All Brown students have the option of taking a maximum of 4 course credits at the renowned Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), adjacent to Brown on College Hill. Students may count up to 4 credits from RISD courses toward graduation requirements at Brown. During the fall, winter, and spring terms, Brown students enroll at RISD under a cross-registration agreement that is part of their Brown tuition. RISD studios are most often 3 or 6 credits; each 3-credit RISD course is regarded as the full equivalent of 1 Brown credit while each 6-credit RISD course is regarded as the full equivalent of 2 Brown credits. Students who register for a 6-credit course at RISD should be aware that they will only be able to register for up to 3 additional Brown courses in that semester. Students who cross-register for a course during the RISD Wintersession term should note that this course will be recorded in the spring term and counts toward the 5 courses students may take in the spring. Upon satisfactory completion with a grade of C or better, the course is recorded on the student's Brown transcript.

Registration for RISD courses is on a space-available basis and is subject to permission of the RISD instructor and the RISD Registrar. Some RISD courses have associated course fees. Prior completion of VISA 100 is recommended and may be required for some courses. Students seeking an exception to the 4-credit policy for cross-registration at RISD should consult information on how to petition the Committee on Academic Standing.

Brown students who wish to register for a RISD course in the fall, winter, or spring terms should take the following steps:

1. Access the RISD Course Listings. Use the filters to search by 'Academic Period' (term). Only courses with an Enrollment Status of 'Open' should be considered. Brown students may cross-register at RISD for any modality course (in-person, hybrid, or online).
2. Before filling out the cross-registration form, indicate interest in a course by emailing the instructor using their email address included in the Course Listing. 
3. Fill out RISD’s electronic cross-registration form. This electronic add form will not be available until RISD’s first day of classes for the semester and will close on the last day of the RISD add/drop period. Brown students may authenticate into the form using their @brown.edu email address.
4. Review and agree to follow RISD’s Health and Safety Protocols linked in the form.
5. Once the form is submitted, it will be routed through the permission process.
6. Once all approvals have been secured, the RISD and Brown Registrar’s Offices will register the student for the course.

VIEW CROSS-REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS (PDF)

Visit the RISD Registrar’s website for more information on RISD’s academic calendar.

For a visual representation of important dates at both Brown and RISD, visit the Brown|RISD academic calendar.

Please note that the electronic cross-registration form cannot be started until RISD’s first day of classes for the term and will close on the last day of the RISD Add/Drop period.

In rare cases, Brown students are able to cross-register for an Independent Study Project (ISP) with full-time RISD faculty only. Any Brown student planning an ISP should email registrar@risd.edu for further instruction. Include in the email the RISD faculty member that you wish to oversee the ISP. ISPs are not available via the electronic cross-registration form. 

Brown seniors in their final semester are discouraged from cross-registering in the spring term. RISD’s spring semester ends after Brown’s, and grades are not due until after Brown’s Commencement ceremony. As a result, this may delay graduation from Brown.

Brown graduate students seeking to cross-register at RISD are also required to seek permission from the Brown Graduate School and should refer to the Graduate School's instructions for cross-registration.

Summer session is not included in the cross-registration agreement. Brown students pay RISD directly when they register for a summer class. RISD summer courses are subject to Brown’s transfer credit policies and approval procedures. In effect, students cannot transfer coursework unless they have a credit recovery need, as confirmed by a College academic dean. If transferred to Brown, RISD summer courses count towards the maximum 4 credits of RISD coursework eligible for graduation requirements at Brown. Individual concentrations may honor outside coursework towards concentration requirements without transfer credit at their discretion; consult with the respective departments before enrolling.

To ensure housing through RISD's finals/studio review periods, students living on Brown's campus are asked to coordinate their arrival and departure dates with Brown’s Office of Residential Life.

Students who wish to dine at Brown during Wintersession can purchase winter meal blocks through Brown Dining.

All cross-registered students receive a RISD ID that is valid for the term of the cross-registration. Any student who shows both a Brown and a RISD student ID to the cashier can purchase meals at Sharpe Refectory (the Ratty) or Verney-Woolley (V-Dub) at the meal-plan rate using cash, credit, debit, or Bear Bucks.

Students with F-1 or J-1 visas who plan to take a Wintersession course should consult with Brown’s Office of International Students and Scholars.