Dates and deadlines

Submit a nonrefundable enrollment deposit of $500 (which is applied to your first tuition bill) to reserve your space. To pay your deposit by credit card or debit card, please use the link below to go to our secure online site. You’ll need to log into your applicant status portal in order to access the deposit link.

Complete a housing application via the Housing Portal if you wish to live in RISD housing. You'll need a user name and password to enter this site—both will be emailed to you upon receipt of your enrollment deposit.

RISD Health Services requires all new students to submit health forms. Please be aware that your registration is not considered complete until we have received your completed and signed forms.

If you wish to live in RISD housing, please complete an application via our housing portal.

If you are participating in one of our summer programs, you must confirm satisfactory completion of your undergraduate education by arranging for your final, official transcript to be sent to Admissions by June 1.

This immersive summer session focuses on adaptive reuse and takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark. The summer program runs from June 12–July 29, 2023.

Have questions about housing as an incoming graduate student? Join Residence Life, the Office of Graduate Studies, and Admissions for an overview of housing options at RISD. We’ll cover resources for on-campus and off-campus housing through this online session.

If you are participating in a summer program and have US-based health insurance, you can opt out of RISD’s health insurance plan by completing a summer health insurance waiver. Your coverage must be comparable to what is covered by RISD’s health insurance plan.

You must confirm that you have satisfactorily completed your undergraduate education by arranging for your final, official transcript to be sent to Admissions by July 1. Students participating in summer programs must fulfill this requirement by June 1 (see above).

summer housing close dates tbd

All students entering our MLA I and II programs are required to attend a summer program, Design Foundations/Field Ecology. The summer preparatory course introduces studio-based conceptual design thinking and skill development, like drawing and model making, while gaining knowledge of foundational ecological principles through immersive field experiences and observational learning. The course offers students building blocks for the fall semester studio, lecture courses, and seminars.

Master of Architecture (MArch) study begins in the summer with required full-time coursework beginning on July 10, 2023. The MArch summer term is taught in person with an emphasis on physical making, digital skills and the language of architectural discourse. The three courses taught in the summer (Drawing, Design, and Spatial Dynamics) interrelate with each other and aim to expand the range of ideas, techniques, and media that constitute the discipline of architecture

These courses, taken simultaneously for a total of nine required credits, are designed for the graduate student with or without architecture studio experience. Over the course of the summer students will make use of the Architecture department's digital fabrication facilities, flexible studio space, wood shop and gallery. Please contact archgrad@risd.edu with any questions regarding your summer program.

Students entering the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program begin their studies with a summer session. Enrolling students will receive a MAT program handbook with program details prior to the program start date. There are no additional costs or supply purchases required by incoming MAT students.

MDes programs begin with a study of the fundamentals of design in an immersive summer program in Providence. This program runs from July 10–August 18, 2023.

Health Services requires all new students to submit health forms. Please be aware that your registration is not considered complete until Health Services receives your completed and signed forms.

If you do not submit completed health forms you will not be able to receive your course schedule or begin attending classes.

The health insurance waiver is optional and only for those students who do not want to participate in RISD's health insurance plan for the upcoming academic year. Whether or not you choose to waive RISD's health insurance, please read further about required immunizations.

Graduate Language Intensive (GLI) is a one-credit summer course that provides incoming graduate students with a linguistic, cultural and academic foundation for advanced study. It connects students across all disciplines and introduces you to academic culture in the United States.

We offer the course both virtually and in person. Either option provides one credit and both conclude with a final gathering of all GLI students. If you are interested in taking the Graduate Language Intensive, please contact us for more information.

Fall semester runs from September 6–December 13.