Rhode Island School of Design Reviews of Master's in Fine Arts

"I cannot overstate how much I have learned so far through this program. It has its difficulties, and it could stand a tech update across the board, but the faculty and students are amazing, and the career services department is a standout. Guest speakers are also generally very impressive."

"The best resources at RISD are the extraordinary teachers and students who work here. The classes push students to develop both their depth and breadth of understanding and expertise, and the professors are generally very available for additional support. I am learning a great deal from my classmates, and am inspired to work harder and stretch myself more because of their talent and commitment. The school has an internationally diverse population, but is a bit lacking in American racial diversity. I think the school could benefit from reaching out to students in public schools who may otherwise not be aware of RISD's opportunities. The career services center is excellent, and provides many resources for preparing for life after RISD. These resources go hand in hand with the strong alumni network. RISD alums are known for hiring graduates or connecting them with other opportunities. Providence is a rich environment with an active creative scene. The RIPTA system provides access statewide, but would be improved by more frequent service. RISD helps to fill the gaps with its RISD Rides service, which covers most of the areas where students live. Overall, I don't think I could have chosen a better place to study. As someone changing careers, I feel that I have been opened up to paths I didn't know I wanted to follow, and that I will be well prepared and connected as a professional designer."

"The pros is that I am in a great program with a lot of facilities to learn from all the medias to make my work. I have my own space to work and all the criticism I need to make it better. The cons is just the cost. I'll probably leave the program before the thesis year because I can't afford it. I believe that I was going to be able to find enough scholarships and grants but I have not."

"Overall, I feel like this school is such an amazing place to study. Both students and faculty are very helpful and willing to share their knowledge and help you no matter what. I like the diversity, people from all over the world come here. Although Providence is not quite a big city, it has a lot to offer and a lovely place for a student life."

"The pros of my graduate program is that you can meet a variety of Artist that are the top of their professions and very serious about their work. The cons of the graduate program is too much non-studio classes as required when you are a studio-base Artist."

"RISD is good school, with grate faculty. It's a hard work."

"While RISD offers a competitive education this program lacks organization, focus and mentorship. Courses are ill considered to the needs of a diverse graduate student body and an overwhelming portion of education received is done independent of instruction and advisement. While RISD as an institution has a wealth of opportunity to offer its students the Industrial Design department specifically is lacking in fostering a supportive and well rounded design education for its students."

"Pros: stimulating school environment, reputation and variety of projects to choose from. Cons: Very demanding"

"I think RISD is a quite good design&art school, but the location; Providence, is not a really good place for getting information comparing with other big cities such as New York or London. However, it's a nice place for students to concentrate on their works."

"In six months i have learned so much, its almost unbelievable and that would be a pros however the con would be at first the program feels disorganized and some of the computer programs are not explain in the prep summer courses."

"RISD textiles department manages to strike an almost perfect balance between learning technical skills and conceptual development in a way that makes you ready for the industry but with a well developed personal approach. It is equipped with industrial standard equipment and faculty and technicians who are very invested in the students. Overall its the best decision I made to study textiles at RISD. It has opened up a large arena of opportunities and possibilities for me."

"My particular graduate program at RISD is still in its infancy. I am in the one-year M.A. Interior Architecture programs with an emphasis in adaptive reuse. The program was started in 2011. I understand that there are somethings within the department that perhaps need to be worked out, but overall as a student in the program, I am very satisfied. I came to an art school specifically to be around such environment and openness to the art community, on and off campus. The professors all have a great working and educational backgrounds that guide the students well during the course of their studies. I'll be honest and mention that there are some students within the department that make me wonder how they were selected for admissions, but I assume that any student in any school have probably wondered the same. The graduate program in interior architecture really leaves the student open to interpret their projects and works, and to experiment and discover new means and research for their end result. I wish the semesters would be longer, especially for a school that deals a lot with art and exploration within it (semesters at RISD are about 13 weeks long). Requiring grad students to participate in RISD's 6 week wintersession course (a period between fall and spring semester) is a complete plus because you can take courses in other departments; being a grad student usually prevents any time to do so in a regular semester. One major con is the lack of interactivity and communication between the architecture/landscape architecture departments and the interior architecture department."