As a result of a long-standing cooperative agreement between the two institutions, all upperclass RISD students (undergraduate sophomore and above, as well as graduate), may enroll in courses at Brown University as part of their RISD tuition. RISD first-year students must have prior approval from the Dean of Experimental & Foundation Studies, although this permission is not often given due to the workload and other factors affecting first-years. Additionally, visiting students and exchange students enrolled at RISD for a full time credit load, may take advantage of this agreement.  This opportunity is not open to non-matriculating part-time students enrolled through the ‘special student’ program.

Courses at Brown must be applicable toward RISD degree requirements or they will not be approved. Brown University is the only college or university with which RISD has a reciprocal cross-registration agreement for the fall and spring semesters.

Brown | RISD Dual-Degree students do not follow the cross-registration process (registration details are provided during initial enrollment).

Enrollment at Brown is on a space-available basis and is subject to permission of the Brown Instructor and the Brown Registrar. Brown University courses taken by RISD students will be recorded by RISD as three credit courses with the appropriate RISD subject followed by a course number of 8800 (e.g. LAEL 8800), and will be calculated with that credit value in all RISD credit load calculations.

Fall/Spring cross-registration courses at Brown are recorded on the RISD transcript as identified in the grading grid, unless the course is dropped with the RISD Registrar and Brown Registrar prior to the deadline for dropping courses (in Fall RISD students follow RISD's add/drop deadline, and in Spring, RISD students follow Brown's add/drop deadline since Brown's add/drop ends earlier). Course withdrawals must be done within the deadline set on the RISD academic calendar. RISD students follow RISD academic deadlines unless the Brown deadline is earlier.

Fall and Spring semester courses may be taken under this cross-registration arrangement. Summer and Wintersession are not a part of the cross-registration agreement between the schools; however, at present, Brown students may take courses at RISD over Wintersession.  Brown has a Wintersession program that is not available to RISD students.  For Summer, if RISD students register for a summer course at Brown, they must pay Brown directly, and they must receive prior approval from the appropriate RISD department to transfer the course to RISD.  Summer courses at Brown are recorded on the RISD transcript as transfer credit.

RISD students may register for Brown courses no earlier than the first day of Brown’s classes. Brown students who wish to take courses at RISD may not register prior to the first day of RISD classes.

For more information, refer to the ‘RISD | Brown Cross-Registration’ on the RISD Registrar’s Office website.