建築系:RISD的建築系常被校友形容為擁有兩種獨立思維卻又能互補的特質。第一,延伸務實化邏輯成為設計過程的重心;第二,運用經驗去建立理論架構。此多元化架構下的建築教育允許學生去發展自己興趣,能做更進一步的探索。1946-1947年間,建築繫結合景觀建築與室內設計系合組計畫學院,也因此加入都市計畫的新課程,並開啟院內的合作計畫,建築系在此時重新設計組織, 以求其專業教育可凌駕其他相關院校。1953年,該系建築學程得到國家建築認證委員全國建築認可委員會(NAAB)的專業認證,既哈佛,耶魯,與麻省理工學院之後,成為新英格蘭區中獲得專業認證的第四所獨立學院。羅德島設計學院建築系的畢業生在學術界有較大影響,尤其是對於最近幾年哈佛大學設計學院(GSD)和麻省理工學院(MIT)。1983級建築系本科畢業生斯考特科恩(Preston Scott Cohen),於2008年成為哈佛大學建築系主任,接任Rafael Moneo, Mack Scogin, Harry Cobb和Walter Gropius。1986級建築系本科畢業生奈德爾特拉尼(Nader Tehrani)從2010年起擔任麻省理工建築系主任,並於2015年擔任Cooper Union的學院長。
傑出校友
學術領域
Ricky Allman(M.F.A 2007) - Painter, Professor
Preston Scott Cohen(B.Arch 1983) - Architect; Director of the Architecture degree program at theHarvard Graduate School of Design
Nader Tehrani(B.F.A. and a B.Arch from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1985 and 1986 respectively) is Professor and Head of the Department of Architecture at MIT
政治領域
John Cebrowski- member of theNew Hampshire House of Representatives
Lance Wilder (B.F.A. 1990) - Animator, known for his work inThe SimpsonsandThe Critic
Bryan Konietzko(B.F.A. 1998) - Animator, known for his work onAvatar the Last AirbenderandFamily Guy
Michael Dante DiMartino(B.F.A. 1996) - Animator, known for his work onAvatar the Last Airbender
Dan Golden(B.F.A. 1994) - Film Maker, Composer of Oscar-nominated filmFeral
Daniel Sousa(B.F.A. 1994) - Animator, Director of Oscar-nominated filmFeral
建築領域
Preston Scott Cohen(B.Arch 1983) - Gerald M. McCue Professor in Architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD). Principal of Preston Scott Cohen, Inc.
Michael Gabellini(B.Arch 1981) - Architect & Interior Designer, Teacher at theParsons School of Design
Glenn Gissler(B.Arch 1984) - Architect
Richard Levine(B.Arch 1962) - Professor, Green Architect & Sustainability Pioneer.
Michael Maltzan(B.Arch) - Principal and Founder of Michael Maltzan Architecture.
Nader Tehrani(B.Arch 1986) - Professor and head of the Department of Architecture, MIT. Principal and Founder of NADAAA.
Charles Corda(B.Arch 1975) - Architect
藝術收藏領域
Jim Drain(B.F.A 1998) - Artist
Matt Brinkman(B.F.A 1997) - Artist
Leif Goldberg(B.F.A. 1997) - Artist
Mary Boone(B.F.A. 1973) - Gallery Owner
David Whitney(B.Int. Arch. 1963) - Art Collector and Curator, longtime companion of influential American ArchitectPhilip Johnson
漫畫領域
Jason Lutes(B.F.A. 1991) - Cartoonist
服裝設計領域
Katie Gallagher(B.F.A. 2009) - Fashion Designer
Diana Eng(B.F.A. 2005) - Fashion Designer and Contestant onProject Runway
Robert Geller(B.F.A. 2001) - Fashion Designer, Recipient of theGQ/CFDABest New Menswear Designer Award 2009
Mary Katrantzou- Fashion Designer
Jennifer Kellogg(B.F.A. 1993) - Jewelry Designer
Nicole Miller(B.F.A. 1973) - Fashion Designer
電影和電視
Martha Coolidge(B.F.A. 1968) - Film Director:Valley Girl(1983),Real Genius(1985),The Prince and Me(2004),Material Girls(2006)
Ben Coccio(B.F.A. 1997) - Film Director ofZero Day
Michael Dante DiMartino(B.F.A. 1998) Co-creator and Executive Producer,Avatar: The Last Airbender
JuliAnne DeChaine(B.F.A. 1979) - Costume Designer, Artist
Bryan Konietzko(B.F.A. 1998) Co-Creator and Executive Producer,Avatar: The Last Airbender
Ellen Kurascinematographer
