Degrees

Accounting has become data-driven and technology-infused. A master’s in accounting analytics can help you compile and use data as well as develop a familiarity with analyzing this information to gain significant insights, predict future outcomes, or even ascertain risk. As a result, the market demands accounting analytics graduates with a variety of data-related skills and an understanding of how technology can be used to further an organization’s mission. RIT’s master’s in accounting analytics balances this modern need with traditional accounting preparation.

RIT’s Accounting Master’s

In RIT’s master’s in accounting analytics pulls together key areas of technology, finance, strategy, analytics, data modeling, and more to help you advance your accounting career.

In our innovative curriculum, you will dive into the technology and data analytics for accounting, with a specific focus on:

• Developing traditional accounting acumen.
• Understanding various ways in which accounting and business data is accessed and used.
• Usage of current industry tools in areas such as data access, data insights, and data visualization.

Accounting Analytics Career Advancement with Hands-on Learning

RIT’s accounting MS students gain insights and career advantages through:

• Guidance through CPA examination and licensure process.
• Conducting research including traditional accounting topics plus technology such as text mining and analysis of accounting reports, and uses of blockchain in accounting, with professors published in the top academic journals.
• Networking opportunities through events like the Accounting Banquet and classroom visits.
• A dedicated career fair for accounting students, in addition to RIT-wide career fairs.
• Next Generation of Accounting club enhancing your studies with activities outside the classroom. The club provides opportunities to network with accounting professionals and employers and learn about the various career paths that the accounting field has to offer.

Today’s accounting and finance professionals are now expected to serve as business partners and experts who can use data analytics to inform recommendations on business strategy. RIT’s accounting analytics certificate provides you with knowledge in data science and statistical analysis so that you–as an accounting and finance professional–can mine and analyze data to apply it in ways that benefit and improve business operations and outcomes.

RIT’s Financial Analytics Certificate: On-Campus or Online

Developed and taught by RIT’s esteemed faculty in Saunders College of Business, the advanced certificate in accounting and financial analytics provides knowledge in data science and statistical analysis so accounting and finance professionals can mine and analyze data to improve business strategy, operations, and outcomes.

Designed for working professionals studying part-time, you may complete this graduate certificate in 12 months. The program is available both online and on-campus. The analytics courses offered focus on a variety of applications across various business disciplines.

Financial Analytics Courses

The accounting analytics certificate provides you with the skills you need to operate effectively in today’s modern data-centric business environment. A selection of advanced financial analytics courses will help you learn how to access, interpret, analyze, and report business and financial data. Courses completed in the certificate program can be applied later to RIT’s master’s degree in business analytics, or they may be used as a valuable add-on for students pursuing graduate degrees from RIT in fields such as finance, accounting and analytics, applied statistics, and computer science.

What is a Graduate Certificate?

A graduate certificate, also called an advanced certificate, is a selection of up to five graduate-level courses in a particular area of study. Graduate certificates can serve as a stand-alone credential that provides expertise in a specific topic that enhances your professional knowledge base, or they can serve as the entry point to a master's degree. Some students complete an advanced certificate and apply those credit hours later toward a master's degree.

Accountants are multidisciplinary professionals. They are responsible for determining an organization's overall wealth, profitability, and liquidity. Without accounting, organizations would have no foundation upon which daily and long-term business decisions could be made.

What is Accounting?

From technology and entertainment and travel and government, accounting is a key function to all businesses. It’s the collection, organization, and analysis of data that can reveal the financial state of a business. It can tell a company how well its products and services are performing, and if the products are making a profit. Financial data can help accountants make short- and long-term projections and estimate an organization’s tax liabilities. Accounting also helps an organization plan for its future. Short- and long-term profit projections can help guide an organizations’ growth and in which areas new employees will be needed. It can also help guide decision-making on which product lines to change and grow and which to downsize or eliminate. Accounting is essential to understanding which areas of your business are making money and which are not.

Explore RIT’s Accounting Degree Curriculum

RIT’s BS accounting degree covers financial and managerial accounting disciplines, while:

• Introducing you to the technology used within the profession
• Developing account management and service skills, using digital tools to communicate with, attract and retain clients.
• Exposing you to courses in the liberal arts, sciences, and management
• Leveraging our nationally ranked management information systems (MIS) major to give you the technical skills needed to design, operate, and control accounting information systems

Accounting Certifications: How to Become a CPA

The accounting bachelor’s degree starts you on the right path to completing specific requirements of the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification. Additional graduate work is required in order to fulfill New York State CPA exam requirements. Students who complete the 24-credit hour minimum at the bachelor’s degree level will need to complete at least nine credit-hours of graduate accounting courses in order to meet the requirements to sit for the exam. Students completing 30 undergraduate-level accounting credit hours may only need one graduate accounting course to meet NYS CPA exam eligibility rules.

While the CPA license is not required to work in the field of accounting it is highly recommended for students. Learn more about becoming a CPA, CPA requirements, the CPA Exam, and other certifications.

The BS accounting program prepares students for success, as demonstrated by CPA Exam passing rates for RIT students that are consistently above passing rates overall and for all New York state candidates.

Furthering Your Education in Accounting

RIT’s Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years, giving you a competitive advantage.

• The Accounting BS/Accounting and Analytics MS: In this accelerated dual degree, you'll combine a BS degree in accounting with an MS degree in accounting and analytics to gain a solid accounting background while enhancing your knowledge of the accounting technologies that will help you analyze an organization's data so you can gain significant insights, predict future outcomes, and ascertain risk.
• +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway: Successful RIT applicants who are offered admission into the accounting bachelor’s degree as an incoming first-year student may also be offered conditional early acceptance into the +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway. This option enables you to earn both your BS degree and an MBA in as little as five years of study. Learn how the +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway adds a competitive advantage to your studies.
• +1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor’s degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can accelerate your learning and position you for success.

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The online executive MBA is a challenging and demanding program designed to accelerate the careers of mature, high-performance professionals with significant business experience. The program is uniquely designed for professionals who are looking to advance their careers managerially, which differed from a traditional MBA which offers curriculum and experiences for individuals looking to start their professional careers. The online program covers the same rigorous curriculum as the on-campus EMBA.

This degree program is ideal for creative, innovative individuals who have established careers and are looking for proven and effective strategies to propel them further up the career ladder. You will master executive skills such as strategic and cross–functional thinking and leadership. You will learn from knowledgeable and professional instructors and also from your successful, motivated, diverse peer group. You will leave this program with a solid community of influential peers and a global alumni network to encourage and support your career. 

The online EMBA program is an AACSB accredited 16-month four-semester program with two start dates each year. Students who start in late August will finish in December of the following year; students who start in January will finish in May of the following year.

All students must attend a three-day on-campus orientation session prior to the start of classes and also must attend the international seminar, which is an 7-to-10 day business and cultural educational trip near the end of the program. All arrangements are made by RIT, and airfare and lodging are provided by the program.

Online EMBA Courses

The curriculum focuses on core business concepts, providing fundamental skills, knowledge, and perspectives in accounting, statistics, leadership, finance, negotiations, and economics. The program develops skills in cross-functional analysis with an emphasis on strategy, marketing, technology, and international business. Interdisciplinary examples, case analyses, and an applied orientation are key components of the program.

RIT's executive MBA is a challenging program designed to accelerate the careers of experienced, high-performing professionals with six or more years of business experience. It is ideal for creative, innovative individuals with established careers who are looking for proven and effective methods and strategies to propel them further up the career ladder or transition into a new field.

RIT's Executive MBA: An Applied Academic and Strategic-Focused Experience

We know you want more than a simple transfer of business and management theory and concepts. You want a high level of engagement with faculty and especially with your peers. The opportunity to discuss, argue, compete, and collaborate with other seasoned managers on strategic and topical issues and projects is an essential feature of a strong executive MBA program, and of one that has direct and immediate applicability to your professional development. RIT's executive MBA program is designed to deliver these highly sought-after experiences.

In the executive MBA program, you will master executive skills such as strategic and cross-functional thinking, utilizing data to drive decision making, client consulting, and leadership. You will learn from knowledgeable and professional instructors and from the motivated and diverse peer group enrolled in the program. The executive MBA program encourages analytical thinking and problem solving and places a strong emphasis on collaboration and group interaction.

