• Home
• Handbook
  • Purpose of the Program
  • Description of the Program
  • Admission
  • Program Planning and Advising
  • Registration and Enrollment
  • Campus Life
  • Financial Information
• Frequently Asked Questions
  • Frequently Asked Questions

Brown/RISD Dual Degree Program Handbook

Download the handbook as a PDF document.

Description of the Program

The Brown/RISD Dual Degree program is a five-year program in which students earn a degree at each institution. The specific degree programs are as follows:

• The Brown degree earned by students in the program will ordinarily be a bachelor of arts (A.B.) degree. In some cases, earning a bachelor of science (Sc.B.) degree may be possible, though the feasibility of doing so will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
• The RISD degree earned by students in the program will in all cases be a bachelor of fine arts (BFA) degree. Other degrees offered at RISD ordinarily take five years – the bachelor of architecture (B.Arch.), bachelor of industrial design (BID), bachelor of graphic design (BGD), and bachelor of interior architecture (BIA) – and so are excluded from the program. The BFA in industrial design and the BFA in graphic design are four-year degrees and are included in the program.

Students are expected to finish both degrees within the program’s allotted five years, or 10 semesters. Students in the program must complete at least 156 credit hours. Of those, at least 60 credit hours (15 course credits) must be taken at Brown; transfer credits from RISD will not be accepted for this 60-credit hour minimum. Not all combinations of Brown concentration and RISD major may be possible to achieve within these parameters. Brown concentrations require varying numbers of credits. Due to the time and logistical constraints inherent in the program, students are strongly advised not to undertake more than one major or concentration at each institution, and to consider selecting Brown concentrations that require 12 or fewer course credits.

For the foreseeable future, the program will be limited to 10 to 20 students per class year.Students will be matriculated at both Brown and RISD for all five years, regardless of where they are taking classes in any given semester. Students will spend year one of the program at RISD but will attend both the RISD and Brown orientations, as well as a special dual degree orientation organized jointly by RISD and Brown. Students in year one will also be invited to participate in many of the programs offered by Brown for its first-year students. Participation in the Brown First Year Seminar Program will be available to Dual Degree students in year one depending on space availability and the feasibility of combining with the RISD first-year schedule.

For a full description of the first year at RISD, please consult the following resources:

RISD Foundation Studies
401 454-6176
www.risd.edu/firstyear_overview.cfm
www.risd.edu/foundation_overview.cfm

During year two, students will take most of their courses at Brown while in residence at Brown. In some ways, this year of the program will mirror the first-year experience at Brown. Dual Degree students in year two will again have the potential to be involved in programs geared toward first-year students at Brown, including numerous pre-orientation programs, orientation, and the First Year Seminar Program. In addition to their program advising coordinators and RISD and Brown faculty advisors, during years one and two of the program students will beassigned a peer advisor to help in the adjustment to academic life at Brown. For information on the Brown first-year experience, please consult the publication Guide to Brownand visit the dean of the College Web site:

Office of the Dean of the College
401 863-9800
http://brown.edu/Administration/Dean_of_the_College/

In March of year two, students must declare their RISD major. Prior to December of year three, students must declare a Brown concentration. Years three through five will be spent between the two institutions in course distributions to be determined by students, academic advisors, and Dual Degree advising coordinators. Only with the approval of the Dual Degree advising coordinators may students study away from campus, including abroad, and students should be aware that a year or semester away may be difficult to work into the five-year plan. Any course taken abroad will not be included in the 15 course-credit requirement for Brown. Study abroad is an option only in years three through five, with the assumption that all the course work expected in the first two years has been completed. Students have the ability to participate in study abroad programs through either institution, although, again, credit earned through any study abroad program will not count towardthe 15 course-credit requirement at Brown.

Brown’s Office of International Programs:
www.brown.edu/Administration/OIP/

RISD’s Office of International Programs:
www.risd.edu/international.cfm