RISD CE

Request additional information, including the Summer Programs catalog and email updates.

All participants must have a high school diploma or the equivalent, and be 18-years old or older. Knowledge of the English language is essential and is required of all students. International students not enrolled in the RISD degree program must achieve a minimum test score on an English proficiency exam (see the International Student Information page for more details).

Visit the Summer Studies Registration page to learn how to register as well as find more information on deadlines and applying as an international student.

waiting lists
If the course for which a student registers is full, his or her name is automatically placed on a waiting list, and the student is contacted by email and/or phone.

• Alfred Hitchcock: Master of Our Monsters

  Gloria-Jean Masciarotte, Ages 18+, Jun 24 — Jul 30, Mondays + Tuesdays, 1-4pm

  Alfred Hitchcock's career spanned silent to sound, black and white to color, and short stories to film to television. He mastered all media, consistently focused on representing our manias, monsters… Read More

• Bookbinding: Portfolio, Promotion + Presentation

  James DiMarcantonio, Ages 18+, Jun 24 — Jul 30, Mondays + Tuesdays, 9am-4pm

  The handcrafted book can serve infinite purposes, from limited or private collection editions, wedding albums, yacht logs and ceremonial awards for specialized clientele to making personalized, one-of-a-kind art books, portfolios,… Read More

• Children's Book Illustration

  Cheryl Kirk Noll, Ages 18+, Jun 24 — Jul 30, Mondays + Tuesdays, 9am-4pm

  Explore the imagery behind the words in children's book art, from concept to character development, drawing to design, and media application to finished execution. Participants in this course develop drawing… Read More

• Color: From Theory to Practice

  Harel Kadem, Ages 18+, Jun 27 — Aug 2, Thursdays + Fridays, 9am-4:30pm

  Essential to creative development, the effective use of color can still elude the most sophisticated artists and designers. This course explores the intricacies of using color in fine art and… Read More

• Deconstruct to Reconstruct: Upcycled Couture

  Beth Bentley, Ages 18+, Jun 26 — Aug 1, Wednesdays + Thursdays, 9am-4:30pm

  Americans generate roughly nine billion pounds of used clothing annually, representing six percent of household waste destined for landfills -- hardly sustainable practice. In this course, we take creative action… Read More

• Digital Dobby: Introduction to Weaving Complex Structures

  Susan Sklarek, Ages 18+, Jun 24 — Jul 30, Mondays + Tuesdays, 9am-4pm

  Open to all skill levels -- from beginning to advanced -- this intensive course offers students the chance to learn to design and draft a wide variety of weave structures… Read More

• Digitally Printed Fabrics: Infinite Surface Design

  Zoe Latta, Ages 18+, Jun 27 — Aug 2, Thursdays + Fridays, 9am-4:30pm

  Digital printing technology allows for infinite possibilities in textile surface design. In this course, students are introduced to the basic elements of textile design, such as color, pattern and repeat.… Read More

• Drawing Essentials

  Jason Travers, Ages 18+, Jun 27 — Aug 2, Thursdays + Fridays, 9am-4:30pm

  The elements of drawing -- observation, recording and pictorial organization -- are fundamental to an artist's visual education. This course uses basic drawing tools and materials to introduce students to… Read More

• Environmental Disasters: Dispelling Myth + Designing Real Solutions

  Bonnie Epstein, Ages 18+, Jun 27 — Aug 2, Thursdays + Fridays, 9am-12:30pm

  Natural and man-made environmental disasters dominate the news -- flooding, earthquakes, hurricanes, nuclear meltdowns, oil spills, bio-hazards -- all generating media frenzy and an escalation of doomsday scenarios. In this… Read More

• Figure Drawing

  Robin Wiseman, Ages 18+, Jun 24 — Jul 30, Mondays + Tuesdays, 9am-4pm

  As Degas observed, drawing is not simply about what one sees, but what one can make others see. This course begins with an exploration of descriptive drawing fundamentals, making the… Read More

