Part-time Study
Communication and Media Technologies
Program Overview
The CMT degree prepares graduates for careers in commerce, education, entertainment, and government as communication experts engaged in the creation of messages and analysis of communication needs and outcomes. As ethical, legal, and cultural issues related to new communications technologies are identified, graduates will be adept at the analysis of communication problems, the management of solutions, and the creation of appropriate messages. E-commerce, distance education, public service, and development are examples of national and international endeavors dependent on effective and appropriate communication strategies for new media.
Communication and the technologies for message creation and dissemination are at the center of dramatic economic, social, and cultural changes occurring as a result of technological development and global connectedness. The master of science in communication and media technologies (CMT) is an interdisciplinary advanced program of study combining liberal arts courses in communication with course work in an applied or professional program. CMT graduates will be adept at the analysis of communication problems, the development of solutions, and the creation of messages as a result of their combined training in the social sciences, humanities, and applied technologies.
Communication courses rooted in the humanities and social sciences provide students with the opportunity to gain a broad, historical understanding of issues in communication, including the ethical, legal, and social dimensions. Additional courses give students advanced guidance in the creation of written and visual message content. Courses in applied technologies or professional programs provide opportunities for implementation and application. The required thesis combines knowledge, practice, original research, and application under the guidance of a graduate advisement committee.
CMT graduates are prepared for careers as communication experts in such venues as commerce, industry, education, entertainment, and government, as well as for graduate work toward a doctoral degree.
Earning the CMT degree requires completion of a minimum of 45 quarter credit hours of graduate course work, distributed as follows: four required communication courses (16 quarter credit hours) plus three or four communication electives (12 or 16 quarter credit hours) offered by the department of communication; three or four courses (12 or 16 quarter credit hours) in applied professional or technical course work from one of RIT's other colleges; and five to nine thesis/project credit hours earned in the department of communication.
A full-time CMT student will create a graduate advisement committee by the end of the first quarter of study. The committee will be comprised of at least one faculty member from the department of communication and one faculty member from an appropriate applied technical program from another RIT college. The committee advises and guides the student's elective course selection and course sequencing. With the guidance and approval of the graduate advising committee, students design and conduct a thesis/research project appropriate to their course of study and to their career goals.
Curriculum Review
Required communication courses (16 credits)
0535-701 History of Media Technologies
0535-702 Communication Theory
0535-703 Research Methods in Communication
0535-704 Communications Law and Ethics
0535-800 Project/Thesis
Communication electives (12 or 16 credits)
Students are required to select three communication electives from the choices below; a fourth elective is optional. History of Media Technologies and Industries, and Communication Theory and Audiences are prerequisites for all communication electives.
0535-705 Electronic Communication and Society
0535-706 Crafting the Message
0535-707 International Media
0535-708 Teaching and Training Technologies
0535-709 Online Advertising and Public Relations
0535-710 Visual Communication
0535-725 Special Topics in Communication
Applied professional or technical courses (12 or 16 quarter credit hours)
Students are required to select three applied professional or technical courses from the choices below; a fourth applied or technical course is optional.
College of Imaging Arts and Sciences
2081-709 Trends in Printing Technology
2081-723 Contemporary Publishing
2081-742 Document Processing Languages
College of Computing and Information Sciences
4002-718 Current Themes in Information Technology
4002-733 Fundamentals of Computer Communication
4002-741 Fundamentals of Web-Based Multimedia
College of Business
0105-761 Marketing Concepts
0105-766 Marketing in Global Business
0105-767 Marketing Communications
0105-772 Marketing on the Internet
0102-740 Organizational Behavior and Leadership
0102-741 Leading Change in a Quality Organization
0102-742 Introduction to Technology Management
0102-762 Managing New Process and Product Development
Master’s thesis/project
A thesis or project is required of all CMT students. The thesis/project topic should complement the student’s academic graduate interests and scholarly training. Topic selection and method(s) for implementing the thesis/project occur in consultation with the student’s graduate advisement committee.
Proposed plan of study
Fall Quarter
History of Media Technologies and Industries
Communication Theory and Audiences
Communication elective or applied professional/technical course
Winter Quarter
Research Methods in Communication
Communication elective
Communication elective or applied professional/technical course
Spring Quarter
Communications Law and Ethics
Communication elective
Communication elective or applied professional/technical course
Summer Quarter
Communication elective or applied professional/technical course
Thesis/Project
Admission Requirements
Applications for admission are accepted for all four academic quarters, but most full-time students begin their program of study in the fall. Admission to the program is based on the following criteria:
All credentials must be submitted and reviewed before the student completes 16 quarter credit hours of graduate work in the program.