Executive MBA Courses

The curriculum in RIT's executive MBA program focuses on core business concepts that provide fundamental skills, knowledge, and perspectives in accounting, statistics, leadership, finance, negotiations, and economics. The program develops skills in cross-functional analysis with an emphasis on strategy, marketing, technology, and international business. Interdisciplinary examples, case analyses, and an applied orientation are key components of the program. The program’s courses are scheduled across four consecutive semesters (fall, spring, summer, fall), with one course per semester merged with the online executive MBA program. Students are enrolled in two courses at a time, which are delivered in a hybrid format over a 6 week period. On campus courses take place weeks 1 and 5 on Friday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. One live virtual session takes place week 3 on Saturday 8am-12:30pm EST.

In addition, all students attend a three-day orientation at the start of the program and a seven-to-10-day international seminar in their last semester. The program takes advantage of local and regional relationships with area businesses, and students have the opportunity to tour various businesses and interact with company leaders during the program, especially during the culminating Capstone Consulting project.

Lead Where Technology, Business, and Innovation Intersect: The STEM MBA at RIT

RIT’s master of business administration (MBA) is a STEM-designated program engineered for forward-thinking leaders interested in bridging technology, business strategy, and quantitative analytics. This top-ranked MBA program combines a core management foundation with cutting-edge AI, data analytics, and hands-on problem solving—equipping you to steer enterprise transformation or launch tech-driven ventures.

The RIT Advantage: Don’t Just Manage the Future. Build It.

RIT is an innovation powerhouse, backed by the facilities and resources that drive an active culture of making, doing, and solving. As an MBA student at Saunders College of Business, you stand at the intersection of technology, business, design, and the arts.

Here, you have the freedom to build across disciplines. Take open electives across RIT’s nine world-renowned colleges. Utilize state-of-the-art makerspaces like the Student Hall for Exploration and Development (SHED), MAGIC Spell Studios for digital media research and production, and ESL Global Cybersecurity Institute featuring the Cyber Range and Training Center, to name a few. Team up with student and faculty coders, industrial designers, and engineers on real-world projects.

• Mirror Real-World Teams: Work in cross-functional groups that reflect how modern product and leadership teams operate.
• Inspiring Mentorship: Tap into a professional network of alumni and business professionals who serve as speakers, mentors and venture investors.
• Practical Leadership: Turn strategy into action by solving enterprise challenges, launching startups, while building an interdisciplinary professional network.

Customize Your Leadership Path

A flexible curriculum allows you to personalize your MBA degree to align directly with market demand and your career ambitions.

• Core Business Mastery: Build a strong foundation across our MBA core courses in accounting, finance, marketing, strategy, and organizational behavior.
• Targeted STEM Electives: Select a specialized content area in high-growth fields including artificial intelligence, business analytics, finance, and supply chain management.
• University-Wide Electives: Expand your expertise with electives from graduate departments across RIT.

You can align your MBA degree directly with market demand and your career ambitions. Select a specialized content area featuring three STEM elective courses, complemented by two electives to explore a variety of disciplines across campus.

• High-Growth Focus Areas: Align your degree with emerging growth areas such as digital transformation, and innovation management.
• Tailored Learning: Build specialized functional expertise while retaining a broad strategic leadership foundation.

High Demand STEM MBA Content Areas

MBA content areas include a combination of three courses from a wide variety of STEM-designated electives, plus two elective courses selected from all electives at Saunders and across all RIT colleges. Popular content areas include:

• Data Analytics: Complete courses in areas such as data management for business analytics, advanced business analytics, and business analytics experience.
• Finance and Investing: Target your knowledge with courses that cover financial risk management and analysis, securities and investment analysis, and financial modeling and analysis.
• Supply Chain and Operations Management: Learn skills in project management, supply chain analytics, and Lean Six Sigma fundamentals.

Additional content areas include accounting and analytics, hospitality management, marketing and market research, information systems and data management, entrepreneurship, and business management. Students may create their own content areas as long as three of the five electives chosen come from Saunders’ list of more than 40 STEM electives.

STEM MBA Benefits: AI, Analytics, and Global Career Potential

Modern enterprise is tech enterprise. RIT's MBA carries an official STEM designation, integrating technical acumen and data analytics into every facet of executive management.

• Data-Driven Strategy: Master quantitative decision-making, predictive analytics, and AI implementation strategies to solve complex operational challenges.
• Competitive Edge: Graduate equipped with both broad organizational leadership vision and specialized technical capabilities.
• 3-Year STEM-OPT Extension: International graduates on F-1 visas qualify for a 24-month extension, for a total of 36 months of U.S. work authorization, making graduates highly attractive to global employers.

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The Ph.D. in business administration is designed to inspire and train scholars to identify, investigate, and solve novel business challenges that influence business and society, particularly, those that are triggered by technological changes. Our program has a sharp emphasis on the effects of technological innovation on discipline-based theories and research. Faculty work with students in an apprenticeship model so that students become independent scholars, cutting-edge researchers, and well-trained educators at research-oriented universities.

The program offers three areas of specialization:

Digital Transformation: Digital transformation emphasizes the integration of digital technologies that have altered the marketing of products and services, as well as the management of information systems. In this area of specialization, you will study the design and development of digital artifacts and their implications for interpersonal interaction, analyze the modes of human information processing in digitally transformed business contexts, and theorize the emergence of new business models and ways of organizing in digitally immersive environments.

Finance and Accounting: The finance and accounting specialization emphasizes new challenges and research areas that have emerged from technological innovations within finance and accounting disciplines. These areas include FinTech, high-frequency trading, alternative trading systems (dark pool and ECNs), crowdfunding platforms, P2P lending platforms, blockchains, cryptocurrencies, data analytic tools in auditing and credit rating, digital transformation of SEC filings and corporate disclosures. In this area of specialization, you will study the antecedents and consequences of technology in finance and accounting. 

Strategy and Innovation: A distinct feature of 21st century competition is the pivotal role played by technological innovation as a competitive advantage for organizations. In the strategy and innovation specialization, research emphasizes the growing role of technological capabilities and innovation-based products and processes as a source of competitive advantage. You will acquire knowledge and skills to address novel research questions about firm-level strategy and innovation-related challenges faced by managers and policy makers. This specialization is not accepting students for academic year 2027-28.

As the world continues to become more globally connected, the need to do business internationally becomes increasingly important. The international business degree prepares you to handle all commercial transactions – from private and government to sales and investments – that take place between two or more nations.

The international business degree provides you with the analytical tools and conceptual framework needed to understand the international financial, political, and economic environment, and how that environment influences an organization’s global strategy and performance. In RIT’s international business degree, you will leverage the strength of RIT’s global campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai, and Kosovo, as well as a comprehensive study abroad program to gain experience living, working, or studying in hundreds of countries around the world.

RIT’s International Business Degree

Students in the BS in international business develop the foundation necessary to understand and conduct cross-border and global business. Proficiency in a foreign language is a requirement of the major. You may fulfill this requirement by completing a minor in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, or Spanish. Students with fluency in one foreign language can request to waive the requirement or they may choose to study a second foreign language. A co-major or a minor is chosen in one of the following areas: accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, management, management information systems, marketing, or supply chain management. This combination assures that you have a well rounded foundation in business with a solid understand of the significance of cultural and geographic influences on global as well as local commerce.

Jobs in International Business

International business positions include substantial personal and professional benefits. Graduates of the BS in international business are employed by major global corporations, including Constellation Brands, Capital One, and more. Overseas assignments typically bring long hours and hard work, yet the reward of upward mobility within the corporate world continues to lure young executives to global assignments.

Accelerated 4+1 MBA

An accelerated 4+1 MBA option is available to students enrolled in any of RIT’s undergraduate programs. RIT’s accelerated bachelor’s/master’s degrees can help you prepare for your future faster by enabling you to earn both a bachelor’s and an MBA in as little as five years of study.

Accountants serve a strategic role in business that goes beyond number crunching and financial reporting. They provide a foundation for corporate strategy, serve as business advisors, and understand how to leverage cutting-edge technologies. RIT's MBA in accounting provides a broad-based education of business and technology while focusing on career skills that can be applied to any business and industry.

RIT's MBA in Accounting

In addition to gaining the technical skills needed to design, operate, and control accounting information systems–skills that are highly sought after by employers–RIT's MBA in accounting prepares you for dynamic careers in accounting and fulfills the education requirements needed for eligibility to sit for the Certified Public Accountancy (CPA) exam. Students who graduate with our MBA in accounting consistently score higher on than state and national averages.

The MBA in accounting program offers two tracks, one for students with an undergraduate degree in accounting and one for students who have an undergraduate degree in a field outside of business, economics, statistics, or accounting.