• Fundamentals of Oil Painting

  Julie Gearan, Ages 18+, Jun 24 — Jul 30, Mondays + Tuesdays, 9am-4pm

  This introduction to oil painting provides students with an opportunity to explore and understand this challenging medium. Participants become familiar with oil painting through a variety of assignments that highlight… Read More

• Introduction to Architectural Design

  Bob Pavlik, Ages 18+, Jun 27 — Aug 2, Thursdays + Fridays, 9am-4:30pm

  This course enables students to explore both the conceptual and practical realms of architecture in a series of lectures and studio projects. Students learn to establish criteria for architectural design… Read More

• Introduction to Graphic Design

  Jane Androski, Emily Wilson, Ages 18+, Jun 24 — Jul 30, Mondays + Tuesdays, 9am-4pm

  This course is a hands-on exploration of graphic design, with an emphasis on conceptual development and problem solving. Assignments and supporting lectures encourage students to investigate formal design principles (typography,… Read More

• Introduction to Industrial Design

  Amy Leidtke, Ages 18+, Jun 24 — Jul 30, Mondays + Tuesdays, 9am-4pm

  Have you ever bought a product you thought you could improve, or wondered why a given product looks and functions as it does? In this course, students explore the broadly-based… Read More

• Introduction to Jewelry

  Johan Van Aswegen, Ages 18+, Jun 27 — Aug 2, Thursdays + Fridays, 9am-4:30pm

  An intriguing piece of jewelry not only attracts the eye, but complements its wearer or tells a story. In this course, we move beyond appreciation to creation by learning the… Read More

• It Came from Outer Space: Exploring the World of Science Fiction Cinema

  Thomas Skouras, Ages 18+, Jun 24 — Jul 30, Mondays + Tuesdays, 9am-12pm

  This course offers a history of the science fiction movie, from its silent film beginnings to more recent landmark releases. Particular attention is paid to the post-World War II era… Read More

• Machine Knitting: Shaping While Making

  TBA, Ages 18+, Jun 27 — Aug 2, Thursdays + Fridays, 9am-4:30pm

  In this introductory course, students gain an in-depth understanding of the use of the knitting machine, including a core grasp of pattern drafting and construction techniques. Students initially focus on… Read More

• Printmaking: From Light to Ink

  Henry Ferreira, Ages 18+, Jun 27 — Aug 2, Thursdays + Fridays, 9am-4:30pm

  Explore traditional and contemporary printmaking techniques for transferring images photographically to intaglio, lithograph and screenprint. This course encourages exploration of and technical experimentation in using drawings, photographs and computer-generated visual… Read More

• Sketching + Rendering for Industrial Design

  Amy Leidtke, Ages 18+, Jun 26 — Aug 1, Wednesdays + Thursdays, 9am-4:30pm

  The ability to draw rapidly and effectively is one of the most valuable skills needed in design work; it is critical for expressing design ideas to oneself, one's colleagues and… Read More

• Textiles: Materials, Methods + Concepts

  TBA, Ages 18+, Jun 24 — Jul 30, Mondays + Tuesdays, 9am-4pm

  Transparent and opaque, rigid and flexible, linear and structural: textiles traverse all boundaries and disciplines. Focusing on the fundamentals of textile arts and design, this overview course explores pattern, color… Read More

• Welding for Furniture Design

  Jim Cole, Ages 18+, Jun 25 — Jul 31, Tuesdays + Wednesdays, 9am-4pm

  This course introduces students to furniture design and the basic techniques of welding and metal fabrication. Students are exposed to oxyacetylene, arc and TIG welding, with the primary focus on… Read More

facilities
RISD’s comprehensive studio facilities and extensive equipment have an excellent international reputation. Facilities in over 40 buildings include highly specialized computer labs, darkrooms, kilns, printmaking studios, textile studios, woodworking shops devoted to industrial design, furniture design and sculpture, and the Edna Lawrence Nature Laboratory, a repository of more than 90,000 natural specimens.

