EFS Curriculum
All undergraduate students at RISD take the first-year Program of Experimental and Foundation Studies (EFS) studios and Liberal Arts courses.
Experimental and Foundation Studies students may not drop or withdraw from any first-year program courses without the written approval of the Dean of Experimental and Foundation Studies. Courses in Experimental and Foundation Studies and in the two Liberal Arts departments (Theory and History of Art and Design, and Literary Arts and Studies) are required of all first-year undergraduate students. A student must see the Dean of Experimental and Foundation Studies if they are considering a drop. The Dean will, after discussion with the student, approve or deny the request.
The offices of Experimental and Foundation Studies (EFS) and Liberal Arts pre-register first semester first-year students for all required studios and Liberal Arts courses. First-year students cannot take courses at Brown University. Wintersession is the first time that first-years select their own course(s). In Spring, first-years are assigned studios and placed into a THAD-H102 section.
Transfer students fulfill the 18 credits of the first-year studios by transfer of credit from another institution or by completion of the RISD 'Summer Experimental and Foundation Studies' along with transfer of credit. The First-year Summer Program consists of 9 credits and is usually taken in the summer before admission.
FALL | WINTERSESSION | SPRING | |||
FOUND 1001 - Drawing I | 3 | studio elective | 3 | FOUND 1002 - Drawing II | 3 |
FOUND 1003 - Design I | 3 | FOUND 1004 - Design II | 3 | ||
FOUND 1005 - Spatial Dynamics I | 3 | FOUND 1006 - Spatial Dynamics II | 3 | ||
LAS E101 - First-Year Literature Seminar | 3 | THAD H102 - Critical Introduction to the History of Architecture and Design | 3 | ||
THAD H101 - THAD I: Global Modernisms | 3 |
| |||
Total Credits | 15 | 3 | Total Credits | 12 |
Notes:
All students must successfully complete their first-year studios (FOUND 1001, FOUND 1002, FOUND 1003, FOUND 1004, FOUND 1005 and FOUND 1006) and liberal arts course requirements (LAS E101, THAD H101, and THAD H102). Courses in the first-year program are mandatory degree requirements. Refer to the Division of Liberal Arts for more information on Liberal Arts requirements.
During first-year Wintersession, students will select a course related to their intended major or in another area of interest. The course may be in liberal arts or studio, and may be chosen from any of the College-wide course offerings.
This is the First-year Program for all majors and all students entering as first-year students. Students entering as transfers should read the note below.
First-years are not allowed to drop a studio or Liberal Arts course, as these courses are required for all first-year students. Students must see the Dean of Experimental and Foundation Studies if they want to seek special permission to drop a class. After discussion with the student, the Dean will approve/deny the request.
Experimental and Foundation studies courses are prerequisites to the courses within a major. A student who receives an F or W in one of the First-year Studios: Drawing, Design, or Spatial Dynamics must make up that course. There are 2 ways to do so:
Summer Experimental and Foundation Studies at RISD or
Retake the course in the division of Experimental and Foundation Studies within 12 months.
Students who receive an “F” or “W” in 2 or more First-year Studios are asked to take an academic leave of absence and later repeat a semester in the Division of Experimental and Foundation Studies.
Summer Program in Experimental and Foundation Studies
The Summer Program is a six-week program of intensive study that enables incoming transfer students to earn 9 of the 18 credits in Experimental and Foundation Studies. It is designed for transfer students who need additional experience before beginning their majors. Faculty in the Experimental and Foundation Studies Division review the application of each transfer student to determine who is required to participate in the program.
The summer program is based on curriculum of the Division of Experimental and Foundation Studies. The program offers three courses: Studio: Drawing, Studio: Design, or Studio: Spatial Dynamics. Each studio is three credits.
After the Summer Term, the Dean of Experimental and Foundation Studies will review the grades of students in the Summer Program to determine if they have successfully completed the requirements. In addition, the Academic Standing Committee may review a student’s record, as required.
Students who complete the Summer Program successfully, but still require additional Experimental and Foundation Studies credits (to complete the required 18 credits) will work with the Dean of Experimental and Foundation Studies to determine the courses to take to meet the requirement.