Graduates of the MBA in accounting are well-positioned to further their careers in public accounting, corporate settings, government agencies, and not-for-profits.

The MBA in accounting program is designed to prepare you for careers leading top management positions with accounting information systems skills.

Accounting Careers

Accounting is an exciting career field with a range of unlimited opportunities in diverse areas of accounting including attestation services, tax compliance and planning, fraud examination, managerial accounting, internal audit, financial planning, and risk assurance. 

Accountants work for every type of industry. Accountants may attain their Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license or pursue one of several prestigious private certifications such as the Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and other certifications and licensures. While the CPA license is not a requirement to work in the field of accounting it is highly recommended that students pursue the certification. 

Today’s businesses collect an incredible amount of data from nearly every customer touchpoint, from point-of-sale transactions, customer service interactions, social media feedback, search engine entries, market research activities, sales data, demographic information, and more. Today’s organizations generate unprecedented amounts of data and increasingly rely on artificial intelligence to turn that data into strategic insights. By earning a business analytics and AI master’s degree, you’ll become skilled in using big data, machine learning, and advanced analytics to deliver powerful solutions. You will learn how to help companies draw insights from accounting, finance and marketing data to increase sales, reach new customers, develop new products, enhance customer experiences, and more.

RIT’s Business Analytics and AI Master’s Degree

Developed in conjunction with top employers–such as Amazon, Tesla, Intuit, Excellus, and PriceWaterhouse, the master’s in business analytics and AI trains students to help them understand and connect contemporary analytics and AI technologies with today’s business practices. This program equips students with the analytical depth, AI proficiency, and strategic business insights needed to excel in today’s rapidly transforming digital economy.

In our business analytics and AI courses, you’ll develop the advanced skills needed to conduct the descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analysis of information while incorporating machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques as you learn to manage and govern data and analytics in a range of business settings. The curriculum emphasizes responsible and human-centered AI.

Business Analytics and AI Courses Packed with High-Demand Skills

In RIT’s business analytics and AI degree, courses are designed to integrate AI from multiple perspectives. Students learn to manage, engineer, and govern data for AI applications. Hands-on courses help students apply machine learning and AI techniques, while gaining exposure to advanced computing environments. The curriculum emphasizes responsible and human-centered AI.

You’ll acquire broad and in-depth training in multiple disciplines related to business analytics and AI, like accounting information and analytics, advanced business analytics, business intelligence, accounting analytics, financial analytics, and marketing analytics. Dive deeper into a discipline that enhances your career goals with analytics elective courses in topics such as predictive analytics, Large Language Models (LLMs), information systems design, data management and analytics, categorical data analysis, Probabilistic Programming Models, Reinforcement Learning Models, and explainable models like SHAP and LIME.

Learn in High-Tech Analytics Labs

You’ll pair your master’s in business analytics and AI with access to two high-tech labs where you utilize tools such as Python, R and Tableau. The Sklarsky Center for Business Analytics, a modern, interactive lab that features Bloomberg Terminals and the most advanced analytics software. The REDCOM Active Learning Collaboratory supports interactive learning and features CISCO Telepresence for connecting interactively with RIT’s global campuses in Dubai, Croatia, and Kosovo, and with our corporate partners around the world.

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Are you interested in pursuing a career in business, but uncertain as to which major best fits your personal and professional goals? Business exploration might be the best fit for you.

How Do I Choose the Right Business Major in College?

Business exploration is for students who are not yet ready to declare a business major and need more time to explore different business disciplines to better understand which major bests meets their interests and career goals. It's designed to keep you on track for graduation while you explore entry-level courses in RIT's seven business majors: accounting, finance, global business management, hospitality and tourism management, management information systems, marketing, or supply chain management.

In business exploration, you can take up to a year and a half to complete course work in general business topics while you explore foundation courses in several of the business majors that interest you most. In your first-year, you will be encouraged to talk with RIT faculty, staff, and our career advisors to help you learn about our different business majors as you determine which areas of business interest you most. Advisors provide guidance throughout your time in the option and will assist you in course selection and in declaring a major.

