging artists and designers. The culmination of extensive research, experimentation, critical thinking and production, the works on view represent each student’s experience in RISD’s dynamic and diverse graduate programs