Wintersession
For five weeks between fall and spring, Wintersession offers a complete change of pace. It lets you deeply explore a specific discipline, special topic, new techniques, experimental processes and more.
Faculty and graduate students also use Wintersession to experiment with innovative course offerings ranging from performance art workshops to targeted project research to travel-study studios abroad.
Wintersession courses and opportunities
Many students look to Wintersession as a time to get a feel for disciplines outside their majors. They may also head to New York, London, Milan or Los Angeles—wherever their fields offer the most meaningful internships. Those who remain on campus choose from a range of Wintersession courses. Offerings include introductory classes as well as focused and topical studios and seminars.
Students also use Wintersession to take part in co-curricular activities that are harder to fit it during fall and spring. For instance, performance-minded students often get involved in writing, directing and acting in musicals and other theatrical productions. All in all, it’s a time to break from routine and a great way to recharge creative energy.
Related stories
Faculty members Catherine Andreozzi and Joy Ko lead a Wintersession course inspired by Jaipur’s rich handcrafting traditions.
Daniel Heyman’s new Wintersession global studies course introduces students to contemporary artists using ancient techniques in the Netherlands and Germany.
A Wintersession global studies course led by Lucy Spelman and Andrea Dezsö considers the important role that artists and designers can play in environmental conservation.
Wintersession travel-study
During Wintersession you can take courses focused on the arts, architecture, design and culture of other countries and US regions. Recent areas of study include photography in Paris, Renaissance painting techniques in Florence, puppetry in Bali, signs and symbols in Ghana, environmental issues in Costa Rica, shoe design in northern Europe and more.
Also available are domestic travel/study courses that take you around the US to investigate regional architecture, national park sites and urban issues. (Costs and travel arrangements vary from course to course.)
Get to know RISD
Explore art and design through a global lens via programs abroad, on campus and online.
Stretch your practice and discover new creative pathways through our diverse summer offerings.
Gain teaching experience in your field through our certificate program for enrolled grad students.