Mary Lambert(B.F.A 1974) - Film Director:Pet Sematary(1989),The In Crowd(2000)
Seth MacFarlane(B.F.A. 1995) - Animator, Voice Actor, and Creator ofFamily Guy,American Dad!, andThe Cleveland Show
Martin Mull(B.F.A. 1965, M.F.A. 1967) - Actor, Comedian, Painter
Joanna Priestley(attended 1972-1973) - Animator
Robert Richardson- (B.F.A. 1979)Academy AwardwinningCinematographer
Charles Rocket(196?) - formerSaturday Night LiveCast Member, Actor
Mark Shasha(B.F.A. 1983) - Artist, Author, Illustrator, Actor
Helen Stickler(B.F.A. 1991) - Film Director
Charles Stone III(B.F.A. 1988) - Film Director:Drumline(2002), Creator ofWhassup?Anheuser-Busch Budweisercommercial campaign
Gus Van Sant(B.F.A. 1975) - Film Director:My Own Private Idaho(1991),Good Will Hunting(1997),Finding Forrester(2000),Elephant(2003)Last Days(2006),Milk(2008)
Oliver Ackermann(B.F.A. Industrial Design) - musician,A Place to Bury Strangers
Chris Keating - musician,Yeasayer
在校期間就形成的樂隊:
Black Dice- formed in 1997
Les Savy Fav- formed in 1995
Lightning Bolt- formed in 1994
Brian Chippendale(B.F.A 1997) - artist, foundedFort Thunder
Brian Gibson(B.F.A. 1998) - artist
Rubber Rodeo- formed in 1980
Talking Heads- formed in 1974
David Byrne(dropped out)
Chris Frantz(B.F.A. 1974)
Tina Weymouth(B.F.A. 1974)
Fang Island- formed in 2005
繪畫領域
Arthur S. Douglas(Attended 1878) - First year student of RISD
Håvard Homstvedt(B.F.A. 2000) - Painter
Sonya Sklaroff(B.F.A. 1992) - artist/painter
Anne Morgan Spalter(M.F.A. 1992) -new mediaartist
Daniel Arango(M.F.A. 2010) - painter, visual artist
Kurt Wenner(Attended 19??) -anamorphicstreet painter
Richard Merkin(M.F.A. 1963) - Painter, New Yorker contributor, Prof. Emeritus RISD
攝影領域
Linda Connor(B.F.A. 19??) - large-format photographer, currently teaches at theSan Francisco Art Institute
Henry Horenstein(B.F.A. 1971, M.F.A. 1973) - photographer, author, currently teaches atRhode Island School of Design
Emmet Gowin(M.F.A. 1967) - photographer
Francesca Woodman(B.F.A. 1978) - photographer
Jill Greenberg(B.F.A 1989) - photographer
C E Morse(B.F.A 1974) - fine art photographer
Andrew Xenios(M.F.A. 1973) - photographer, teacher, currently photographing and conducting workshops inYucatan, Mexico
歷任校長
Rosanne Somerson
2013–2014(Interim president)
John Maeda
2008–2013
E.Roger Mandle
1993–2008
Louis A. Fazzano
1992–1993 (interim president)
Thomas F. Schutte
1983–1992
Lee Hall
1976–1983
Talbot Rantoul
1969–1976
Donald M. Lay, Jr.
1968–1969 (interim president)
Albert Bush-Brown
1962–1968
John R. Frazier
1955–1962
Max W. Sullivan
1947–1955
Helen Metcalf Danforth
1931–1947
Eliza Greene Metcalf Radeke
1913–1931
Isaac Comstock Bates
1907–1913
William Carey Poland
1896–1907
Herbert Warren Ladd
1891–1896
Alfred Henry Littlefield
June 11–27, 1890 (resigned)
Royal Chapin Taft
1888–1890
Claudius Buchanan Farnsworth
1877–1888
冬季課程
羅德島設計學院另一個比較著名的是它的冬季6 周課程Winter Sessions (a 6-week periodbetween the Fall and Spring terms)。這個課程是以多元性著稱,而這個課程對申請到羅德島設計學院的學生是十分重要的,因為學生可以在此課程中學習到各項關於藝術方面的基礎課程,例如繪畫、工業設計、銅塑等其他課程,不同的系可以相互選擇課程選修。
布朗大學/羅德島設計學院的雙學位課程(Brown/RISD Dual Degree Program, 簡稱DDP),成立於2007年,是全美國第一個建立在不同但互補的兩個世界頂級學院的跨學院課程。雙學位課程給學生提供了跨學科的教育,給學生一個獨特的機會,同時獲得常春藤名校--布朗大學和羅德島設計學院的兩個學位(Bachelor of Fine Arts--BFA)。