Adult Certificate Programs FAQs
General
RISD CE Certificate Programs are designed to facilitate personal and professional development, by engaging students in sustained exploration and learning in specific creative disciplines. These non-credit certificates equip students with skills, confidence, proficiency and real world experience to accelerate creative lives and work.
For people who want to make a sustained commitment to their creative learning, RISD CE certificates can help you develop your portfolio, explore a new career path or life pursuit, expand an existing career or start your own business. Widely acknowledged by employers and the creative sector, certificate completion demonstrates the level of interest, commitment and ability necessary to seriously advance your skills.
The completion time can vary by certificate, depending on when you begin. All Level I: Core and Level II: Concentration (and Elective courses, if required) must be completed to earn a certificate.
You can enroll in certificate courses at your own pace, but an approximate time frame for certificate completion is 2 to 3 years. Please see the suggested schedules and order of courses on the Certificate Guide for your specific program.
No, we do not have full-time status in Continuing Education. The certificate programs are designed to be taken part-time to accommodate students with work and family responsibilities.
Programs are led by diverse, expert faculty – academics, creative practitioners, entrepreneurs and industry leaders – with professional connections to the creative economy.
Yes. Any course over 18 hours is graded with a letter grade. Any course meeting for less than 18 hours is graded only as Pass/No Pass.
All certificates are open admission. Students interested in professional or personal growth must be 18 years or older.
Yes, adult international students are welcome to join the certificate program. However, there is no residential option and certificate students do not qualify for F-1 visa status.
Apply by clicking the “Apply Now” button found on each of the specific Certificate Program pages. If you take certificate courses with the intention of enrolling in a certificate program at a later date, you have a one-year grace period in which to apply. The minimum age requirement is 18 or older, and no portfolio is required for admission.
Certificate Structure
All certificates begin with Level I: Core: study in the fundamental skills of drawing, design, color, digital and other technique building. This is followed by Level II: Concentration: study in specific disciplines (such as graphic design, painting, interactive design, illustration, etc.).
Core study is a requirement of every certificate – providing a sound base for subsequent learning in specific disciplines and we highly recommend that you complete this level before moving on to Level II: Concentration. Completion of both levels is required to earn a certificate.
While each certificate has a slightly different set of core courses, a student is able to go into any certificate once they are complete. It is recommended that courses in the certificate be taken sequentially according to the Certificate Guides.
Prerequisites are courses that provide skills and learning outcomes necessary to progress to a higher level course. Most courses in the concentration levels have prerequisites. We strongly encourage you to abide by all listed prerequisites so that you can learn effectively and contribute to the class more productively.
Most certificates have electives—courses you are able to select independently of the requirements. You may take any course you wish to satisfy electives for your certificate program, allowing you the freedom to explore and gain new skills.
Advising
Students who wish to pursue a certificate are encouraged to enroll in a CE certificate program course. Our certificate programs are designed for adults 18 years or older. Certificate applications can be found on each of the specific Certificate Program pages and can be submitted at any time during the academic year. Students who take certificate courses with the intention of enrolling in a certificate program at a later date have a one-year grace period in which to apply.
While RISD CE certificate programs do not offer college credit, they prepare you for work in specific sectors or more advanced studies, and provide opportunities to create a portfolio of work in your area of interest.
In some cases, yes. Certificate students may request waivers for successful completion of a similar course taken at another institution (must include a transcript and course description), or for work experience or training (must include a job description or resume). Only Level I: Core courses may be waived. To waive courses, certificate students should submit an Adult Certificate Program Course Waiver Request in the Student Portal under “My Applications.” To access this application, click “View More Available Applications” at the bottom of the screen. Locate the application in the list and click “More Information”, then “Apply Now” on the next screen. Complete and submit the application, along with the above required documentation. Students may waive up to four courses; Part A/Part B courses are treated as a single waiver. A separate application must be submitted for each waiver requested. We will review the request and approve the waiver, if appropriate. Note: Waivers for Level II: Concentration courses are considered on an individual basis. For specific information, please see Certificate Program Policies.
