Graduate Student Dates and Deadlines
Below you’ll find important deadlines, to-dos and milestones as you make your way to RISD.
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We will update this page over the coming months with additional deadlines and tasks. Please contact welcome@risd.edu with questions or concerns.
The dates and deadlines below are for all incoming graduate students arriving for Summer or Fall 2025 or Wintersession or Spring 2026. Required tasks that are marked with an (P) need to be completed in the incoming student portal. All tasks are required unless otherwise noted.
If you are a student with an F-1 Visa status or a transfer student, please visit our International Student Information page.
If you are considering deferring your admission, please review our deferral policy.
April 2025
Apr 15
Enrollment deposit due
Submit a nonrefundable enrollment deposit of $500 to reserve your space. (This deposit will be applied to your first tuition bill.) To pay by credit card or debit card, please use the link below to go to our secure online site. In order to access the deposit link, you will need to log into your applicant status portal.
May 2025
Early May
Students receive RISD credentials
May 12
Health forms due (for summer arrivals)
RISD Health Services requires all new students to submit health forms. Your registration is not considered complete until we receive your completed and signed health forms.
May 19
On-campus housing application (for summer and fall arrivals) and off-campus registration open
Any graduate student interested in on-campus housing for the upcoming academic year needs to apply via the housing portal.
If you are enrolled in a graduate program that begins during the summer, you can receive on-campus housing for the summer. Please see our summer housing overview for more information.
Graduate students residing off-campus for the upcoming academic year can also begin registering their address via the housing portal beginning on this date.
June 2025
Jun 1
Transcript due (for summer arrivals)
You must confirm satisfactory completion of your undergraduate education. To do so, arrange for Admissions to receive your final, official transcript by June 1.
If your school submits transcripts electronically, please have yours delivered to admissions@risd.edu.
Jun 1
Deferral requests due
Requests to defer graduate admission are reviewed by Admissions and the department to which you have been admitted. All requests should be sent to your graduate program director and admissions@risd.edu. You will be informed of the outcome in your applicant status portal. Review our deferral policy for details.
Jun 3
Billing notification sent (for summer arrivals)
Jun 4
Start looking for "Pre-Arrival" emails
Jun 9
Housing applications and accommodations requests due
To be considered for academic-year housing on campus, or if you are taking part in a summer grad program, complete your application via the housing portal by this date.
Students seeking housing accommodations must have documentation submitted to Disability Support Services by this date to ensure timely review.
Jun 13
ID Photos due (P) (for summer arrivals)
Complete in the incoming student portal.
Jun 15
Accept or decline financial aid (for summer arrivals)
Review your financial aid package and accept or decline in Workday.
Jun 20
Room assignments issued for summer graduate housing
Throughout summer
Academic-year housing assignments issued on a limited basis
If space comes available for the upcoming school year, we will offer housing placements, first come, first served based on if and when we received a housing application from you.
July 2025
Jul 1
Summer tuition bill (P) and optional health insurance waiver due (for summer arrivals)
Complete in the incoming student portal.
Visit University Health Plans to review your coverage plan or to opt-out of health insurance.
Jul 1
Deadline to accept or decline your financial aid (for fall arrivals)
Review your financial aid package and accept or decline in Workday.
Jul 1
Transcript due
You must confirm satisfactory completion of your undergraduate education. To do so, arrange for Admissions to receive your final, official transcript by June 1.
If your school submits transcripts electronically, please have yours delivered to admissions@risd.edu.
Early July
Fall billing notification sent
Jul 15
Incoming student checklist due (P)
Complete in the incoming student portal.
Jul 14
Health forms due (for fall semester)
RISD Health Services requires all new students to submit health forms. Your registration is not considered complete until we receive your completed and signed health forms.
If you do not submit completed health forms, you will not receive a course schedule and will not be able to begin attending classes.
Jul 15
Update personal information in Workday
Login with your RISD credentials to update your personal information in Workday.
August 2025
Aug 1
Fall bill due (P) and optional health insurance waiver due (for fall arrivals)
Complete in the incoming student portal.
Visit University Health Plans to review your coverage plan or to opt-out of health insurance.
Aug 8
ID Photos due (P) (for fall arrivals)
Complete in the incoming student portal.
September 2025
Sep 3
Fall semester classes begin
November 2025
Nov 3
Housing application opens for winter and spring terms
Any graduate student interested in on-campus housing for winter and spring needs to apply via the housing portal. Students will receive an email to their RISD email address when the housing portal opens.
December 2025
Dec 1
Housing application opens for winter and spring
Throughout Dec
Housing assignments issued on a limited basis
Get to know RISD
Visiting RISD ahead of your arrival and want to know what’s going on? Please visit involved.risd.edu to discover events happening on campus.
Our Graduate Studies info sessions feature faculty, staff and current students sharing information and answering questions about the graduate experience at RISD.
Review items that RISD supplies for new students, along with mailing guidelines on how to ship packages to campus.