RISD holds a commencement ceremony once a year on the Saturday following the Memorial Day holiday. Normally, a student must have their degree requirements completed by the eve of the ceremony in order to participate.
Diploma Pick Up
Diplomas are available for pick up immediately after the commencement ceremony. They will be available in Market House immediately after the graduation ceremony. Diplomas will not be available for students who are graduating with honors since the diploma has to be sent out in order to add the honors designation; honors diplomas should be available approximately a week after commencement and may be picked up at that time or they will be mailed, per instructions below.
On the Monday following commencement, diplomas may be picked up in the Registrar’s Office in 20WP from 8:30am to 4:30pm for about a week to ten days. If not picked up by then, the diploma will be mailed to the permanent home address of the graduate, unless the graduate asks for it to be mailed to a different address. Congratulations to our graduates! Send email to registrar@risd.edu if there are any questions.
Graduation Date
RISD holds one annual commencement ceremony on the Saturday after Memorial Day and this date is the only official graduation date. The commencement date is the official graduation date for all students who complete degree requirements between September 1 and commencement day. A student who completes graduation after commencement but by September 1 will officially graduate on the commencement date that just passed.
A student who takes additional course work after September in order to complete degree requirements will earn the degree as of the commencement date following the completion of this course work.
Student academic transcripts are sealed upon graduation and no changes or additions to that record will be entertained once a student officially graduates.
For students who will NOT have degree requirements complete by the eve of commencement
Students who do not complete or do not expect to complete their graduation requirements in time must fill out the Plan to Complete Degree Requirements Form, available at the Office of the Registrar, in order to participate in Commencement.
The form must be approved and then submitted to the Registrar’s Office no later than April 1. If the form arrives after the deadline, the student’s name may not appear in the printed commencement program because of printing deadlines.
Students must be within 6 credits of degree attainment to file a Plan to Complete Degree Requirements Form. Normally, a student needing 12 or more credits will have to complete their course of study at RISD, as will a student needing required studio classes.
