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Hello and welcome to the University of Rhode Island, where possibilities are as endless as the horizon that stretches before you. Nestled in the heart of picturesque New England, URI is more than just a University; it's a vibrant community where knowledge, opportunity, and innovation converge. As you embark on your journey at URI, you're not just stepping onto a campus, you're joining a family. Here, our distinguished faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, and comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs ensure that you receive the best education possible.
If this is your first visit, here's how to explore our beautiful campus using the Virtual Tour interface:
- use the right side button to jump directly to the next destination;
- use the right side bar to select any location in any order; or,
- click directly on the map to select a destination.
Remember to use the interactive buttons on each page to access more detail about each location.
Fine Arts and Communication
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At URI, we offer programs in music, theatre, art, and art history. Our Fine Arts Center is the hub of our artistic community with more than 200 annual concerts and recitals, theater productions, and art exhibits. Will Theater seats 500 and is used for teaching and performances. Past theater productions include: Mary Poppins, A Brief History Of The Earth and Everything In It, The Wolves, and Richard III. The Fine Arts Center is also home to our music facilities which are equipped with up-to-date audio-video technology, keyboards and a library of music. Many of our theatre productions and bands offer open auditions for all students.
Situated within our College of Arts and Sciences, the Harrington School of Communication and Media fosters a close-knit academic community, where students come together to delve deeper into their passions. We offer programs in communication studies, sports media, film/media, multimedia journalism, public relations, professional and public writing, library and information studies, and an interdisciplinary minor in the Business of Media. Harrington also provides cutting-edge facilities including active learning classrooms, editing suites, a social media lab, and the Hub—a dedicated space offering equipment and support for your media projects.
Health Sciences
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URI's College of Health Sciences offers majors and programs in neuroscience, communicative disorders, human development and family science, health studies, kinesiology and physical therapy, nutrition and dietetics, and psychology. The College of Health Sciences connects students who are dedicated to understanding and improving the health and well-being of individuals, families, and populations in a diverse, global society. Whichever program you choose to study within this College, you'll have many opportunities for valuable hands-on and interdisciplinary experiences. There are many labs and clinics on campus where students can participate in community outreach, gain clinical experience, and work with faculty on research projects. Among these sites are the Child Development Center, Center for Health and Human Performance, Collaborative Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Psychological Consultation Center, Kinesiology Facilities, and Speech and Hearing Center.
Our College of Health Sciences is also a part of URI's Academic Health Collaborative, along with the College of Nursing and the College of Pharmacy. This interdisciplinary collaboration ensures that our future health care professionals—including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, hospital administrators, community agency representatives and more—understand how to work together to improve patient care and make people healthier.
Student Life
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Our supportive environment and strong commitment to student wellbeing means that you can find your community, feel at home, and create lasting memories here. With its many dining options, meeting places, and events, the Memorial Student Union is central to campus life. It's the "living room" on campus, a great place to hang out in between classes, decompress, re-energize, and connect.
Within the Union, you'll find the Office of Student Involvement and the Dean of Students Office. It's also home to our Center for Student Leadership Development, which encourages students to discover their strengths and find their own unique pathways to leadership.
If you're looking to get involved, we offer more than 300 clubs and organizations, as well as club and intramural sports, helping you connect with new friends and find a true sense of belonging on our campus. About 20% of our student body is involved in Greek Life. URI has been recognized as a Northeast Greek Leadership Association award-winning campus by exemplifying fellowship, scholarship, leadership, and community service. There are 10 sorority houses and 5 fraternity houses on campus, each with a live-in House Director and a full kitchen. In addition to individual chapter events and activities, annual events such as Philanthropy Week and Greek Week bring all chapters together to raise money for good causes.
Whether you want to meet new friends, or get involved in a student organization - like the URI Senate, Rotaract Club, Self Defense Club or the Animal Science Club - you can rest assured that as a Rhody Ram, you'll have many opportunities to gain leadership experience, explore your passions with fellow students, and build your community.
Identity Centers
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At URI, you'll find a community that is passionate about promoting a campus culture where students are welcomed, respected, and valued. URI's division of Community, Equity and Diversity strives to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive University where every individual can learn, work, and thrive. At our Women's Center, Multicultural Student Services Center, Hillel Center, Catholic Center, and Gender and Sexuality Center, students will find caring staff and valuable resources to support their needs.
