Part-time & Graduate Enrollment Services
Applied Arts and Science BS
Program overview
The Center for Multidisciplinary Studies offers students the opportunity to create individualized undergraduate programs of technical and professional study through its applied arts and science program. In this program, students work closely with faculty and advisers to design unique, multidisciplinary plans of study that combine several areas of professional knowledge.
The applied arts and science program is particularly appropriate for individuals who have prior college-level learning, are interested in changing majors, have unique ideas about how they want to design their academic areas of study, or want to prepare themselves for a career that requires skills and expertise from several disciplines.
Curriculum
The applied arts and science program is available as a bachelor of science program, an associate of applied science program, or as a diploma.
Bachelor of science (BS) degree: 180 quarter credit hours total; 90 core credits in general education plus 90 credits in two to four areas of concentration.
Associate of applied science (AAS) degree: 90 quarter credit hours total; 52 core credits in general education plus 38 credits in one to two areas of concentration.
Diploma: 36 quarter credit hours; one area of concentration.
BS and AAS degrees and the diploma program are available to full-time day students, part-time evening students, and online students. These degrees allow students to pursue several different professional and technical areas of study, selected specifically to meet individual career and personal goals.
For their professional concentrations, students may draw upon a wealth of educational resources from across RIT’s colleges and departments. Examples of professional concentrations include:
Business/management focus
- Management
- Quality management
- Health systems administration
- Project management
- International logistics and transportation
Computer/technical focus
- Applied computing
- Technical communications
- Computer science studies
- Engineering technology studies
- Computer graphics
- Mechanical technology
Liberal arts focus
- History
- Psychology studies
- Creative writing
- Cultural studies
- Foreign language
Students looking to complete the BS, AAS, or diploma online can choose from the following areas of professional concentration:
- Management
- Organizational change and leadership
- Health systems administration
- International logistics and transportation
- Computer graphics
- Project management
- Quality management
- Technical communications
No two applied arts and science programs will be exactly alike because each takes into account the student’s previous learning and brings together a special combination of courses that are right for each student's career and professional development. For example, one individualized program might lead to a bachelor’s degree with concentrations in information technology, graphic arts, and management, while another could lead to a bachelor’s degree that combines the fields of technical communication and health systems administration.
As career plans evolve and the demands of their technical and professional fields change, students meet regularly with advisers to review and update plans of study.