Frequently Asked Questions ( FAQs )
Applying + Choosing a Program
Portfolio
I saw the requirements for the application and I would like to know if there aren't some special requirements in this master's application.
One of the great things about the Industrial Design graduate program at RISD is that there are students from all different backgrounds. You do not need to have a background in ID in order to apply. The formal requirements for the application can be found HERE. It's worth noting, however, that if your background is not in design, you are encouraged to apply for the 2.5 year program in order to incorporate a bit more design thinking and technical skills into your repertoire.
Is the MID department more concerned with finished work, showing the process, or both?
The portfolio is to showcase your interests, skills and work thus far at your discretion. It’s always great to include both finished work and process images. More information on how to think about this here.
I’ve never made a portfolio before, where do I start?
Include your best work, thoughtfully photographed and organized in PDF format. We receive a large number of applicants, so your work and ideas should be clear, with emphasis on images and visuals over written descriptions. See the RISD Career Center’s portfolio page for more resources.
More details from our application page:
Industrial Design’s MID programs nourish interdisciplinarity and diversity as a way of inspiring a rich exchange of alternative perspectives and approaches. Your 10-20 image portfolio should contain a wide range of project examples that tell a clear story of who you are as a thinker/artist/researcher/designer.
Please do not submit multi-page PDF files. Each sample should be accompanied by text identifying the medium and year, as well as a four-sentence description explaining the concepts that inform your work (50 words maximum). If you include collaborative projects, you must clearly identify your individual contribution.
Can I get feedback on my portfolio before I apply?
RISD hosts portfolio reviews September through December via video call. Learn more here.
Resume
Due to the pandemic, I haven’t been able to obtain employment. Thus there will be a 2-year gap on my resume. How will the gap be perceived during the application review process?
Use the other elements in your application (portfolio, essay) to tell us about how you spent that time and what you hope to work on in the future.
2.5 Year vs 2 Year Program
Does the MID program decide what track students enter (2.5 and 2 year option)
You can apply to either one. Upon review the department may recommend that you are instead considered for the 2.5 year program if you apply for the 2 year program.
Is there a difference in the skill levels required to be entered into the 2-year program vs the 2.5-year program?
The 2.5 year program welcomes people from diverse professional backgrounds, though the requirements to apply are the same - a portfolio, a resume and an essay. There is an expectation that those in the 2 year program come with prior experience in a related design field.
What do you believe are the advantages and disadvantages of both 2 year and the 2.5-year track?
The main difference between the two programs is that the 2.5-ers have an extra semester in the program (they join in January and not in the Fall). If you join the 2.5 year track that simply means that you join in Wintersession and take the Intro to ID course for 5 weeks (January). Then in the spring semester (February-May) you take the following classes -
Graduate shop orientation (Wood, Metal and Model shops) - 3 credits
Graduate Communications - 3 credits
ID Undergraduate Advanced Studio - 6 credits
An elective of your choice
Hence if you do not have much professional experience in design it may be better for you to apply to the 2.5 year program for the additional time to learn and practice some skills. After the first spring semester, the 2 year program candidates join your cohort. In the 2 year cohort you take the following classes in your first semester -
Graduate Studio 1 - 6 credit (this is taken together with the 2.5 year cohort)
Graduate shop orientation (Wood, Metal and Model shops) - 3 credits
Graduate Communications - 3 credits
An elective of your choice
So it really depends on what you see as your professional needs. It helps to think about what skills/aspects you want to learn and practice and leverage the extra semester accordingly (or not). More details on the structure here.
Courses & Electives
Course Structure and Details
Could you define the coursework exactly in all the ID studios and seminars for year 1 and 2?
Semester 0.5: For students who chose the 2.5 year program, they will start in January and join the rest of their cohort who start in September. This spring semester will start with a Wintersession class (a month long intensive) focused on introducing industrial design concepts. During the main semester, students will be able to choose from an Advanced Studio: a 6 credit course comprising upper level undergraduates and graduate students. This is a good time to practice up on ID skills of your choosing, like sketching, solidworks, ID history, and manufacturing techniques. You will also take a graduate shop class, which teaches basic woodworking and metalworking skills while getting familiarized with ID shops & facilities, as well as a Communications class designed for MID students. You will have space to take one elective.