Our Multicultural Student Services Center is a gathering place for students to hang out, attend meetings, participate in workshops, and more. Each year, the MSSC holds programming which includes: Celebrations Around the World, Martin Luther King, Jr. Week, and Diversity Week. It is also home to more than 30 multicultural student clubs and organizations which focus on educational, cultural, spiritual, and social change programming that enriches and challenges our campus on issues of multiculturalism and diversity.
The University's Talent Development (TD) Program is committed to supporting under-resourced Rhode Island residents throughout their college education. With more than 2,000 alumni, "TD Nation" is a proud community of scholars living throughout Rhode Island, the country, and the world.
URI is also proud to be the first institution in the country to build a free-standing Gender and Sexuality Center. This center provides a safe and supportive environment for students to explore their multiple and intersecting identities as well as concepts related to gender, LGBTQ+ issues, and sexuality. With a vision for creating a gender inclusive campus, our Gender and Sexuality Center prides itself on providing education, engagement, events, and support for our campus community and beyond.
URI's Women's Center fosters community engagement and dialogue on gender and issues that disproportionately affect women-identifying persons and their allies. This space supports and advocates for woman-identifying persons' abilities, talents, values, and diverse identities.
As a URI student, you can also explore your religious life through a variety of resources on campus. In addition to Hillel, our Jewish Student Center, and our Catholic Center, which create a warm and welcoming environment for students of all backgrounds to find their spiritual community, we also have a dedicated Protestant chaplain and a designated Muslim prayer space right on campus. Furthermore, our proximity to many area churches, some within walking distance, offers students the opportunity to connect with a diverse array of religious communities and practices.
Student Support Services
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The transition into a collegiate setting is a big step forward. As you work through your classes and adjust to college life, we make sure that you're supported every step of the way at URI. Our University College for Academic Success (UCAS) has a mission to help all students have a successful undergraduate experience, from adjusting to college life, to finding the academic support you need, to connecting your major with your career and life goals.
Our Academic Enhancement Center (AEC) is one of the many resources available through UCAS. The AEC promotes student success through the Tutoring Center and the Writing Center. If you need a little extra help with your STEM coursework, you can attend weekly group tutoring sessions, make a one-time appointment, or drop-in during the afternoons and evenings Mondays through Thursdays. You can also schedule an appointment with a peer writing consultant who will assist you during the writing process from brainstorming essay topics to learning effective proofreading strategies. In addition to the AEC, you will also have the support of academic advisors, who will help you understand your degree requirements.
We also offer the following support centers for URI students:
- The Center for Career and Experiential Education
- The Office of Disability, Access, and Inclusion (DAI)
- Health Services; and
- The Counseling Center
Library and Learning Commons
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If you are looking for the perfect study space on campus—whether you like to study around others or in complete silence—look no further than the Carothers Library and Learning Commons. Home to more than 1 million books, it's a great place for students to pursue their studies and find resources to meet their academic needs. It also houses a Media Resource Center, the Information and Research Help Desk staffed with professional librarians, and an active learning classroom. Our Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab and MakerspaceURI can be found here, too.
Our AI Lab is the first to be located within a library, and offers a collaborative environment for students who are working on their capstone or class projects. It contains areas for individualized learning, a hands-on project bench, and a hub for collaboration.
MakerspaceURI provides access to fabrication equipment/software, 2D/3D design, virtual reality, and other tools and technologies that facilitate hands-on learning, teaching, and research.
Added bonus: The library has a 24-hour study room with the "Daily Grind" snack and coffee bar to keep you motivated during marathon study sessions. It's also the perfect venue for group study or meetings.
Honors and High Achieving Students
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Here at URI, you're sure to meet other highly motivated students doing interesting, in-depth exploration of topics across all majors. Students at the University of Rhode Island have access to a wide range of exceptional opportunities and resources to help them excel in their academic pursuits and beyond.
URI's Honors Program offers innovative courses, national scholarship advising, and the opportunity for students to engage in original research alongside dedicated faculty who are leaders in their fields. The Honors student space includes an Opportunity Zone featuring computer labs, a conference room, office, workroom, and auditorium. The program also coordinates a popular fall Honors Colloquium, which is the University's premier public lecture series.
URI's Office of National Fellowships & Academic Opportunities offers advising and support to qualified undergraduates interested in applying for national and international scholarships and fellowships. Our students have won or have been finalists in a wide range of prestigious competitions and awards, including the Boren, Fullbright, Gates, Goldwater, Marshall, Rhodes, Truman and Udall scholarships. Through our Pre-Professional Studies pathway, advising is also available to students seeking professional degrees after URI in areas such as pre-med, pre-dental, pre-law, pre-veterinary, and other pre-health majors.