Visit our On Campus page for more information on RISD resources, including the RISD Museum of Art, the Fleet Library at RISD, art supply stores, and parking.

neighborhood + surrounding area
College Hill, on Providence’s historic East Side, is one of the most picturesque sections of the city, home to the expansive campuses of RISD and neighboring Brown University. The main RISD campus, situated at the center of the historic district, is famous for its narrow streets lined with restored Colonial homes and fine examples of early Federal and 19th-century architecture. RISD’s extensive facilities span Providence’s central rivers — home to Waterplace Park and WaterFire, a recurring after-dark festival of light and music — and include several notably restored historic buildings in the city’s vibrant downtown.

RISD’s neighborhood offers a variety of restaurants, cafés, shops, bookstores and art cinemas. If you like music and theater, you can enjoy great performances at popular local venues, including the nationally acclaimed Trinity Repertory Company and the Providence Performing Arts Center. Local restaurants range from ethnically rich neighborhood eateries to world-renowned, five-star dining establishments. All of these options are within walking distance of the college.

While Rhode Island is only 48 miles long and 37 miles wide, it is blessed with almost 500 miles of enchanting coastline along the Atlantic Ocean and Narragansett Bay. Rhode Island is also convenient to such popular summer destinations as Newport, Block Island, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, which makes it an ideal jumping-off point for family vacations, or a perfect vacation destination in itself. Traversable in little more than an hour, the state offers both a welcome retreat from the bustle of Boston and New York, and easy access to these cities by road, rail, bus and airplane. In short, it’s a great place to be — especially in the summer.

grades
Student work in all credit-bearing courses is evaluated through letter grades from the faculty. (Grades of "Incomplete" are not allowed.) Grades are mailed approximately four to six weeks after the semester ends, but they are withheld if the student owes fees to any RISD department (such as the library). Please be sure to settle accounts promptly. Transcripts are not available until grades are sent out.

grade review + change
For guidelines regarding requests for an academic grade review, please contact RISD/CE at 401 454-6200. Please note that grades are subject to revision by the instructor, with the approval of the CE Associate Director for Student Support Services, through November 27, 2013. After that time, all grades become a permanent part of the academic record and cannot be changed.

acceptance + transfer of credits
Rhode Island School of Design Division of Continuing Education (CE) offers credit-bearing courses in the summer session only. While the credit offered by CE is distinct from credit courses offered in RISD degree programs, CE is in compliance with all relevant NASAD guidelines concerning the number of required contact hours mandated for credit courses.

• Students from institutions other than RISD: Students who are not RISD matriculated students transfer the credit earned from CE Summer Studies courses to their home institution. It is at the descretion of the home institution to make decisions about what credits it will accept.
• RISD Matriculated Students: RISD/CE credit is treated as transfer credit by RISD's undergraduate degree programs. Although the course is recorded in the student's transcript, the grade is not; nor is the grade counted in the calculation of the student's GPA. Different policies apply regarding the transferring of RISD/CE credit to RISD degree programs, depending on whether the student is an undergraduate or a graduate student, and on whether the course is a studio course or a liberal arts course, as follows:
• RISD Undergraduate Students: RISD undergraduates are not permitted to transfer more than 12 credit hours towards their degree from outside of the RISD degree program, including those from the RISD/CE Summer Programs. Those students interested in taking a CE Summer Studies, SIGDS, or Textiles Summer Institute course should discuss the matter with their Department Head or major advisor (or for Liberal Arts courses, the Liberal Arts Division) before enrolling in one of these courses for non-major elective credit, making sure to get the appropriate signature on the Summer Undergraduate Credit Pre-Approval Form.
• RISD Graduate Students: Transfer credits from outside the RISD Graduate Degree Programs -- including RISD/CE Summer Programs courses -- are not ordinarily accepted by RISD.

transcripts for non-RISD students
Transcripts must be requested in writing. For a transcript of your coursework, send $5 per transcript requested (pay by check, money order or credit card; cash payments are not accepted for this service). Students may download the Continuing Education Transcript Request Form or write out their own, and must include the following information: name at the time of enrollment, course title(s), year attended and telephone number, as well as the contact name, address (including department) and zip code where the transcript is to be sent. If paying by credit card, please include card number, expiration date and cardholder name, plus house number and zip code of the billing address.

