No - because of the unique structure and requirements of the BRDD program, it is not possible to join as a transfer student. Students who have at any point enrolled in a college degree-granting program are ineligible to apply.

Prospective applicants who have already enrolled in a college degree-granting program are encouraged to consider applying to RISD as a transfer student and/or applying to Brown as a transfer student. Nontraditional students and military veterans are encouraged to learn about Brown’s Resumed Undergraduate Education (RUE) program.

Although there is no age limit to enter the program as a first-time student, keep in mind that BRDD students are required to live in a first-year dorm at RISD during their first year and in Brown housing their second year.

No - just as it is not possible to join the BRDD as a transfer, it is not possible to join after matriculating to Brown or RISD. Students enrolled at Brown or RISD may take courses at the other institution through the cross-registration agreement.

Students who earn an Associate’s degree as part of a dual enrollment program while in high school are not considered transfer students, and are therefore eligible to apply to BRDD as first-year students. While certain coursework completed as part of a dual enrollment program may allow students to enroll in higher-level courses and/or to satisfy concentration requirements, it cannot advance standing in the BRDD program or decrease the ten required semesters of full-time enrollment.

Yes - students enrolled at Brown or RISD may take courses at the other institution through the cross-registration agreement.

There are no BRDD-specific campus tours - prospective applicants and families visiting Providence are encouraged to tour each campus. See our Visit page for more information. 

Applicants may choose to apply to either Brown or RISD under their respective Early Decision Programs, with the understanding that if they are admitted via Early Decision, they agree to matriculate regardless of the outcome of their applications to the other institution and the Dual Degree Program. If admitted to Brown or RISD through the Early Decision process, the applicant is then permitted to apply to the other institution through the Regular Decision application process. In mid-March of the application year, the Dual Degree Admission Committee will convene to discuss the applications of any Regular Decision applicants to the Program, and the applications of any Early Decision applicants who have been admitted or deferred. BRDD admission decisions are communicated by early April.

Brown and RISD’s admissions committees will have access to your BRDD supplemental essay and may choose to review it at any point - but it will be considered most closely if and when your application reaches the stage of being considered by the BRDD admissions committee. The supplemental essay submitted to Brown and to RISD should be identical.

See guidance on Preparing for Brown, and on RISD's Portfolio.

All applicants are required to submit a portfolio with their RISD application. BRDD applicants are encouraged, though not required, to submit the Visual Art Supplement with their Brown application. Whereas the BRDD supplemental essay must be the same essay submitted to both Brown and RISD, the portfolio submitted to Brown does not need to contain the same works as the portfolio submitted to RISD. For additional guidance, see RISD’s Portfolio page and Brown’s Visual Art Supplement page.

Please see our page on tuition and financial aid. 

Brown and RISD offer one joint graduate degree: the Master of Arts in Design Engineering. There is no program for dual graduate degrees.

Yes; you would first apply to Brown through the QuestBridge National College Match process. In the application, indicate your interest in BRDD and submit the supplemental essay. If you are matched to Brown, you will then submit a Common App to RISD through the Regular Decision process; again, you would indicate your interest in BRDD and submit the same supplemental essay. In early spring, you would be considered for admission to RISD and then for admission to BRDD. If not admitted to BRDD, your application to RISD would be withdrawn so that you could fulfill your commitment to attend Brown.

For all BRDD students, including QuestBridge Scholars, tuition and fees are handled through Brown. Financial aid is renewable for BRDD QuestBridge Scholars for all five years of the program, assuming eligibility continues. Students must reapply each year for financial aid.

BRDD students cannot pursue RISD’s five-year Bachelor’s in Architecture major or Brown’s eight-year Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME). Otherwise, BRDD students can pursue any major at RISD and any concentration at Brown. However, because of the rigor and scheduling of the Dual Degree program, not all combinations of RISD and Brown degrees may be possible. Pursuing an Sc.B. or a double concentration at Brown requires careful planning and may not be possible as a BRDD student.