Semester 1*: You’ll have a graduate studio class each semester: this is your main class that happens twice a week. Typically this first semester is all about broadening your research methodology to get into a really innovative and critical work practice, and also to help you figure out what questions really interest you as a designer. As a 2.0yr program student, you will also take a graduate shop class, which teaches basic woodworking and metalworking skills while getting familiarized with ID shops & facilities, as well as a Communications class designed for MID students. You will have space to take one elective. 2.5 yr program students will have space to take three electives.
Semester 2: In the second semester, your main MID studio shifts from focus on experimental and speculative design towards focusing on design research. The coursework remains structured around two main projects, with the aim of creating outcomes that are both commercially and practically relevant. The instructors will introduce various research and design methods to support this goal. You have the opportunity to take multiple electives this semester.
Semesters 3 and 4: Thesis year. Each semester will consist of your Thesis Studio class, your Mapping and Narratives class, and electives. The two semesters link together as you work towards your final Thesis project, which is defended and exhibited in the spring. In addition to the final objects, each student publishes a thesis book and chooses advisors both within and external to RISD. Check out past thesis books and graduate shows to get a better idea of the work MID students have made.
Structure
How are graduate studios structured? Is it a semester long individual project at different stages or is it broken down into shorter modules of different kinds of projects?
Studios usually have several projects throughout the semester. They have some prompts/guidelines to help build your capabilities in the different areas of ID, but you are expected to use the projects to find, explore and refine your individual area of inquiry. This is the question that will motivate your design process throughout all studio projects for the following year.
What is the balance between skills acquisition and critical design learning?
Graduate studios are more of the critical design thinking/research oriented classes. Students make a broad assortment of projects in these classes because they are led more by their own questions than they are by the prompt. Electives are where the hard skills are built up and often they service the work you do in Graduate Studio classes. The balance can really tip either way depending on what you want to develop in yourself. RISD has the resources to teach you all kinds of skills, and there are plenty of critical and theoretical seminars if you are looking for more of that. It is good to come with an idea of where you want to grow.
How much of the course work is Making and Designing vs Research?
The courses encourage everyone to experiment and figure out what design and research methodologies and processes work best for them. There are usually lectures from the professors and visiting guests who talk about their practice. It helps to ask for specific guidance when you need it. That said, the focus is usually to do enough initial research that you can spend more time making and designing as a way of continuing to do research and finalize your design.
What are typical assignments like? What would you say your workload is like?
Assignments are very broad, and usually the only definite deliverable is that you have an artifact at the end and that you can talk about your research process. That being said, students usually find they need to make a lot of things, not just one artifact (a one month commercial design project might produce: a 20 page book, a poster with 5 ad quality images, 10 identical designed objects and their packaging. All of that would have to be built on top of research and development). The workload is heavy but managing time is a good skill to develop.
Electives and Cross-Departmental Learning
Specific course interests -
Students are allowed to take courses outside of their discipline. You can tailor your RISD experience to explore and learn what you want. This can be done through class choice and areas of exploration in your classes. Every student’s path is different.
How much of business theory and marketing is involved in the program?
You have the opportunity to take a Business class through RISD but there isn't a ton of business and marketing incorporated into the program. There are semesters that focus more on Commercial Design, during which these topics will be discussed but not in extreme depth. There is, however, a really cool partnership that RISD has with Harvard Business School Online where you can apply to take a summer course called CORe. I have linked more info on the course HERE. It's a great class to take if you want to learn more about business analytics, economics and financial accounting. This course isn't a part of the MID program but RISD students are offered a discounted rate and the option to apply for a merit-based scholarship.
Do MID students have classes in sustainability? If so, what are they?
Yes. Classes vary from semester to semester so it depends on the faculty + their departments. You can take classes in other departments too depending on seat availability and instructor approval. Typically, we have a few Nature/sustainability centered courses offered by the Industrial Design department each semester.
I noticed that RISD has a Nature LAB. Do MID students have access to this? Do MID students have classes that utilize and integrate the Nature Lab into the coursework?
You can choose to use the Nature lab resources as part of work you do in any project you feel is relevant or take courses that utilize Nature
Classes at Brown that MID students have access to?
Yes you can take classes at Brown. Again depends on the course and availability. Cross Registration Information
I want to opt out of certain MID classes and replace them with something else. Can I do this and how?
The only course that one can opt out, is Shop Orientation if you have an extensive background in all things shop (not just wood, but metal and other materials). Others, no.