Business
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URI's College of Business, located in Ballentine Hall, offers 10 undergraduate programs ranging from: accounting and marketing; global business management; textiles, fashion merchandising, and design; finance; supply chain management; and innovation and entrepreneurship. It also houses our stock exchange room, which is connected in real time to the New York Stock Exchange. Graduate programs include a full and part-time MBA, as well as masters, doctoral, and certificate programs.
With an interdisciplinary approach and an emphasis on experiential learning and entrepreneurial thinking, our business programs teach students to solve problems, innovate, and think globally. URI's College of Business offers two important services in Ballentine Hall—a career advisor and an internship coordinator—each dedicated to helping our business students thrive in their studies, explore their careers, and achieve success.
Education
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URI's Feinstein College of Education opens the door to learning. Teaching is a complex art and among the most rewarding professions. For those aspiring to become educators, our early childhood, elementary, and secondary education programs are designed to impart a deep understanding of pedagogy, equipping students to be effective teachers and mentors. Our education majors will help you develop an understanding of learners, grow your teaching skills to address the needs of all types of learners, and foster your skills in assessment of your students and yourself. Our students gain knowledge through field experiences and student teaching. We'll prepare you for your chosen career path, whether you want to provide the foundations of learning for young children; or engage and inspire adolescents, college students or adult learners. Whatever your vision, our programs will prepare you well in all aspects of the education profession. Our welcoming community will also support and empower you as an educator and role model, ready to open new worlds to your students.
Engineering and Chemical Sciences
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URI's engineering and chemical science programs help students shape the world through learning, passion, and innovation. From improving access to clean drinking water in rural communities to discovering biomedical technologies that help identify and treat diseases, URI has a proud history of preparing students for the global workplace and the challenges facing today's society.
Our College of Engineering offers hands-on learning through capstone programs, undergraduate and graduate research opportunities, and paid internships at companies around the world, including Amgen, BMW, Raytheon, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, NASA, and Tiffany & Co. And, our recently constructed 190,000 square foot Fascitelli Center for Advanced Engineering is one of the most technologically advanced engineering buildings in the country. We also offer a unique, globally recognized International Engineering Program, which combines the power of engineering, foreign language, and study abroad in a 5-year dual degree program.
URI's Beaupre Center for Chemical and Forensic Sciences houses our Department of Chemistry and is a federal Center of Excellence for Explosives Detection, Mitigation, and Response. The four-story, 135,000 square-foot center contains two lecture halls, 14 teaching labs, and 34 faculty research labs, that serve more than 7,000 students each year. The Beaupre Center is home to distinguished faculty who research advanced batteries to fuel energy-efficient automobiles, enhanced resolution magnetic resonance imaging scans, early disease detection technologies, and more.
Pharmacy
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As you stroll along the walkway into Avedisian Hall, you'll pass through our beautiful outdoor medicinal garden. Boasting a wide variety of ornamental and medicinal plants that help prevent or treat everything from cold sores to cancer, the courtyard and gardens provide students with a place for research and respite right on campus.
Avedisian Hall is home to our College of Pharmacy's undergraduate and graduate programs.These include our 6-year Doctor of Pharmacy, 4-year Pharmaceutical Sciences degree (the BSPS), masters, and doctoral degrees. Pharmacy students strive to improve the quality of life for people in our local, national and global communities.
As a pharmacy student, you'll utilize healthcare simulation labs, engage in hands-on clinical experiences, and have opportunities to work alongside nationally and internationally renowned researchers in state-of-the-art research facilities as they prepare for careers in the pharmaceutical, consumer products, and healthcare industries.
In addition to housing classrooms, conference areas, labs, and a CVS Caremark model teaching pharmacy, the technology in Avedisian Hall includes 3D projection, animation, and printing to enhance visual learning.
Environment and Life Sciences
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Science is at the heart of innovation and research, and at URI, through our many STEM disciplines, we encourage you to explore those endless possibilities. Our Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences (CBLS) includes state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities, a genomics center, and an aquarium facility.
It also received a gold rating for its energy efficiency and environmental design. CBLS is home to the College of the Environment and Life Sciences (CELS) which offers majors such as marine biology; cell and molecular biology; animal science and technology; sustainable agriculture and food systems, and more.
CELS students are also able to take classes at East Farm, Peckham Farm, and URI's Bay Campus. Whether you want to engage in the study of marine life, biotechnology, or environmental science, stewardship of the earth's resources will be at the foundation of your experience as you strive to meet the pressing needs of our global community.