Certificate students may request to substitute a required certificate course for a comparable elective, based on successful completion of a similar course taken at another institution (must include a transcript and course description), or for work experience or training (must include a job description or resume). To substitute courses, certificate students should submit a Course Substitution Request, which can be found in the Student Portal under “My Applications.” To access this application, click “View More Available Applications” at the bottom of the screen. Locate the application in the list and click “More Information, then “Apply Now” on the next screen. Complete and submit the application, along with the above required documentation. A separate application must be submitted for each substitution requested. There is a limit of two course substitutions allowed in any certificate program; Part A/Part B courses are treated as a single substitution. We will review the request and approve the substitution, if appropriate. Note: Substitutions for Level II: Concentration courses are considered on an individual basis; no substitutions are allowed for Final Studio courses. For specific information, please see Certificate Program Policies.
Certificate students may request a leave of absence for the period of one year. To take a leave of absence, please send a written request to the Associate Director, Academic Advising, kkelly@risd.edu. During this time, the requirements of your program stay the same until you enroll again at the end of that year. However, if you do not enroll after the approved leave period, your status will become inactive and any changes to your certificate program that were made in your absence will then apply to you.
Students who do not take courses pertaining to their certificate program will be made inactive. This means that you will not receive notice of important updates to the certificate programs, messages to active certificate students, etc. Any changes to your certificate program that were made while you were inactive will then apply to you if you re-enter the program.
To be reinstated, submit a Certificate Reinstatement Application in the Student Portal. Your Enrollment History + Transcript will be updated to reflect any changes to your program while you were inactive.
RISD CE does not offer an option to audit a course.
Internships to satisfy program requirements are not available, but we encourage you to seek out ways to practically apply what you are learning in the program.
Fees
Please see the total cost for the certificate program indicated on the program page, as well as on the certificate guide. The total cost is based on current tuition rates and subject to change over time.
Partial scholarships are available for the fall, winter, spring and summer terms for students taking adult extension and youth courses who demonstrate significant financial need. RISD CE programs do not qualify for federal or state financial aid through the FAFSA. Scholarship awards are limited and the amounts vary based on the quantity of qualified applications received. When granted, award amounts usually offset a portion of the tuition for a single course only. Applicants who have attended RISD CE courses or who have applied for scholarships previously must be in good standing with RISD CE.
To apply, submit a Scholarship Application (available in the Student Portal during the fall, winter, spring and summer scholarship application windows) by the deadline specified on the RISD CE calendar. Late applications will not be processed.
Questions? Please contact the RISD CE Office at 401 454-6200 or risdce@risd.edu.
You are responsible for purchasing your own art supplies, equipment, software subscriptions, and/or books. For most classes, the cost is under $125 (estimate), but may be higher for specialized classes. An estimated supply cost range for the course will be included on the course registration site.
Students register and pay on a per-course basis, making the program both accessible and affordable.
Certificate Completion
Certificate students must complete all required and elective courses in their program with a grade of C- or better to receive a certificate; any outstanding account balance must be paid in full before the certificate is released. Certificate students who anticipate fulfilling all requirements for completion must submit a Certificate Completion Application during the academic year in which they intend to complete the certificate. This application can be accessed under “My Applications” in the Student Profile. Failure to submit the Certificate Completion Application during this time may jeopardize the student’s timely certificate completion. Once received, the associate director, academic advising will review the certificate students’ transcripts and confirm their eligibility to complete the certificate by email.
No. While there is no live event, we celebrate our certificate recipients across the globe each year with a webpage featuring your amazing work and accomplishments. Students who submit a Certificate Completion Application will receive detailed information about the Certificate Completion Recognition webpage during their final semester. Certificate recipients receive digital certificates through Parchment with the option to order printed certificates for a nominal fee. Digital certificates can be shared on social media and online profiles.
Students who complete their certificate programs in the Fall semester will receive their certificates in the Winter and will be included in the annual Certificate Recognition celebratory webpage, along with students who will complete their certificate programs in the Spring the following year. This webpage will be shared with both groups in the Summer.