
Teach Wintersession
Every January during Wintersession, RISD faculty offer multi-disciplinary, off-campus travel courses. Wintersession Travel Courses are 4 to 5 week long courses led by RISD faculty that bring together RISD students from across disciplines in the exploration of a wide spectrum of topics related to art, design and global thinking.
Wintersession Travel Courses are an opportunity for faculty to propose and teach on topics of special interest, and to engage geography as a key piece of the curriculum. Each course is distinct, shaped by the interests of the faculty member, their specific expertise, and network of relationships. The intensive timeframe creates an experimental space for faculty to test ideas and explore new modes of teaching, and to deepen connections between their pedagogy and practice.
Supported by academic departments, Wintersession Travel Courses are central to RISD’s internationalization and global engagement; in the last years courses engaged with practices and traditions in such geographies as: Argentina, Cuba, Guyana, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, among others.
Teach Wintersession

How to propose a Wintersession Travel Course
RISD faculty, upon approval from their Department Head and Dean, and TU confirmation, can propose a Wintersession Travel Course for the following academic year, and submit a course proposal by the established course table process and deadline.
View detailsRecent Wintersession Travel Courses
Recent Wintersession Travel Courses have led students to particular sites in the world to study: contemporary applications of traditional heritages of making in specific cultures and locations of the world, sustainability and biodiversity in global art and design, sustainable materials for the built environment. As such, these courses support RISD’s strategic vision to contribute to the creation of just societies, a sustainable planet, and new ways of making and knowing that equip humans to live in mutually enhancing ways with each other and with the earth.
Wintersession 2020
Wintersession 2019
Wintersession 2018
Wintersession 2017
Preparation + Research
Leading a Wintersession Travel Course is a wonderful and challenging experience, to begin to prepare and research this possibility, we encourage faculty to:
- Meet with RISD Global to learn more about these opportunities
- Speak with faculty who have led recent Wintersession Travel Courses
Faculty Advising
Have questions? The RISD Global team is available to meet for an advising session to help craft your application.
Schedule an appointmentEvents
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