Graduate Study
Color Science
Program Overview
Color has been a topic of intense interest and inquiry for hundreds if not thousands of years. Philosophers (Aristotle), poets (Goethe), physicists (Newton), and mathematicians (Schrodinger) have all contributed to our understanding about color. As a generalization, color science can be defined as the quantification of our perception of color. Its mastery requires an interdisciplinary educational approach encompassing physics, chemistry, physiology, statistics, computer science and psychology. Color science is used in the design and control of most man-made colored materials including textiles, coatings, and polymers and to specify such diverse materials as soil and wine. It is used extensively in color reproduction including digital photography, desktop and projection display, and printing. As we begin the twenty first century, color science is ubiquitous.
Color science research at RIT encompasses such diverse fields as medical data visualization, computer graphics and animation, art conservation, spectral and spatial measurements of materials, color printing, digital photography, motion picture and television, and modeling of our perceptions for use in defining color quality. RIT has a long history of scholarship in this area through its M.S. degree in Color Science, begun in 1984, M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Imaging Science, and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering, Quality and Applied Statistics, and Printing Management and Sciences.
Curriculum Review
The program is designed for students whose undergraduate majors are in physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, engineering, experimental psychology, imaging, or any applied discipline pertaining to the quantitative description of color, for example, textiles, graphic arts, animation, material science, and polymer science. All students must earn 99 credits as a graduate student. For full-time students, the program requires three or more years of study at the graduate level for students entering the program with a baccalaureate degree. The curriculum is a combination of required courses in color science, elective courses appropriate for the candidate’s background and interests, a three-quarter-research project during the second year of study, and a research dissertation. Students must pass a qualifying examination during their second year of study and a candidacy examination at least one year before completing their dissertation. Candidates who wish to enter the program but lack adequate preparation might have to take as many as 36 credits of undergraduate foundation courses in mathematics, statistics, computer science and general science before matriculating with graduate status.
The degree requires 99 credit hours of coursework and research. A minimum of 60 credit hours of coursework, including the core curriculum, is required. A minimum of 27 credit hours of research, including the second-year research project, is required. Three years of full-time study or their equivalent in part-time study are required.
1051-720 Vision
1050-702 Applied Colorimetry
1050-703 Color Appearance
1050-721 Color Measurement Laboratory I
1050-722 Color Measurement Laboratory II
1050-801 Color Science Seminar
1050-813 Color Modeling
Total 24
Elective Courses
Elective courses are selected depending on the student’s interests and background. All electives must be approved by the Color Science Graduate Coordinator or the student’s dissertation research advisor.
Typically, 4 credit hours of electives are taken each quarter in years one through three until 36 quarter-credits hours have been accumulated. The following electives are typical examples:
0301-753 Electrical Engineering Optimization Techniques
0307-834 Quality & Applied Statistics Multivariate Statistics for Imaging Science
0307-851 Quality & Applied Statistics Nonparametric Statistics
4005-757 Computer Science Introduction to Computer Vision
4005-761 Computer Science Computer Graphics I
4005-769 Computer Science Topics in Computer Graphics
1008-711 Chemistry Advanced Instrumental Analysis
1013-736 Chemistry Spectrometric Identification of Organic Compounds
1051-728 Imaging Science Design & Fabrication of Solid State Cameras
1051-782 Imaging Science Introduction to Digital Imaging Processing
1051-784 Imaging Science Spatial Pattern Recognition
1051-786 Imaging Science Advanced Digital Image Processing
1051-790 Imaging Science Image Rendering
1051-816 Imaging Science Color Systems
Second Year Research Project
During the second year, the student will engage in graduate-level research. The topic may or may not be the same as the dissertation topic. Nine credit hours are normally taken. One of the purposes of this research project is to evaluate the student’s research capabilities and suitability for doctoral level research.
Qualifying Examination
All students must pass a qualifying examination. Its purpose is to determine whether the student has a sufficient depth of knowledge in color science and the ability to perform research at the doctoral level. The examination is administered by a committee that is appointed by the Color Science Graduate Coordinator.
Career Outcomes
Job TitlesColor scientist, optical engineer, R&D engineer, imaging scientist
Functions
Electronic imaging, color instrumentation, colorant formulation and basic and applied research
Recent Employers
Eastman Kodak Co., GDE Systems, Lockheed Martin, Polaroid, Xerox
Admission Requirements
The goal of the admissions process is to select students whose previous education, ability, and practical experience indicate a good chance of success. Scientific reasoning, technical writing, and oral communication skills are particularly important.
The specific requirements are as follows: