Master of Science in Color Science
Mark D. Fairchild, Coordinator
(585) 475-2784, mdf@cis.rit.edu
www.cis.rit.edu/content/view/37/120/
Color science is broadly interdisciplinary, encompassing physics, chemistry, physiology, statistics, computer science, and psychology. The curriculum, leading to a master of science degree in color science, educates students using a broad interdisciplinary approach. This is the only graduate program in the country devoted to this discipline and it is designed for students whose undergraduate majors are in physics, chemistry, imaging science, computer science, electrical engineering, experimental psychology, physiology, or any discipline pertaining to the quantitative description of color.
Graduates are in high demand and have accepted industrial positions in electronic imaging, color instrumentation, colorant formulation, and basic and applied research. Companies that have hired RIT graduates include Benjamin Moore, Canon Corp., Eastman Kodak Co., Hallmark, Hewlett Packard Corp., Microsoft Corp., Pantone, Qualcomm Inc., Ricoh Innovations Inc., Samsung, and Xerox Corp.
The color science degree provides graduate-level study in both theory and practical application. The program gives students a broad exposure to the field of color and affords them the unique opportunity of specializing in an area appropriate for their background and interest. This objective will be accomplished through the program’s core courses, selection of electives, and completion of a thesis or graduate project.
The degree program in color science revolves around the activities of the Munsell Color Science Laboratory within the Center for Imaging Science (www.cis.rit.edu/research/mcsl). The Munsell Laboratory is the pre-eminent academic laboratory in the country devoted to color science. Research is currently under way in color appearance models; image-quality, data-visualization, and color-tolerance psychophysics; spectral-based image capture, archiving, and reproduction of artwork; analytical and empirical multi-ink printing models; spectral color rendering, color management, and computer graphics; and consumer digital camera and digital-cinema camera optimization.
Since the inauguration of the program in 1984, a number of conferences have drawn participants from around the world. Industrial seminars are held each summer on a wide range of color topics, including color perception and appearance, colorimetry, color-difference equations, instrumental tolerances, spectrophotometry, instrument-based color matching, color- and image-appearance models, color management, psychophysics, visualization and rendering, and spectral imaging. The Munsell Laboratory has many contacts that provide students with summer and full-time job opportunities across the United States and abroad.
Admission requirements
Prior to being admitted to the master of science degree program, the coordinator of the program must be satisfied that an applicant’s previous education, ability, and practical experience indicate a good chance of success. Scientific reasoning, technical writing, and oral communication skills are particularly important. Admission requirements include:
- Graduate application
- Earned baccalaureate degree
- Graduate Record Examination
- Official undergraduate transcript
- Two professional recommendations
- An on-campus interview (when possible)
- GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Foundation course work with GPA of 3.0 or higher (if required)
- Minimum scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language of 587 (paper-based), 240 (computer-based), or 94 (Internet-based). This is a requirement of international students whose primary language is not English.
Financial aid
The scholarships and assistantships available for qualified color science applicants include the Macbeth-Engel Fellowship, Grum Memorial Scholarship, Saltzman Memorial Scholarship, Munsell Color Science Laboratory Assistantship, and research assistantships associated with ongoing grants and contracts. Students receiving fully funded assistantships tend to have undergraduate cumulative grade point averages of 3.5 and higher and exceptional GRE scores. Applicants whose native language is not English must have TOEFL scores above 600 (paper-based), 250 (computer-based), or 100 (Internet-based) and TSEA scores above 250. Partial assistantships also are awarded. Applicants seeking financial assistance from the center must submit all application documents to the Office of Graduate Enrollment Services by January 15 for the next academic year.
Prerequisites: The foundation program
The color science program is designed for the candidate with an undergraduate degree in a scientific or nonscientific discipline. Candidates with adequate undergraduate work in related sciences start the program as matriculated graduate students.
Candidates without adequate undergraduate work in related sciences must take foundation courses prior to matriculation into the graduate program. Such students may be required to take as many as 36 credits in these subjects. A written agreement between the candidate and the program coordinator will identify the required foundation courses.
Foundation courses must be completed with an overall B average before a student can matriculate into the graduate program. A maximum of nine graduate-level credit hours may be taken prior to matriculation into the graduate program.
The foundation courses listed below are representative of those often required.
One year of calculus
One year of college physics, with laboratory
One course in computer programming
One course in matrix algebra
One course in statistics
One course in introductory psychology
Curriculum
All students must earn 45 credits as a graduate student, 36 of which must be taken at RIT, to earn the master of science degree. For full-time students, the program requires four to six quarters of study at the graduate level. Part-time students generally require two to four years of study at the graduate level. The curriculum is a combination of required courses in color science, elective courses appropriate for the candidate’s background, and either a research thesis or graduate project. Students must enroll in either the research thesis or graduate project option at least one year before completion of required course work.
Core courses
All graduate students in the MS program are required to complete the following core courses:
| Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
| 1051-720 Vision | 4 |
| 1050-702 Applied Colorimetry | 4 |
| 1050-721 Color Measurement Laboratory I | 3 |
| 1050-703 Color Appearance | 3 |
| 1050-722 Color Measurement Laboratory II | 3 |
| 1050-813 Color Modeling | 4 |
| 1050-801 Color Science Seminar | 3 |
Elective courses
Appropriate elective courses should be selected to bring course work to 36 credit hours for the research thesis option or 41 credit hours for the graduate project option. Approval by the color science coordinator is required. (Some courses might require special permission for enrollment.) The following is a partial list:
| Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
| 0307-801, 802 Design of Experiments I, II | 6 |
| 0307-834 Multivariate Statistics for Imaging Science | 4 |
| 4005-761 Fundamentals of Computer Graphics | 4 |
| 1051-728 Design and Fabrication of Solid State Cameras | 4 |
| 1051-739 Principles of Solid State Imaging | 4 |
| 1051-749 Color Reproduction | 4 |
| 1051-782 Introduction to Digital Image Processing | 4 |
| 1051-790 Image Rendering | 4 |
| 1051-816 Color Systems | 4 |
Typical full-time schedule of courses
| Fall | Qtr. Cr. Hrs. |
| 1051-720 Vision | 4 |
| 1050-702 Applied Colorimetry | 4 |
| 1050-801 Color Science Seminar | 1 |
| Graduate elective | 4 |
| Winter | |
| 1050-703 Color Appearance | 3 |
| 1050-721 Color Measurement I Lab | 3 |
| 1050-801 Color Science Seminar | 1 |
| Graduate elective | 4 |
| Spring | |
| 1050-722 Color Measurement II Lab | 3 |
| 1050-813 Color Modeling | 4 |
| 1050-801 Color Science Seminar | 1 |
| Graduate elective | 4 |
During the second year, full-time students enroll in research and thesis, to total nine credits.
Research thesis option
Students without research experience are encouraged to select the research thesis option (nine credits). The thesis is performed during the second year of study. Topics are chosen that complement the candidate’s undergraduate education and career interests. The technical advisory board of the Munsell Color Science Laboratory, as well as the program coordinator, can aid in the selection of a thesis topic. Full-time students receiving full-time assistantships are required to perform a research thesis.
Graduate project option
Students with research experience may select the graduate project option (four credits). The project has the same intellectual level as a research thesis but is less lengthy. It might take the form of an experiment, demonstration, research project, or critical review. The graduate project is normally performed during the last quarter of study. Part-time students often select this option.