General Education Curriculum

The General Education curriculum is developed, owned, and reviewed by the RIT faculty. The curriculum is designed to provide a rigorous, engaging, and purposeful General Education experience. The skills and knowledge derived from the General Education curriculum and the program of study are integrated into an effective undergraduate education. The General Education curriculum enriches the lives of the students as they acquire the knowledge, skills, and competencies to be successful in their chosen fields and as lifelong learners.

For more information about the General Education curriculum, visit RIT’s General Education website

General Education Framework

RIT created the General Education framework to complement RIT's mission and values and support contemporary liberal education. This framework is outcomes-based and promotes integrated learning.

Communication and Critical Thinking are Essential Elements of RIT’s General Education Framework, and every General Education course provides learning experiences designed to achieve at least one student learning outcome from each of these elements.

Additionally, there are seven Perspective course categories that promote different ways of knowing about the world.  Courses in these categories introduce students to fundamentals of liberal arts and sciences (methods, concepts, and theories) while emphasizing a General Education student learning outcome.

Students also have an opportunity for deeper study and integrative learning experiences through Immersion in a series of related courses, and General Education elective courses may be specified by programs to support the major field of study.

One of the keys to the design of the new framework was to ensure that all RIT students have the opportunity to demonstrate achievement of the General Education Student Learning Outcomes. The General Education Student Learning Outcomes are mapped to the following components of the Framework: Critical Thinking, Communication, and Perspectives. View the General Education Student Learning Outcomes and corresponding rubrics.