Is there a list of electives that students are able to choose from? If so, can you provide that to me?
Outside of the main 6 credit Graduate Studio classes and other initial required electives you are free to take 1-3 classes in ID or any other department depending on availability. You can find recent course listings here.
Are there opportunities to get a "well rounded" design education. As in, coursework in graphic design, physical computing/digital making, responsible design, etc. Are there courses available for these?
Short answer: yes. That’s why we have electives and a lot of people take theirs outside of the department. If you really want to develop your graphic design skills, it makes sense to take a course from the graphic design department. Physical computing is taught in Foundation Study, CTC, ID and in Digital Media. You can also take courses at Brown.
Is there the opportunity to work on projects that have a great societal impact?
Yes there are plenty of local initiatives, and you always get emails about how to get involved. Each semester there are also courses focused on one type of responsible design (ie: “Design for Impact”). If this type of design is your passion and you have your own ideas of what kind of impact to make, there are the advisors and other resources here to help you out. Also, classes at Brown (ie:“ ENGN 1000 Projects in Engineering Design”) and RISD x Brown collaborations (ie:“Design x Health”) offer quite a few opportunities for students to take part in real world projects.
Teaching + Learning in Art + Design
Are there teaching opportunities?
Yes, graduate students can teach during the wintersession of their second year. You have to write and submit a proposal the prior spring. You can also find Teaching Assistantships (TA) during the semester. Refer here for more info.
International Students
Is it a STEM Designated program?
Yes, if you are an international student you will get the STEM extension (24 months/2 years) on your OPT work visa (1 year). More info on STEM and OPT here.
Information about coming to RISD, immigration help and guidelines about employment can be found here.
Department/Diversity
What percentage of professors in the MID program currently work (outside of academia) in the field that they teach in?
Most of them are not full time faculty. Full time faculty have practices outside of RISD too.
What is the diversity makeup (in percentages) of MID faculty (disaggregated by core and adjunct faculty, and age, ethnicity and gender)?
Here are some stats on diversity at RISD. You can check out the current faculty list here.
What is the diversity makeup of the MID student body (disaggregated by year in the program, age, ethnicity and gender)?
There are no specific stats but you can check out the current and past cohorts here.
Can you describe how the diversity gets embedded into the curriculum (E.g. the required readings, references, designers, artists etc.)?
You can check out the RISD SEI (Social Equity and Inclusion) Policy here and here. Depending on the class and professor, there is an effort to ensure representation through readings, references, etc. Largely discussions around SEI are welcome as well and if not then it can be taken up with the department + Centre for SEI.
Assistantships and Costs
How involved are TA positions in terms of time commitment. Does it make it hard to balance your other things and is the pay worth it?
TA-ing is about a 5 hour/week commitment. Most grad students have some type of assistantship, TA-ship and/or monitoring job, so it is not hard to balance your workload with that sort of commitment.
How do I apply for grad assistantships?
Information about assistantships to apply for comes out at the start of the semester when you get here. Most grad students do not have trouble finding an assistantship, and opportunities continue to come out throughout the year.
Is it really that hard to obtain aid for attending?
Most graduate students receive aid in one form or another, and this would be outlined in your offer letter. Grants and work-study depend on many things. Loans are a part of most graduate students’ reality, but all will tell you it is worth the investment in yourself. Assistantships pay pretty well, and most find Providence an affordable place to live.
Fellowships, Scholarships & Grants:
RISD Grad Fellowship
During admission most students receive some form of aid (RISD Fellowship), usually outlined in your offer letter, which is need and merit based. There is no additional application for this, all applicants to the program are considered for this. You will receive the same awarded fellowship amount each academic year during your education.
The Society of Presidential Fellows
The Society of Presidential Fellows program provides full tuition support and professional development opportunities to select graduate students for the duration of their studies. All applicants admitted into a RISD graduate program will be considered for the fellowship. No additional application is required. Admitted applicants will be nominated by their academic department or program.
Building Tall Presidential Fellowship
The Building Tall Presidential Fellowship is awarded to select first-generation graduate students who are admitted into RISD’s Master of Industrial Design (MID) and Master of Architecture (MArch) programs. This fellowship is especially suited to students with an interest in environmental and sustainability studies or related issues. All first-generation applicants admitted into an MID or MArch program for the will be considered for the Building Tall Fellowship. Admitted applicants will be nominated by their academic department.