Quad
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The quad is the focal point of our beautiful, historic campus. Just like a neighborhood park, it gives our campus community an outdoor space where we can connect and recharge. Our quad was designed by the Olmsted Brothers, who were the masterminds behind Central Park in 1857. It is surrounded by many of our academic buildings, is wifi accessible and is a common meeting place for students.
On any given day, you can see students studying between classes, playing ultimate frisbee, or hanging out with friends. It is also home to many large campus events, such as lobster bakes, farmer's markets, Greek life bid day, and concerts. The quad is where excited first-year students start their journey at orientation, where confident seniors receive their diplomas, and where successful alumni search for familiar names on some of our 3,500 inscribed bricks that make-up our Centennial Walk.
Nursing
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If you are drawn to improving health and transforming health care across the lifespan, you might just find your home in URI's College of Nursing. Here students are exposed to cross-disciplinary work with others majoring in psychology, business, nutrition, pharmacy, and more. Nursing students start clinical rotations during their sophomore year, allowing for a more hands-on experience earlier in their college careers.
During these rotations, nursing majors receive individual attention in a variety of placements for a unique clinical experience. Prior to this, nursing students learn and practice physical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment using programmable simulation mannequins. Our nursing facilities also offer a learning commons where students can come together to work on group projects.
In addition to our Kingston campus nursing opportunities, upper-level nursing students attend classes at the Rhode Island Nursing Education Center in Rhode Island's capital city of Providence, just 35 minutes north of Kingston. This center provides outstanding biomedical and health-care instruction and research, as well as collaborative opportunities for advanced simulation and training for upper-level nursing students in a world-class, state-of-the-art facility.
On-Campus Dining
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URI hires its own chefs who are committed to providing our students with delicious and nutritious meals. The result? Some wicked good food at a variety of award-winning dining facilities on campus.
Just like your meals at home, our food is made fresh for you on campus every day. Much of the food served in our dining halls is locally sourced from Rhode Island vendors, and students can choose from vegan, vegetarian, Kosher, or gluten-free options.
From local zucchini and eggplant to watermelon and herbs, as well as greens and tomatoes from our indoor terraponic gardens, URI students enjoy a variety of healthy foods. URI is sensitive to the fact that many students have dietary restrictions. We have an on-campus Dietitian and Nutrition Specialist who helps our students with food allergies to eat well in our dining facilities.
Whether you'd like a full, sit-down meal or a quick snack from Rhody Market or the Corner Store, we have several meal plans for those living on campus, all of which provide unlimited access to our two main dining halls, Hope and Butterfield, for the academic semesters. Both facilities are all-you-care-to-eat, and there is no limit to how many times you can enter each day for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner.
Dining Services also offers an app that displays daily menus at all the dining halls, as well as live camera views to show students how busy the dining halls may be. Our Rhody Eatz food truck offers convenient to-go options for our students as they walk between classes or head to meetings. And, in response to student demand, Dining Services now serves fresh rolled sushi and Boba Tea at Fujisan Sushi in our Memorial Union.
Athletics
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Whether you want to swim laps, learn to sail, or play bubble soccer on an intramural team, our campus athletic facilities are intentionally designed to provide our students with the space and opportunity to flex their muscles.
The Anna Fascitelli Fitness and Wellness Center is a recreational facility located in the heart of our student housing area across the street from our two main dining halls. This complex is more than 30,000 square feet and houses over 75 pieces of state-of-the-art cardiovascular and strength training equipment. It also offers three group exercise studios, TRX suspension training, spin bikes, and other features like a full body circuit training line.
Many of the machines are connected to the internet and allow students to track their progress or compete with other friends in the gym. This facility is also home to our Wellness Resource Center which offers a safe, comfortable space for you to escape the stresses of college life. It has a self-guided meditation room, massage chair, board games, origami, zen gardening, rock painting, and more.
If you are interested in healthy eating habits, exercise motivation, mindfulness techniques, or personal goal mapping, you can sign up to meet individually with a certified well-being coach trained to identify your strengths and support you with goal setting or behavior change, too.
If you follow the sounds of running shoes hitting the track and the dribbling of basketballs on the court, you'll reach the Mackal Field House, a recreational facility for all students. Much like your local park or community center, our multi-purpose courts in Mackal are used for playing basketball, volleyball, and tennis, and are surrounded by an indoor track. Mackal also boasts a cardio room, weight room, and campus recreation center where you can check-out equipment. This facility also hosts the annual Atlantic 10 Conference Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships.