The Freshman Experience: Biz 1+2

Students pursuing business exploration will participate in The Freshman Experience: Biz 1+2, a two course, two semester experience where all business students participate as first-year students, together as a cohort. This is a unique aspect of a business degree at Saunders College of Business. At many business schools, students do not take business courses until their second or third year of study. In Biz 1+2, you will build business plans from concept to commercialization while being exposed to a variety of different disciplines. The experience allows you to confirm your choice of major, change your major, or pursue a double major.

Quantitative analysts, known as “financial engineers” or “quants” design and implement financial models used by banks and investment companies to generate profits and reduce risk. Computational analytics experts also support other industries and business functions that reach beyond banking and finance.

RIT’s Master’s in Computational Finance

RIT’s master’s in computational finance produces quantitative analysts who design and implement financial models used by banks and investment companies to generate profits and reduce risk. Computational analytics experts also support other industries and business functions that reach beyond banking and finance. The master’s in computational finance will expand your skills, enabling you to apply your expertise to a variety of fields, all of which have great demand for professionals with a background in computational finance. The program is designed for students interested in computational or quantitative finance careers in banking, finance, and a growing number of industries. Professionals in these fields use their strengths in business, modeling, and data analysis to understand and use complex financial models.

Computational Finance Courses

The master’s in computational finance features a curriculum steeped in the integration of finance, mathematics, and computing. The required mathematics courses have substantial financial content and the experiential computational finance course, which students take during the summer, makes use of skills learned previously in the program’s mathematics, analytics, and finance courses. The master’s in computational finance is a full-time, 12- to 17-month curriculum beginning in the fall or spring. The program ends with a required non-credit comprehensive exam based on the courses completed by the student.

Computational Finance Jobs

Computational finance is an excellent career option for technically-oriented professionals in the fields of business, math, engineering, economics, statistics, and computer science.

The master’s in computational finance addresses a vital and growing career field, reaching beyond banking and finance. Typical job titles include risk analyst, research associate, quantitative analyst, quantitative structured credit analyst, credit risk analyst, quantitative investment analyst, quantitative strategist, data analyst, senior data analyst, fixed income quantitative analyst, and financial engineer.

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RIT’s well renowned resources in business, science, technology, engineering, and the arts make it the center of innovation. You are encouraged to take advantage of these resources, including the Simone Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, as you learn to bring new ideas to the marketplace. You will graduate with the business and technical expertise needed to thrive in both large incumbent firms as well as new start-up ventures.

The MS degree in entrepreneurship and innovative ventures focuses on the entrepreneurial and innovation process, by which inventions or creative new ideas are brought to market. Graduates achieve a unique combination of technical and business expertise that is especially relevant to start-up ventures or professionals supporting small business start-ups.

Plan of Study

The program requires students to complete 30 credit hours consisting of six required core courses designed to increase a student’s knowledge of accounting, organizational behavior and leadership, technology management, entrepreneurship, marketing, and product commercialization; two innovation courses that increase student's knowledge of managing the innovation process; and two elective courses that provide students with additional background in areas of interest.

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Explore the management, creation, and study of money, banking, investments, assets, and liabilities, and the impact of technology on financial systems, cash-flow analysis, capital markets, financial decision-making, and forecasting. This is the exciting world of finance.

What is Finance?

Finance is more than tracking a budget. It is the art and science of managing cash flows, risk, and ultimately, value. Finance functions include corporate finance, budgeting, investment management, risk management, and valuation. Financial expertise determines the optimal management of money and the generation of value for clients.

RIT’s Finance Bachelor’s Degree

The world's financial markets are globally integrated. As a result, you need a finance degree that prepares you with a global understanding of financial markets, how they are integrated, and how they impact the business world.

In RIT's finance major, you'll learn about the management, creation, and study of money, banking, investments, assets, and liabilities. You'll become familiar with financial systems, which include the public, private, and government spaces, and have the opportunity to become an expert in cash-flow analysis, capital markets, financial decision-making, or forecasting. Set yourself a part with a finance degree that:

• Emphasizes the use of Big Data: You'll gain the data analytics skills to manage and analyze an organization's data to understand and forecast financial trends.
• Provides unparalleled access to technology: The state-of-the-art Sklarsky Center for Business Analytics features 12 Bloomberg terminals that connect you to Bloomberg technologies that track corporate financial data in real-time.
• Enables you to manage a real investment portfolio: In the student chapter of the Financial Management Association you'll actively manage a real $250,000+ portfolio.
• Prepares you to today's finance careers: Graduates are analytics-driven and skilled in making keen decisions by evaluating historical data and market performance forecasts.

