School of Design

Contact

585-475-2668
design@rit.edu
Booth Hall, 3311

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.

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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 cutters, CNC routing devices and other 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

  • May 2, 2025

    Elizabeth Kronfield places flowers in a container while a molten iron furnace operates in the background.

    RIT casts a bright light at national iron arts conference

    Between a moving performance, building an award-winning iron-melting device, and featured exhibitions, RIT students, faculty, staff and alumni were present in every corner of the National Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art and Practices.

  • May 1, 2025

    Lorrie Frear with JamieLynn and her mother, JanMarie.

    Like mother, like designer: RIT student inherits creative spark

    JamieLynn Gallagher '25 cared more about kerning than any kid she knew growing up. Her innate eye for creative detail can be traced to her mother, who also graduated from RIT's College of Art and Design. JamieLynn continued the family's design legacy and will work for a Syracuse-based agency after graduation.

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Faculty

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.

RIT’s 3D digital design degree will combine your passion for digital design with the skills needed to create virtual elements for game design, virtual reality, medical and scientific simulations, and more.

Learn more about the 3D Digital Design BFA program

RIT’s 3D design visualization degree emphasizes the creation and simulation of environments and objects for virtual spaces for a growing number of real-world opportunities.

 

Learn more about the 3D Visualization Option - 3D Digital Design BFA program

Pursue a game art design degree that focuses on the innovative creation of assets for a wide range of game platforms. 

Learn more about the Game Arts Option - 3D Digital Design BFA program

In this creative, innovative graphic design BFA, you'll integrate design principles, methods, concepts, images, words, and ideas to convey distinct, visually compelling messages to a range of audiences.

Learn more about the Graphic Design BFA program

In RIT’s industrial design BFA, you’ll create and develop innovative products for both consumers and manufacturers with your choice of diverse industries to work in.

Learn more about the Industrial Design BFA program

The interior design BFA establishes you as an expert in creating human-centered environments and understanding the relationship between people and their physical surroundings.

Learn more about the Interior Design BFA program

At the intersection of visual communication, design strategy, and user experience design, RIT’s new media design major produces innovative creators of next gen digital media.

Learn more about the New Media Design BFA program

Graduate Programs

The School of Design offers two MFA programs and an MS program. 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. Meanwhile, the MS in integrative design establishes a variety of creative design thinking techniques in multiple areas.

A master’s in industrial design that explores design theory, design history, and human-centered design as you create a range of consumer products.

Learn more about the Industrial Design MFA program

In our visual communication design degree, you'll shape interactive experiences by integrating graphic design, user experience design, design studies, motion graphics, and 3D digital design into your work.

Learn more about the Visual Communication Design MFA program

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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.