Departmental & Project-Specific Scholarships
Anywhere from $500-$2000 annual application; Students are awarded at the end of the year once you are enrolled. More on financial assistance here.
Fed M. Rhody Scholarship
ID Department Health Fund (Project specific)
ID Department Marc Harrison Fund (Project specific)
RISD Grants
Graduate Commons Grant
Maharam Fellowship Grant
Spur Fund
RISD Somerson Sustainability Innovation Fund
Student Employment at RISD:
Refer to https://studentemployment.risd.edu/
Upon joining you can also apply to RISD Campus jobs (approx $17/hour) which are emailed out to students before every semester.
Research or Teaching Assistantships (~$22/hour) or Departmental administrative assistantships (~$20/hour).
Student Body Representatives (volunteerships)
Grad Rep for the ID Department
Grad Rep for RISD Research Initiatives
Grad Rep for the RISD Museum Education Committee
ID Department rep for the Graduate Student Alliance
President of the Graduate Student Alliance”
Career Opportunities
Internships
Refer to the RISD Career Center.
Does the MID program help students obtain internships, especially for those who come from a different background? If so, how?
The ID department faculty and peers can help answer ID specific inquiries but for one-on-one help with your resume, interview skills and job hunting, the RISD Career Center is an excellent resource! You will have the opportunity to meet with potential employers in events like Internship Connect and Portfolio Review.
Students also have the opportunity to register internships for school credit (3 credits). These internships need to be a minimum of 6 weeks for summer internships and 5 weeks for Wintersession. Refer here for more information.
Life After RISD
Where are MID alumni now?
There is a mix of interest in what students choose to pursue during and after school. Students find work in areas such as design strategy, user experience design, humanitarian & social impact design and traditional product design jobs. Alumni can be found at Nike, IBM, Continuum, Apple, different start-ups, and many even go on to start their own companies. You can see a list of more recent grad alumni and current students here.
How about networking in terms of job opportunities and media exposure?
Faculty often are still practicing in the field, and are great resources for advice. There's a portfolio review that happens in the Spring and Internship Connect that happens in the Fall when 150+ companies come to interview students. In addition, there are plenty of job postings on the careers website. These are run by the career center, which leads a lot of workshops and events that guide students as they think about careers.
Life In Providence
Refer here for more info.
What is it like to live in Providence (other than the fact that it's cold sometimes)?
Providence could be described as a big town or small city. There's public transportation that can get you anywhere in the city (free with your RISD ID!) and a diversity of neighborhoods to visit, but there's definitely not the urban population density of a larger city like NYC or Chicago. Everything is quite spread out, although there are several popular areas where people will tend to go. Around RISD there's also Brown and Johnson and Wales University, so there's a collegiate atmosphere closer to campus.
Neighborhoods
Many people live on the East side of Providence, which is the area between Brown University and Fox Point (not the same as East Providence). There are a few people who live on the West end of Providence (Federal Hill), and they usually bike to campus. Refer here for more info.
How does one get around Providence?
Most people walk, bike, and/or take the RIPTA Buses, which are free for RISD students. RIPTA is Rhode Island Public Transportation and covers the state. Having a car would come in handy, but there are also plenty of Zipcars around if that is preferred. RISD Rides are also available: vans or small buses that pick you up from your studio and bring you home for free.
Is there parking at the campus?
Parking is not readily available on campus as there are limited spots. There is the option of purchasing a parking pass each semester if that is of interest. See more info here. Short time intervals and metered parking can be found around the ID building and downtown around CIT.
Housing Resources
RISD Off Campus Housing:
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/VoYs6FjHUtN19D2Q/
Brown University Housing, Sublets & Roommates: https://www.facebook.com/groups/683411031786289
Both facebook groups are active. Some people have also chosen to start out in a sublet to see if they like the area or even just to get acclimated with things before they look for a more permanent place to live. You can also find options in this group that come furnished.
Brown Off Campus Housing: https://www.brown.edu/offices/real-estate/off-campus-listings
There are also local realtors if that seems easier for you, such as Samson Realty - (401) 454-5454
Grad community Facebook page (connect with other students, ask questions, find out about events.) https://www.facebook.com/groups/risdgraduatecommunitybulletinboard