A short distance from Mackal is our Tootell Physical Education and Aquatic Center, which houses the University's pools, including an eight-lane competitive lap pool, a deep diving well, and a recreational pool. Tootell is also home to our dance studio where students enjoy aerobics, step, kickboxing, Tae Bo, Pilates, cycling, and yoga classes.
Just around the corner from Tootell, you'll find our Bradford R. Boss Ice Arena. Boss Arena is home to URI's men's and women's club ice hockey teams, and is also open for general student use including skate nights. In addition to indoor athletic facilities, our University has numerous outdoor fields and facilities including our URI Sailing Center.
Entertainment and D1 Sports
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The University's premiere arena, the Ryan Center, holds approximately 8,000 people. If you happen to see a long line of students in their Rhody attire eagerly waiting near the entrance of this building, chances are they are waiting to buy tickets to see our basketball team play against our biggest rivals. We offer exciting opportunities for our students to find their community by being part of our 18 NCAA Division I varsity teams, 20 competitive club teams, and 26 Intramural sports offerings.
In addition to being the home of the men's and women's basketball teams, the Ryan Center also hosts up to 85 other events throughout the year. These include: concerts, career fairs, lectures, exhibitions, trade shows, banquets, and family entertainment events. Past artists and lecturers who have performed at the Ryan Center include: John Mulaney, Khalid, Migos, Lil Wayne, Travis Scott, Juice World, Jane Goodall, and more.
Residential Life
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Students living in our 26 residence halls enjoy chatting and studying in the lounges, participating in events planned by their Resident Assistants such as craft nights or late-night hot cocoa, and building lifelong friendships with their peers.
First-year residence halls have shared hallway bathrooms, but some first-year students may live in suite-style halls, and most live in one of our 14 Living and Learning Communities (LLCs) with other students in the same academic college, major, or program.
To ensure that students of all gender identities and gender expressions live in a supportive and inclusive space, URI offers a variety of housing options, like LGBTQ-friendly roommate matching and gender-inclusive rooms, to students in all class years. Most of our residence halls also offer gender-inclusive bathrooms.
We have a variety of housing options for upper-level students too, including single rooms, suite-style units, and apartments. Our newest residence hall, Brookside Hall, offers approximately 500 returning students the option to live in apartment suites of four and six single-occupancy bedrooms, complete with furniture and a full kitchen.
Oceanography
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Just 10 minutes from URI's Kingston campus you'll find our Narragansett Bay Campus. Here you can catch a gorgeous sunrise or see Jamestown and the Newport Bridge on a clear day. The Bay Campus is home to our department of Ocean Engineering and our world-renowned Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) with its Inner Space Center, an international hub for ocean exploration and education. You may also see the GSO's research vessel, the R/V Endeavor, docked here. Recently, we completed the construction of a new pier to provide support services to research vessels and serve as a research platform with full access to Narragansett Bay. Funded by the National Science Foundation, URI's next-generation regional class research vessel, Narragansett Dawn, will bring new technologies, greater capabilities, and course-altering discoveries. The 199-foot Narragansett Dawn will be one of only three such research vessels in the nation.
The GSO offers oceanography degrees leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), the Master of Science (M.S.), and the Master of Oceanography (M.O.). The URI Bay Campus presents countless opportunities for research, teaching, study, and oceanic discovery for our undergraduate and graduate students.
Coastal Living
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The University of Rhode Island is located in the southern part of the state, near some of the most beautiful beaches on the East Coast, and central to Rhode Island's most popular destinations. URI was ranked #3 on Best Value Schools' list of the "30 Most Beautiful Coastal College Campuses" in the nation. Our students enjoy visiting local beaches, kayaking on the rivers, and surfing Rhode Island's terrific waves. Our location allows for unique research, teaching, and learning in the sea and on the shore. We look forward to welcoming you in person so you can experience our campus and surrounding community for yourself.
Next Steps
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As you conclude this virtual tour of the University of Rhode Island, remember that this is just the beginning of your journey with us. Now it's time to take the next steps to becoming a future Rhody Ram. We encourage you to visit us in person if you can for a campus tour and information session. There's no substitute for the feeling of walking through our beautiful campus, meeting faculty and students, and experiencing our Rhody spirit firsthand. We also encourage you to visit our website to learn more about URI. We use the Common Application for first-year students and the URI transfer application for transfer students. Here at the University of Rhode Island, becoming a Rhody Ram means joining a community of big thinkers who value academic excellence, creativity, and inclusivity. Your journey starts now, and we can't wait to see where it will take you!
