Rhode Island School of Design Reviews

"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."

"Amazing faculty and resources, great peers. But very expensive."

"Because of RISD's small size and placement within an art school there is a lot of room to direct your education based on your own interests. The handmade work is strongly emphasized which can sometime place digital work at a disadvantage. Additionally, the graduate architecture program is completely integrated with the undergrad program which is fine on most levels, but compared to the other departments, the architecture grads receive less extra resources and it would helpful to have classes or resources specifically devoted to the masters program."

"MDes in Interior Studies, concentration in Adaptive Reuse. Great program! (despite the lousy name...)"

"All in all this is RISD and it is an amazing place to learn. While resources are available (including facilities, money, etc) they are not necessarily easy to find and require a motivated student to seek out exactly what they need. In the end the name of the place, the community and connections, and the value of the faculty and education is well worth it."

"RISD's Graduate architecture program is valuable for it's integration within the greater scheme of an arts school and the exposure which such a setting brings to other disciplines. The program covers a wide variety of facets of architecture, and allows for substantial creative freedom. The adoption of technology could be better, as could the facilities, which sometimes impact the work itself. Overall the program is excellent."

"RISD is a very excellent school with expensive tuition. Work hard, play hard and make good art!"

"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."

"Excellent faculty, great city to be a student in. However, there needs to be more of a community -- opportunities for students to learn from one another. People tend to be quite independent/isolated and there is little space for collaboration and crossing disciplines."

"Academically challenging in good ways. Provides a deep perspective on issues of design. However, it has unrealistic expectations of production time needs and can be a bit old fashioned."

"I feel we should prompt the interdisciplinary study and digital study in Landscape Architecture."

"The graduate interior architecture program at RISD is an amazing program. It has a strong focus on adaptive reuse of existing buildings and architecture. This is not a decorating or interior design program. Yes the overall aesthetic is important but you will not be learning about paint color or fabric specs in this program (which is what drew me to the school). Providence is an ok little town but you are kept so busy with school work it doesn't really matter what town you're in. Boston is only 40 min away so for weekends off its a perfect escape. The community at RISD is wonderful, creative and diverse. I really recommend this program to anyone strongly interested in being pushed creatively and seeking an education in interior architecture."

"Pros: 1. RISD is a great design school and has a lot of brilliant teachers. I really enjoy the study of Adaptive Reuse which I think is quite useful in the future. 2. I've made many international students which is also a good way for study! Cons: 1. The tuition is too expensive. 2. The equipments of my department is not good enough."

"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."

"Access to resources is incredible. From the career center to the writing center t"

"The architecture program is very conceptual but you learn how to think!"

"RISD is an exceptional graduate program. Despite the cost which is expensive, the overall quality of the education that is received at the school makes it a worthwhile program. Highly recommended."

"Pros: Outstanding, educated, and committed faculty Excellent collaboration between disciplines and programs Wonderful community Cons: Cost Financial Aid Facilities"

"I respect that they push us so hard to working innumerable hours, and I believe that I thrive because of it. The expectations are high, and in attempting to meet them, we exceed our own. The pros in RISD's masters architecture program would be: emphasis on individual thinking and problem solving, high expectations, career opportunities. Cons would be: the lack of administrative organization as it affects forward-thinking and looking students."