Finance Curriculum

The finance major includes foundational courses in accounting, management, business planning, financial management, organizational behavior, and more. In addition, the financial curriculum includes advanced courses in investments, financial analysis, and strategic management. Finance electives enable you to select courses for more in-depth study in areas such as options and futures, business law, financing new ventures, financial analytics, and more. You will also spend time monitoring markets and analyzing financial trends in the Sklarsky Center for Business Analytics, which features Bloomberg Terminals and the latest in finance-based technology, computing power, and software.

Furthering Your Career in Finance 

Today’s finance careers require advanced degrees grounded in real-world experience. RIT’s Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years of study, all while gaining the valuable hands-on experience that comes from co-ops, internships, research, study abroad, and more.

• +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway: Successful RIT applicants who are offered admission into the BS degree in finance as an incoming first-year student may also be offered conditional early acceptance into the +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway. This option enables you to earn both your BS degree and an MBA in as little as five years of study. Learn how the +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway can help you add a competitive advantage to your studies.
• +1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor’s degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can accelerate your learning and position you for success.

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Today’s finance industries are highly data-driven and analytics-based. RIT's master of science in finance emphasizes practical technical skills—such as data science, artificial intelligence (AI), and financial analytics tools—preparing you for successful careers in traditional finance roles, such as corporate finance, investment analysis, wealth management, portfolio management, financial consulting, commercial banking, investment banking, and insurance. Through dynamic elective courses, you will also develop a deep specialization in emerging FinTech fields, including algorithmic trading, blockchain, cryptocurrency, financial analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) applications in finance. 

This is a highly flexible program with a strong emphasis on experiential learning opportunities, enabling you to apply your knowledge in real-world scenarios. Accessing Bloomberg Terminals in the Sklarsky Center for Business Analytics, you tap into the latest financial market developments while having the tools to analyze and develop unique insights.

RIT’s Finance Master’s Degree

Today’s finance industries are data-driven and analytics-based. As a result, RIT’s finance master’s degree includes projects and teaching materials that expose you to financial analytics skills and software. In this highly flexible program, you’ll complete core courses in accounting, corporate finance, investments, options and futures, international finance, risk management, portfolio management, and more.

The MS in Finance program also combines foundational finance knowledge with cutting-edge technical skills, preparing graduates to thrive in today’s data-driven financial industry. This unique curriculum emphasizes advanced financial analytics and the application of AI-driven technologies to real-world challenges.

Students gain expertise through core courses and can customize their learning with electives in specialized areas such as:

• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML): Explore the intersection of data science and finance with coursework covering machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing (NLP), and large language models (LLMs). Learn how these technologies power forecasting, risk modeling, and financial text analysis, equipping you to leverage AI for smarter financial decision-making.
• Advanced Financial Analytics: Develop in-demand technical skills for investment analysis, portfolio construction, risk management, and security valuation. Gain hands-on experience with industry-standard tools like Python, R, and SAS while mastering techniques such as time-series modeling and text mining. Students also have access to additional data analytics courses at Saunders College, expanding proficiency in tools like Power BI, Tableau, Matlab, and SQL.
• Hands-on Algorithmic Trading: Apply quantitative models in a lab-based algorithmic trading course. Design and test trading strategies using a computerized platform that supports extensive back-testing on thousands of stocks, bridging theory with real market behavior.

Additionally, top finance master's programs, like RIT's master of science in finance, prepare you to take the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) exam–the most respected and recognized investment management designation in the world.

Why Choose RIT's Finance Master's Degree? 

Discover why RIT's master of science in finance is the ideal choice for building advanced, future-ready expertise in finance and FinTech. The degree:

• Integrates finance and artificial intelligence (AI) for a future-ready skill set.
• Offers practical, hands-on learning with real-world applications.
• Builds expertise in financial analytics, machine learning, and algorithmic trading.
• Prepares graduates for careers in quantitative finance, risk management, fintech, and data-driven investment strategies, as well as traditional fields such as personal financial planning and corporate financial management.

