International Students
Announcements & Events
- RIT again included on Princeton Review's list of best colleges - see for yourself!
- U.S. News ranks RIT among top master’s universities...
RIT is again recognized for educational quality and value in the annual U.S. News & World Report: America’s Best Colleges. RIT ranked ninth in the “Best Universities—Master’s (North region)” category and rated fourth in the “Great Schools, Great Prices” listing. (read more). - RIT leads the way in higher education in Sustainability - click here for info.
- Check out RIT's new home page - interactive games, HD video and much more - no other University's web site can compare!
Information by Region:
RIT Country Alumni Ambassador Program
Home To Nearly 1,500 International Students Representing 100 Countries!
View a list of our international Peer
Advisor Leaders (PALs) who are current graduate/undergraduate students.
Email them to ask what study and life at RIT is like for them.
Reputation- RIT has been recognized for quality, ranking as one of the nation's top comprehensive universities and one of "America's Best College Values" in a US- News & World Report survey. RIT also has been included in Peterson's Competitive Colleges, Fiske's Selective Guide to Colleges and other major college guides. RIT's faculty and students have won many selected awards and honors such as Fulbright Scholars and Alfred Sloan Foundation Awards.
Financial Aid- Many graduate scholarships and assistantships are awarded each year. We offer a full range of traditional financial aid programs and a number of innovative financing plans. Currently, more than 10,000 RIT students recieve over $110 million dollars in financial assistance.
Graduate scholarships and assistantships are awarded to international students in most academic departments. Awards are based on academic excellence and English language ability. The amount of the award varies by student and department. Applicants for admission will be considered for scholarships as long as they check the appropriate box on the application for admission. No seperate application is required. Students should contact the graduate coordinator in their academic departments for assistantship information. Some departments also offer externally funded stipends from corporate or government sources.
International graduate students can accept pay for work related to their program of instruction during their program if such work is approved by RIT. They cannot be employed in jobs away from the RIT campus without permission from RIT. For jobs on campus, contact the Student Employment Office.
Alternative educational loans - Alternative educational loans are private loans (non-federal) offered through banks to supplement financial aid awards. RIT is required to certify these loans to ensure that the loan amount does not exceed the cost of attendance less all other financial aid. Most alternative loans are disbursed equally into student accounts according to enrollment plans. If you decide that an alternative loan is right for you, you may borrow from any lender that you choose. When choosing a lender for an alternative loan, you may wish to consider the following factors:
- Citizenship status required by the lender, for both the borrower and the co-signer
- Loan costs (interest rates and fees)
- Borrower benefits and discounts
- Customer service
Finaid! The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid provides additional information on alternative loans and guidance on selecting a lender. That information can be found at http://www.finaid.org/loans/privateloan.phtml. We encourage students to review information on at least the factors listed above when choosing a lender for an alternative loan. For additional information regarding responsible student loan borrowing and evaluating student loan lenders, visit the responsible student loan borrowing page.
When applying for your loan remember to request the amount of funds for the full academic year. Once your application has been approved with a credit check, we will certify your eligibility and schedule the disbursement of funds directly into your RIT account. Credit checks on alternative loans are only valid for a period of time that is determined by the lender. In many cases, the lenders use 180 days. An application completed too soon before the start of your first term may not be valid.
Experience and Career- Placement: Optional cooperative education work experiences can provide you with professional experience in your fields before you graduate. Co-op employers range from small consulting firms and start-up technology companies to Fortune 500 and international corporations. Hundreds of top companies come to campus each year to recruit our graduate students, who have strong employment prospects because of their programs' career focus. Our graduate students are currently working for such companies as Amazon.com, IBM, Bausch & Lomb, NASA, Xerox, Boeing, Johnson & Johnson and Heidelberg.
RIT graduates find that their employment prospects are bright because career related work experience is built into their academic programs. Work experience is gained through cooperative education, internships, and field experience. RIT attracts over 1300 co-op employers nationwide and serves more than 2600 RIT students each year. The Office of Cooperative Education and Career Services provides job search assistance for all RIT students. International students must be enrolled full-time for at least 9 months before working off-campus.