Mail requests to:
Transcripts
Rhode Island School of Design
Office of Continuing Education
Two College Street
Providence, RI 02903-2787

Allow two to three weeks for processing. If you must meet a specific deadline, state it in your letter of request. Transcripts are not mailed without full payment and the complete address of the recipient, nor are transcripts processed until grades are sent out (approximately four to six weeks after the program ends).

housing
RISD offers a variety of housing styles and options for use during the summer. Each option requires participation in a RISD dining plan. There are three categories of Summer Programs accommodation to choose from to meet each individual’s needs:

1) Shared Rooms, where two people share a common living/sleeping room with an adjacent bathroom, are the most economical choice. Shared rooms require participation in a full meal plan.

2) Single Rooms offer the privacy of your own room accompanied by a shared bathroom. Single rooms require participation in a full meal plan.

3) Private Apartments cater to more independent living and offer a self-contained, private apartment with sleeping/living area, private bathroom and private kitchen in the Charles Landing Apartments. This RISD housing complex is a ten-minute walk north of the campus’ geographic center. A local vendor provides both internet and cable TV services (included in the room rate) to the complex. Additional amenities include an outdoor pool and a free parking space for residents. Apartment residents may choose between a variety of dining options but, because we do not equip apartment kitchens with cooking/dining supplies, we require a minimum of a five-meal block plan per week.

All accommodations provide:

• bed and mattress (extra-long 80-inch twin in shared and single rooms; full size in private apartments)
• desk and chair
• bureau
• closet or wardrobe

Residents must provide:

• linens
• blankets
• mattress covers
• towels
• pillows
• lamp
• fan
• telephone
• other electronic or computer equipment

Each building offers laundry facilities or you may contract for a professional linen and laundry service at additional cost; information on the latter is distributed with the program forms and documentation and at Check-In. Please note: We do not permit smoking in any building on the RISD campus. Also, pets are not permitted in any RISD residential facility. All rooms are air-conditioned.

All residence halls offer wired network access and all except Charles Landing (see above) include wireless access via guest privileges. Additionally, summer students may utilize RISD's computer labs, library and publicly accessible stations for their computing needs.

We grant housing requests based on availability. Individual rooms, suites or apartments are single sex. All buildings and floors are mixed gender. Special requests to accommodate medical or psychological needs require additional information; call Residence Life at 401 454-6650 or email rlo@risd.edu for the relevant forms. We provide move-in instructions and your specific room assignment via email at least one week prior to your arrival.

dining
The Metcalf Dining Center, known as “The Met”, is centrally located in the Residence Life Quad. The Met features a build-your-own sandwich station, salad and pasta bars, vegetarian, vegan and traditional entrées and a Wood Stone pizza oven. The Portfolio Café, located in the lobby of 15 West (the Mandle Building), serves continental breakfast for residents.

The RISD Dining Services staff is sensitive to the dietary needs and preferences of its student body, representing cultures and religious traditions from around the world. If you have further questions about meal plans, or special dietary needs, please contact the Associate Director for Dining, Pierre St-Germaine, at 401 454-6362.

meal plans
Students living in RISD housing must choose between the following meal plans:

For students who want to be able to dine as they wish, the full meal plan features all-you-care-to-eat service at the Met for $197 per week. Students living in shared or single rooms must subscribe to this plan.

Students living in a private apartment (Charles Landing) may choose either the full meal plan, or meal blocks. Each meal block includes five (5) all-you-care-to-eat meals per week at a cost of $47. Apartment residents must purchase a minimum 5-meal block per week, but may purchase as many blocks as they wish, or a full meal plan, to meet their needs.

Students living off campus are not required to have a meal plan, but may choose from either plan if desired.

housing + dining fees
If you plan to live on campus and are not a current RISD student, please review your choice of room below. Living in Shared or Single rooms requires participation in the full meal plan ($197 per week). Living in Private Apartments requires participation in the five-meal block plan per week ($47 per week) or students may opt to choose the full meal plan ($197 per week). Students requiring housing for less than two weeks must contact the Residence Life office in writing.

To apply for the campus housing and dining options described above, complete and return the appropriate registration form for your summer program. Indicate the number of weeks you will be here and then multiply that number by the TOTAL per week from this chart. Include the nonrefundable housing deposit of $100 with your registration form. (Full payment must be made after the deposit deadline of April 19, 2013.) Note: All non-US citizens requiring an F-1 visa must include payment in full at the time of application. Beginning in May 2013, all students who have paid the housing deposit (or made payment in full) will be sent an email, from the Residence Life office, with specific instructions on how to complete their housing application process.

dining hall hours

The Met:
Monday-Friday:  7-9am, 11:30am-2pm, 4:30-7:30pm
Saturday + Sunday:  8am-2pm, 4:30-7:30pm

Portfolio Café:
Monday-Friday:  7-9am

parking
(for Students in Shared or Single Rooms)
Parking for summer students may only be arranged through the Residence Life Office, which leases space at the Charles Landing Apartments, a ten-minute walk from the center of the RISD campus. Summer rates are $10 per day, $60 per week or $300 for a six-week summer program. To reserve a space, or ask questions regarding parking, contact RISD's Residence Life Office (as indicated below).

for more information
If you have questions regarding summer housing that are not covered on this website, please call RISD’s Residence Life office at 401 454-6650, Monday-Friday between 8:30am-4:30pm EST, or send an email to rlo@risd.edu.

check-in procedures
Initial Check-in is June 22, 2013 from 9am-2:30pm. All residential and commuting students are encouraged to attend Check-in if attending courses that begin on June 24. Students in courses beginning after June 24 are encouraged to arrive at least 24 hours before the course begins. At Check-in, temporary identification cards are issued to each enrolled student, residence hall rooms are assigned, course schedules are distributed and prepaid charge accounts may be established at the RISD stores. Residential services (linens, telephone, etc.) may also be arranged.

later arrivals
If you expect to arrive after Initial Check-in, please notify both RISD/CE at 401 454-6200 and the Residence Life office at rlo@risd.edu or 401 454-6650 of your plans. If you miss Initial Check-in hours on June 22, go to the Public Safety office at 30 Waterman Street to obtain access to housing and keys.

Class schedules and other check-in information will not be available at the Public Safety office for students arriving after Initial Check-in, but will be at the Continuing Education office on the first day of each course, beginning at 8am.

check-out
Students must be completely checked out before noon on the Saturday following their last day of class (or by noon on the Saturday of their last class). All students must be completely checked out before noon on Saturday, August 3.

Access to RISD is easy to arrange by car, bus, air or train. The Amtrak train station is within walking distance, though taxi service is recommended for students with heavy luggage. T.F. Green Airport is 12 miles south of Providence in Warwick, providing direct flights to most major cities. T.F. Green airport vans are available to downtown Providence and the RISD campus for a nominal fee. International students traveling to RISD by plane are advised to also check flights into Boston's Logan International Airport for more direct flights and potentially lower airfares. Logan International Airport is located a one-hour bus ride from downtown Providence. Frequent buses run directly from Logan International Airport to downtown Providence.

Driving Directions:
From Interstate 95 North or South, take Exit 22A, Downtown. Continue straight off the exit ramp onto Memorial Boulevard. At the fourth light, turn left onto Washington Place (which becomes Waterman Street). Consult the campus map to locate the appropriate building and parking lot.

From Interstate 195 Westbound, take Exit 2, South Main Street. Follow South Main Street for five blocks to its intersection with College Street. Consult the campus map to locate the appropriate building and parking lot.

Please contact RISD/CE to request an academic advisement appointment or learn more about Summer Studies.

For additional information on our academic and financial policies, including withdrawals and refunds, visit the Summer Program Policies page.