UPDATE: URI New Programs for 2026-27 as 6,000 Students Move-In this Weekend

URI announces new programs while URI’s Move-In Weekend is this Weekend

University will welcome approximately 6,000 students over four days

The University of Rhode Island will welcome more than 3,200 first-year students and their families to its Kingston Campus, beginning Friday, Sept. 4, to officially open fall move-in for the 2026-27 academic year.

Between Sept. 4 and Sept. 7, the University will welcome approximately 5,400 students who will live in 25 Kingston Campus residence halls, part of 14 living and learning communities. Another 600 students will live in more than a dozen Greek Life houses, while about 100 more will reside in the Grandin International Engineering, Texas Instruments, and Talent Development Achievement houses.

URI President Marc Parlange and Mary Parlange, Provost Barbara Wolfe, Vice President for Student Affairs Ellen Reynolds, Assistant Vice President for Housing and Residential Life Tom Cooley, and hundreds of URI staff, faculty members and student volunteers will be on hand throughout the weekend to welcome new and returning students to campus and assist them as they move into their on-campus residences.

URI received a record 29,263 first-year undergraduate applications for the fall 2026 semester, as well as a record number of applications to its graduate programs. First-year students will join more than 500 transfer students, more than 2,300 graduate students, and thousands of returning URI students, to comprise a student body of more than 17,000 when classes begin.

Welcome activities will continue through Labor Day weekend with fall classes set to begin Wednesday, Sept. 9. The academic year also kicks off with a full slate of academic, athletic and cultural events beginning Sept. 6 with RhodyFest, a welcoming event that gives students a chance to learn about dozens of student organizations, Greek Life and club sport teams.

President Marc Parlange, Mary Parlange, Provost Barbara Wolfe, Vice President for Student Affairs Ellen Reynolds, Assistant Vice President for Housing and Residential Life Tom Cooley, hundreds of URI faculty and staff, new and returning URI students and their families look forward to the 2026 Move-In Weekend.

Move-in begins Friday, Sept. 4, for first-year and transfer students, continuing into Saturday. Upperclass students will move in Sunday, Sept. 6, and Monday, Sept. 7.  

URI’s student residential neighborhoods along Butterfield Road. President Parlange and other URI officials will start their Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. at Hillside Hall, 140 Campus Ave. 

First-year students will join more than 500 transfer students, more than 2,300 graduate students, and thousands of returning URI students, to comprise a student body of more than 17,000 when classes begin on Sept. 9. (URI Photo/Gianna Fendrich)

New undergraduate and graduate programs are designed to provide greater flexibility while responding to changing workforce needs.

Fall semester classes begin Sept. 9 at the University of Rhode Island, where students will find several new degree programs, certificates and areas of specialization for the 2026–27 academic year.

New undergraduate offerings include bachelor’s degrees in Environmental Arts and Humanities, Environmental Engineering, and Learning and Education in Action. URI has also added a master’s degree in Applied Science Communication.

The College of Engineering is introducing several options, including new tracks within its bachelor’s degree program in biomedical engineering, a minor in aerospace engineering, and an undergraduate certificate in AI and machine learning for engineering applications.

More online opportunities

URI is expanding its online offerings with two fully online master’s degree programs in Health Professions Education and Engineering Management and Leadership.

Eight new graduate certificates will also be available entirely online:

• Leadership in Sports Management
• Health Professions Education
• Industry 4.0
• Prevention Science and Human Development
• Organizational Leadership
• Multilingual Learner Education
• English Language Development
• Public Finance and Budgeting (MPA)

MBA students may now pursue the online “Blue MBA,” a new specialization within URI’s MBA program.

The College of Business, in partnership with URI Online, is also adding a certificate and specialization in Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, along with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Studies.

The Feinstein College of Education is launching a new online Doctor of Education program in partnership with URI Online.

URI Online is also introducing lower tuition rates for all online graduate degrees and certificates, as well as reduced tuition for the undergraduate RN-to-BSN program.

“With both new and expanded online offerings, online education is a significant area of growth for the University,” said Heather Sharpes-Smith, executive director of URI Online.

URI Online now offers 49 undergraduate and graduate programs across the University, including 10 programs launching during the new academic year. Offerings range from undergraduate certificates through doctoral degrees, with accelerated seven-week and traditional 14-week formats designed for working professionals and other students seeking more flexible paths to a degree.

“These programs are offered in partnership with URI’s academic colleges and reflect the collaborative nature of URI’s growing online portfolio,” Sharpes-Smith said.

Coming next at URI

More programs are planned for 2027.

Beginning in the spring semester, URI’s Department of Film/Media will add a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree to its existing Bachelor of Arts option.

The University has also begun recruiting students for new Ph.D. programs in Computational Social Science and Accounting, as well as a fully online graduate certificate in Applied Artificial Intelligence and Business Analytics. Visit the URI Graduate School for additional information.

URI offers a broad selection of undergraduate and graduate degrees, certificates and minors, offered both in person and online. Additional options are available through the University’s program finder.

Photo, top: URI is offering several new programs for the 2026-27 year, which begins on Sept. 9. (URI Photo / Gianna Fendrich)