On-Campus jobs: International students may hold part-time jobs on campus. You can apply for campus jobs after you arrive on campus through the student employment office. Students may not work more than 20 hours per week. Students on F-1 or J-1 visas are not allowed to work off-campus without the permission of the International Student Program Coordinator or The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Research Opprortunities: RIT graduate programs emphisize the mastery of research in many fields. Through the administration of scholarship, fellowship, and research funds, RIT encourages graduate students' high-level participation in research. A sampling of research centers on campus includes: Information Technology Lab, Center for Business Ethics, Center for Digital Media, Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies, Center for Quality and Applied Statistics, Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery, Image Permanence Institute, International Business Center, RIT Research Corporation, and the Technology Management Center.
Student Support Services- International Student
Services: this office serves as a resource for all international
students on visas as well as for members of the campus community seeking
cross-cultural assistance. The staff advises students on immigration issues,
helps them adjust to academic and cultural expectations in the United States,
and provides cross-cultural programs. In addition, the office coordinates
off-campus hospitality through the Rochester International Council. International
Student Services offers orientation each quarter. In the fall, the PAL (Peer
Advisor Leader) program matches up returning students with new students
on a one-to-one basis to help them with their adjustment to RIT and the
United States.
RIT English Language Center: Students whose native language is not English can find assistance at the English Language Center. Writing, Grammar, vocabulary, conversation, and reading courses are offered at several levels each quarter. Courses are also available in presentation skills, computer word processing, pronounciation, business communication and TOEFL preparation, among others. In addition, students may receive individualized instruction tailored to meet their needs. The TOEFL requirement for graduate programs at RIT ranges 550 and 600. Upon arrival at RIT students with English as a second language may be required to take a battery of English tests, including the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency. Depending on the results, the student may have to enroll in English instruction at an additional cost.
Counseling Center: The center offers a variety of services to RIT graduate students including personal/psychological counseling, career counseling, a career resource center, Computer-Assisted career guidance, testing, consultation and referal services.
Learning Development Center: The Learning Development Center provides individual and group instruction in efficient reading, study procedures, mathematics, and writing skills.
Living on Campus: Getting involved in extracurricular activities is a way to make friends and become an active part of our campus community. Graduate students may join academic and professional organizations, cultural and ethnic clubs, and many other associations on campus. You'll also find a variety of musical and theatrical activities on campus, including the Dance Company, Jazz Ensemble, Gospel Ensemble, and Philharmonic. Meetings and events will take place in Java Wally's coffee house on campus, the Student Life Center, and the ESPN Zone in the Student Alumni Union. Whether you're interested in art, music, literature, politics, science, or sports, you'll almost certainly find others at RIT who share your enthusiasm. For more details you can check out RIT's events calendar.
Clubs and Organizations: Currently there are 164 active clubs, 10 major student organizations, and 26 greek organizations on campus. RIT welcomes and embraces all of its unique, student operated clubs and organizations. Have a look at the list of clubs and organizations.
Housing: Serving approximately 6,000 students, RIT's campus housing offers many living options including residence halls and apartments to meet the diverse needs, interests and backgrounds of RIT students. Accommodations are available to graduate students (and their families) on a space-available basis.
Transportation: There is a transportation provided across campus during most hours. A shuttle bus service is provided at set hours between the campus and local shopping areas. Taxis and the regional public bus service also serve the campus.
Food Service: Several cafeteria dining options are available on campus. RIT's food service program can accommodate many different dietary requirements such as vegetarian and kosher.
Religious Life: RIT has long recognized the importance of spiritual growth in the development of the whole person. Members of various faith traditions work together to serve the spiritual, ethical and personalneeds of the students, faculty and staff of this institute. Services including Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, and Hindu are available. Services are also provided for the deaf and hard of hearing.
The Rochester Area: RIT is the eighth largest private university in the United States. We have a 1,300 acre campus with 237 buildings. RIT is chartered by the legislature of the state of New York, accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and in addition, individual colleges have professional accreditation for specific programs.
RIT is located in the city of Rochester which is in the western part of New York State, about 585 km from New York City and 300 km from Toronto, Canada. It is known the World's Imaging Center and has a comfortable living environment, with museums, entertainment, sports, and beautiful natural attractions. It is the home of major American corporations and an important exporting center for the U.S. Rochester is a four season community averaging 26 degrees Celsius in the summer and 0 degrees Celsius in the winter. The campus occupies 526 hectares outside of the City of Rochester. Campus and housing facilities at RIT are located in a safe residential environment. Visit http://www.visitrochester.com for more information.
