Rhode Island

The northeast US state of Rhode Island was one of the original thirteen British colonies in the New World. On May 4, 1776, Rhode Island became the first of those colonies to renounce allegiance to Great Britain and to declare its independence. Other colonies soon followed Rhode Island's lead and the American Revolution ensued. When the Revolutionary War ended, Rhode Island was the last of the thirteen colonies to ratify the new Constitution of the United States, demanding first that the Bill of Rights, which guaranteed individual liberties, be added.

Since then the State has flourished as part of the six-state region known as New England, an area of the country where higher education has long played a prominent role in daily life. In fact, there is a greater concentration of colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning in New England than in any other part of America. Rhode Island's institutions of higher education, widely recognized for their prominence in special areas, offer a wide array of programs of study at graduate level.

Graduate Studies in Rhode Island

The University of Rhode Island, founded in 1888, offers over 35 separate graduate degree programs, several of which allow for even more defined areas of specialty and concentration URI's graduate programs in engineering, pharmacy and oceanographic research are all among the best in the entire country.

Graduate work in the medical field in Rhode Island is centered at Brown University of the Ivy League which also boasts stellar programs in engineering and bioengineering. Johnson and Wales University is one of the world's leading educators in the discipline of hospitality, culinary arts, and tourism.

Rhode Island College, which began in 1854, is renowned for its teacher preparation programs, its superb theater and performing arts studies and its nursing program, and the Rhode Island School of Design enjoys worldwide acclaim for its cutting-edge art and design programs.

Rhode Island is also home to Providence College, one of the finest private liberal arts institutions in the Northeast, which offers a strong and varied number of graduate degree programs across a spectrum of disciplines.

Bryant University is one of the region's best business schools and offers graduate study concentrations across many areas of the business world. Roger Williams University is home to the state's only law school and also offers specialty programs in areas such as architecture and historic preservation. And Salves Regina University boasts the added advantage of high quality academic study in world-famous Newport, the City-By-The-Sea.

Natural Environment

The state is well-known for its seaside location on the Atlantic Ocean featuring hundreds of miles of spectacular coastline and some of the world's best beaches.

Rhode Island is ideally situated between the states of Massachusetts and Connecticut in southern New England, just a short 50 minutes from Boston and 3.5 hours to New York City.

The capital city of Providence, which has garnered national recognition for its remarkable physical and economic revitalization, is also home to an elegant, eclectic concentration of historic architecture including the most impressive array of Colonial homes in the country.

Newport remains a stunning example of America's Gilded Age, with its stately seaside mansions and attractions such as the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Throughout the state, one can find a vast and impressive array of bistros, brasseries, cafes and restaurants whose food rivals any found elsewhere in the country.

Outdoor Activities in Rhode Island

Rhode Island is known as The Ocean State and it does not disappoint in its offerings of water-related attractions and activities. Some of the best salt-and fresh-water fishing, power- and sail-boating, wind and traditional surfing, wakeboarding, kayaking and other marine-related activity is found on the state’s Narragansett Bay and Block Island Sound.

The state is also rich with numerous championship golf courses and is the home of the Pawtucket Red Sox, the Triple A affiliate of major league baseball's Boston Red Sox. The three-time Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots of the National Football League play their home games in Foxboro, Massachusetts, just 30 miles from Providence, and the New England Revolution of America's Major League Soccer play in that same stadium.

Less than 50 miles wide and 90 miles long, Rhode Island offers an ease and speed of navigation that makes it easy to experience a range of lifestyles to those seeking the advantages of an exciting city or relaxing country life. And the state's location in the heart of Southeastern New England allows any student or visitor to experience the wonder and majesty of all four seasons of the year.