If you are the creative type consider Rhode Island School of Design, one of the best art and design schools in the world...

When you think of college you probably think about all the traditional subjects one can study: politics, law, science, astronomy, philosophy, etc. But did you know that there are also college across the country that specialize in art and design? At these schools, rather than read history books, students spend their time in studios and working with expert professors to hone their artistic craft whether it be painting, photography, or furniture design.  Graduates from these schools complete what is called a BFA which stands for Bachelor of Fine Arts. With this degree students can move forward into their professional lives as artists find rewarding careers in their selected field. 

The School

While there are many terrific art and design schools, the premier college in the nation is the Rhode Island School of Art and Design. Founded in 1877 and offering more than 20 majors, the school, known as RISD (pronounced Riz-Dee) was one of the first art and design school in America and focuses on a rigorous learning experience that mixes studio-based artistic courses like painting and sculpting with traditional liberal arts classes such as anthropology and biology. Class size average is 14 students and the student to faculty ratio is 9:1. Space I want all 2500 students attend the school, 2000 of them are undergraduate in about 500 or studying for masters degrees.

In the old days when the school was founded the mission statement dedicated the school to “eating the cultivation of the arts of design. The focus was on drawing painting modeling today there are majors focusing cross a huge spectrum of the visual arts mediums covering everything from textiles and furniture design to film studies and architecture. Check out some other highlights from just a few of the great programs available.

So Many Majors

Visual arts is the unifying theme behind all the majors offered at the Rhode Island school of design. If it’s artistic and you can see it they will try and offer you classes to learn how to do it. Here is a sampling of just some of the cooler offerings:

Furniture design -  Changing lifestyles and differing economic conditions demand furniture that includes both new technologies and new materials. For example can furniture be made cheaply from repurposed materials like cans or bottles?

Apparel design  -Learn the process of designing and creating your own unique  wardrobe from the initial concept sketches all the way to producing actual wearables. Graduates in this field usually go on to work in the fashion industry and sometimes get quite rich and famous…think Ralph Lauren who started the Polo brand.   

Industrial Design (ID) - This type of design is around us every day from the hair-dryer in the hotel room to the fly-swatter that gets used\ in the summer. All these everyday objects were at some point designed buy an industrial designer to meet a certain need.  Students who major in this field go through the same process of conceiving and producing of an object that makes everyday tasks easier. 

After Class

When class is over there is plenty to do to unwind from the stress of college’s demanding workload. Sports such as basketball, ice hockey and fending, abound the campus in both intramural and varsity forms. (Don’t ask about the team name or mascot but its an animal you wouldn’t want to show your little sister.) And there are clubs galore such as beekeeping and video game design and even midnight soccer. 

Off campus there endless options for amazing adventures. First of all, the school is located in the gorgeous College Hill historic neighborhood in central Providence and it shares a stunning campus with prestigious Brown University located right next door. Away from Providence there is fishing, jet skiing and paddleboarding on nearby Narraganset Bay and only 45 minutes away lies world famous Newport Beach, known for being one of the most fun beach town in the USA.   

By offering both an awesome location and an outstanding educational experience, RISD is truly a great choice for those with an artistic eye.