Roger Williams University

RWU INTRODUCES ONLINE TOOL THAT HELPS STUDENTS DESIGN POWERFUL COMBINATIONS OF ACADEMIC AND REAL-WORLD LEARNING

The Rhode Island university recommits to empowering students to create a unique academic path and a career-ready skillset.

BRISTOL, R.I., Oct. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Roger Williams University (RWU) launched a bold rebrand celebrating its powerful combinations of academic excellence, real-world experiences, and life skills that shape RWU graduates who are ready to make a difference in the world. Nearly 80 percent of RWU undergraduates graduate with a double major or interdisciplinary major-minor, and the university’s rebrand initiative now offers an AI-powered system that gives students more power than ever to build combinations of degrees and credentials that will set them apart.

With eight schools of study across campuses in Bristol and Providence, Rhode Island, students explore RWU’s leading programs in marine science and innovation, law and justice, and the designed and built environments, paired with comprehensive humanities and business programming. RWU’s unique mix of liberal arts and professional studies empowers students to graduate with a double major, a dynamic major/minor combination, or double and triple minors, and to pursue their entire academic journey at a comprehensive university offering undergraduate, graduate, professional programs, and the state’s only law school.

“What sets Roger Williams University apart is that we empower every student to shape their own future through powerful combinations of learning and experience. They don’t just earn a degree here – they discover their purpose,” said Laura Baldwin, Chief Marketing Officer of RWU. “We have revamped our online experience to showcase what students can accomplish both inside and outside the classroom. This also allows them to connect with the programs and success stories of students who collaborate with communities, solve real problems, and turn their passions into action. That’s the Roger Williams difference – we graduate thinkers and doers who will thrive in an evolving global workplace."

As part of the rebrand, Roger Williams University introduced a new tool, part of a website overhaul, that enables students to imagine their own powerful combinations of choices from academic programs and real-world experience. The system allows students to create interdisciplinary pairings of majors, minors, and professional credentials and map a pathway from undergraduate to graduate study, professional programs, or a law degree. With more than 150 academic programs, including accelerated programs that allow students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in less time and innovative programs like an M.B.A. with Business Analytics or the only J.D./M.B.A. offered in Rhode Island, the combinations are endless.

This past year, RWU earned rankings as the No. 35 Best Regional University in the North and a Best Value School from U.S. News & World Report, a Top 10 Law School in the U.S. for Faculty Accessibility from The Princeton Review, and No. 1 in Rhode Island for the RWU Extension School’s online programs from Forbes.

Recent investments in cutting-edge learning spaces give students the tools to turn ideas into impact and prepare for leadership in their fields. In recent years, RWU has opened the 27,000-square-foot Richard L. Bready Applied Learning Laboratories and virtual-technology-enabled E. L. Wiegand Data Modeling Studio for engineering, computer science, and construction management; the Design Thinking Studio for business and marketing; a Forensic Science Lab; a Food Science Lab; and the Center for Corporate Communication. In addition, the university recently expanded the Luther H. Blount Shellfish Hatchery and experiential-learning shellfish farm, refurbished a professional newsroom, podcast studio, and visual arts spaces, and completed a $2 million renovation of its dining hall into a culinary destination. These facilities ensure that every student has access to a world-class education and a vibrant student experience.

These dynamic facilities are matched by RWU’s hallmark small class sizes, personal attention, and close mentorship that link learning to purpose and outcomes. Along with the RWU Internship Experience program and its experiential learning graduation requirement, every student is guaranteed a robust, real-world experience and hands-on learning opportunities that provide them with the skills employers are looking for prior to graduation. It’s why 96 percent of RWU graduates find success with a job or start graduate school within six months of graduation.

But college is more than academics. At RWU, students join more than 80 clubs and organizations, 24 varsity sports, and study abroad programs in more than 25 countries across six continents. From a 143-acre waterfront campus on Bristol’s Mount Hope Bay to an urban campus in the heart of downtown Providence, the university serves as a strategic launchpad for learning, collaboration, and exploration of the area’s boundless cultural offerings and natural beauty – not to mention connecting on research and experiential learning with community organizations, businesses, and government agencies.

“A Roger Williams University education is defined by the powerful combinations that empower students to combine solving real problems in labs and studios, clinics and courtrooms, and in the community – putting the world in our classrooms and labs, and putting our students out in the world,” said Margaret Everett, Provost at RWU.

The rebrand was a multi-year initiative that engaged the entire university community in developing a unified brand platform and visual identity that authentically reflects RWU’s distinctive educational offerings and value as a comprehensive university.

As RWU marks the 70th anniversary of its founding, the university rededicates itself to innovative academics, real-world learning, and community impact, delivering a transformative education that equips students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead fulfilling careers and lives.
                                                                  
About RWU: Roger Williams University is a comprehensive university with a liberal arts core and professional programs, focused on marine science, law and society, and the designed and built environments, paired with a breadth of humanities and business programs. With campuses on the coast of Bristol and in the state capital of Providence, Rhode Island, our eight schools of study provide real-world learning experiences dedicated to social and environmental justice, small class sizes, and direct access to faculty and staff. Our students create powerful combinations of degrees, credentials, research and internship opportunities. Named No. 35 Best Regional University in the North by U.S. News & World Report, among the 2025 Best Law Schools by the Princeton Review, and No. 1 for Best Online Colleges in R.I. – RWU Extension School by Forbes, our students graduate with a unique skill set and the passion to make an impact in their careers, becoming the changemakers and leaders our world needs next.

Attachments

• Students working in RWU's forensics lab.
• Roger Williams University's Bristol campus.

Kelly Brinza Roger Williams University 401-254-3332 kbrinza@rwu.edu