School of Design
School of
Design
Overview
The School of Design is ranked among the best, with Business Week naming it one of the top 10 design schools in the country. Effective design combined with creativity and professionalism are the school’s tenets. Using both technological and theoretical approaches to find solutions to design problems, students work with award-winning faculty who are creatives, critical thinkers, and innovative problem-solvers. Students have access to state-of-the art laboratories and computer facilities as well as the Cary Graphic Arts Collection and the entire archive of renowned designers Massimo and Lella Vignelli, housed in RIT’s Vignelli Center for Design Studies.
6
Number of designs from the industrial design program’s Metaproject senior studio that are currently in production through various companies.
12
Our Fab Lab is equipped with 12 3D printers - in addition to laser cutting and CNC routing technology - to complete submitted projects by students, faculty, and staff.
20
Faculty are professional members or affiliates of more than 20 national, international, and local organizations.
Latest News
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April 2, 2020
![Ellipse 2019 spreads are displayed on a wall.]()
Students, alumni, faculty honored in local advertising awards
RIT had a strong showing at the Rochester Advertising Federation's annual ADDY Awards, which recognize student and professional excellence in marketing and advertising.
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April 2, 2020
![Woman holding face mask and protective shield.]()
RIT Rallies: Bringing expertise to battle with Coronavirus
Many RIT faculty, students, staff and alumni are among the collaborations here and across the nation, providing expertise to improve or create much-needed equipment and protective gear for medical personnel fighting the Coronavirus.
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March 31, 2020
![Madeleine Rabil.]()
Alumni Update: Role with game developer took root at RIT
During a 2008 visit to RIT while she was in high school, Madeleine Rabil ’13 (3D digital graphics) learned that the university’s then-called College of Imaging Arts and Sciences had just announced the creation of a new major for incoming students focusing on 3D as a medium. “I knew immediately that RIT was where I needed to be,” she says.
Featured Work
Real-world Interior Design Workshop
The Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County’s Secret Room has made countless childhood memories during a near-100-year history. For its annual program-wide Hyperspace workshop in 2020, RIT...
Industry Partnerships Launch Careers
RIT Industrial Design’s Metaproject studio course not only connects students with esteemed professionals in the design world, it presents them the opportunity to take a design from idea to...
Designing Healthcare Solutions
Alexa Boyd and Marla Murrett
The "Monarch Wing" is a hospital design where new mothers and their infants are provided with the necessary support. The design draws inspiration from the monarch butterfly — an insect known...
Undergraduate Programs
Innovative and creative design solutions that enrich the ways in which people live, work, and play is the emphasis of the school’s undergraduate programs. The school offers BFA programs in 3D digital design, graphic design, industrial design, interior design, and new media design.
Graduate Programs
The School of Design offers two MFA programs — one in visual communication design and another in industrial design. The MFA in visual communication design focuses on all areas of design, including graphic design, user experience/interaction design, design studies, motion graphics, and 3D digital design. The MFA in industrial design includes seminar courses in design history and research and studio courses focusing on sustainability and design process.
Minors and Immersions
Student Resources
For internal College of Art and Design resources such as academic information, forms, FAQs and more, visit inside.cad.rit.edu. For information about academic advising, visit here.