After attending presentations and open studios hosted by RISD departments during their first semester, BRDD students declare a major in their second semester and begin taking courses in that major during their third semester. BRDD students declare a concentration at Brown in their fifth semester. It may be possible to change majors; the feasibility depends on a number of factors including when you make the change and which department you would switch from/into.

Please see the Brown Health Careers Advising office’s page on courses that fulfill most medical schools’ application requirements. The feasibility of a BRDD student being able to complete all of these requirements during their five years in the program depends on many factors, and requires careful planning.

At Brown, BRDD students can pursue a single concentration, a single concentration with a certificate, or a double concentration. Brown does not offer minors. At RISD, BRDD students can pursue a single major, or a single major with a concentration (similar to a minor at other colleges or universities). They cannot pursue a double major. Pursuing courses of study beyond a single major and single concentration requires careful planning, and may not be possible in all cases. Keep in mind that, by pursuing both a B.F.A. and an A.B. or Sc.B., BRDD students are already building and demonstrating expertise in multiple areas of study!

Most BRDD students take four or five courses each semester. In addition to ten fall or spring semesters of full-time enrollment, BRDD students are required to complete two RISD Wintersessions (and may choose to take up to five). Although the numbers may vary based on several factors, BRDD students typically take a total of about 52 courses over the course of five years. By contrast, Brown students typically take a total of 32 courses over the course of four years.

BRDD students are able to study abroad through RISD Global, Brown Study Abroad, or the Brown Semester Internship Programs and are encouraged to do so when it aligns with their educational and personal goals. Spending a semester abroad requires careful planning and may not be possible for students in all major/concentration combinations. Outside of the fall and spring semester, BRDD students may earn credit for participating in experiences including RISD Global’s Wintersession Travel and Summer Studies courses, Brown’s Undergraduate Teaching and Research Awards, and Brown’s Edward Guiliano '72 Global Fellowship. Typically, about 1-2 students in each cohort have an educational experience abroad while enrolled in the BRDD program.

At any time, a student may choose to withdraw from the Brown|RISD Dual Degree program but remain enrolled in one or the other of the institutions, provided that they meet the selected institution’s requirements for continuing. Students considering withdrawal from BRDD should consult with academic advisors to understand implications on degree requirements and to ensure the viability of and understand the timeline for degree completion at the selected institution. Students who receive financial aid should also consult carefully with the Financial Aid Office of the selected institution to evaluate the effect on their aid. Once made, the decision to withdraw from the Brown|RISD Dual Degree Program is irrevocable.

Although the program is academically rigorous, BRDD students find time to make friends and participate in a wide range of activities at Brown, at RISD, and further afield. Many BRDD students participate in clubs through Brown’s Student Activities Office or RISD’s Center for Student Involvement; they play sports; they volunteer, intern, and conduct research… and the list goes on. Each BRDD student manages the balance of coursework and prioritizes their co-curricular and social involvement differently. With so many opportunities, the challenge can sometimes become deciding how to choose! 

In their first year, BRDD students live in one hall of a RISD first-year dorm and have a RISD dining plan. In their second year, BRDD students live at Brown; most choose to live in one dorm designated for the BRDD sophomore community. They can either have a full Brown dining plan or the Brown BRDD Flex Plan (in addition to RISD off-campus dining plans, if desired). Beyond their second year, BRDD students can choose to live on either campus or off-campus and have a range of dining options, according to individual preference and availability. Please see the Housing & Dining page for more information.

Yes - BRDD students can access Counseling and Psychological Services at either Brown or RISD, and Student Health Services at either Brown or RISD. BRDD students pay Brown’s health services and health insurance fees, and are automatically enrolled in Brown's Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP).

Yes - BRDD students who may be eligible for physical, psychological, or learning accommodations are eligible and encouraged to work with both Brown’s Student Accessibility Services and RISD’s Disability Support Services offices.