Leading Finance Faculty

Saunders’ finance faculty are prestigious researchers who actively contribute to elite research journals, covering traditional finance topics and cutting-edge areas such as AI applications in finance, financial text mining, high-frequency trading, stock/option trading strategies, NFT, cryptocurrencies, and blockchain. Our faculty members bring valuable industry expertise to their classrooms while maintaining solid connections with industry professionals.

RIT’s BS in Global Business Management

This bachelor of science in global business management builds a T-shaped professional, who is characterized by a deep disciplinary knowledge and an understanding of the professional and personal skills that transcend disciplines. In this program, you will:

• Gain an understanding of solution-based thinking with a curriculum that features a strong emphasis on design thinking.
• Develop cross-cultural teamwork and management skills through various team projects with peers from partner universities and RIT's global campuses.

BS in Global Business Management Curriculum

The BS in global business management curriculum provides both depth and flexibility through management courses that emphasize:

• Operations management
• Strategic management
• Leading cross-cultural teams
• Communication
• Critical reasoning

In addition to a foundation in business management, you will also choose a concentration in:

• Entrepreneurship
• Leadership
• Supply chain management

Global Business Management Rotation: Study Abroad at RIT Croatia and RIT Dubai

The global business management rotation is an immersive experience in which you will participate with a cohort of students to gain a global perspective of business and commerce by studying international business on three continents:

• RIT: The majority of your course work will occur on RIT’s main campus in Rochester, N.Y.
• RIT Croatia: You’ll spend the spring semester of your second year at RIT Croatia, in Zagreb, the country's capital and a center for international trade and business.
• RIT Dubai: Spend the spring semester of your third year at the RIT Dubai's strategically located campus in Dubai Silicon Oasis, one of the world's leading business centers for advanced electronic innovation and design.

Hands-On Experience Equals Real-World Skills

Students in the global business management major have the opportunity to complete at least one semester of paid cooperative education experience. These business co-ops enable you to gain career experience in a range of industries to prepare you to become a competitive, marketable candidate for positions once you graduate.

Furthering Your Education Global Business Management

RIT’s Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years, giving you a competitive advantage.

• +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway: Successful RIT applicants who are offered admission into the BS degree in global business management as an incoming first-year student may also be offered conditional early acceptance into the +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway. This option enables you to earn both your BS degree and an MBA in as little as five years of study. Learn how the +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway can help you add a competitive advantage to your studies.
• +1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor’s degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can accelerate your learning and position you for success.

Rooted in strong technology and analytical traditions of RIT’s Saunders College of Business, the supply chain management master’s is an interdisciplinary program that integrates concepts from supply chain, logistics, operations management, analytics, data visualization, industrial engineering, global business, sustainability, ethics, and risk management. Prepare for global career opportunities by gaining an understanding of cultural differences, global trade regulations, and logistics practices in different regions, while being adept at managing global supply chain networks.

The master of global supply chain management offers multiple opportunities to enhance your expertise and make you more competitive in your chosen career path. Gain a strong foundation in supply chain principles, an understanding of industry-specific practices, and familiarity with the latest trends and technologies. 

What Will You Do With a Supply Chain Management Masters?

Products and services increasingly rely on a globally integrated supply system and the related technologies that enable the efficient movement of these good and services around the world. Supply chain management professionals are in demand to help companies manage the complex operations who can manage the complex operations that take a product from ideation, sourcing of materials, production, storage and transportation, to purchasing, order fulfillment, distribution, and inventory management.

The global supply chain needs to be efficient for companies to remain competitive internationally as they turn raw materials into consumer goods and services and deliver them to consumers. In RIT’s supply chain management masters, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the global supply chain as you gain the analytical, quantitative, and leadership skills needed to design innovative solutions, predict future trends, and become a leader in the fast-moving business landscapes found in the global supply chain system.

The hospitality and tourism degree provides an in-depth understanding of the hospitality and tourism industry and prepares you to enter any segment of the industry, including sports and entertainment management, hospitality real estate, beverage management, hotel/resort management, travel management, food marketing and distribution, cruise line operations, resorts and spas, event management, and airline catering. You will also find success in many other industries where delivering top innovative services and experiences is a priority.

Excellence in Hospitality and Tourism Management

Designing and delivering exceptional customer experiences requires innovative professionals with a deep understanding of business, technology, and service. Our hospitality management program is global in scope and innovative in focus. We prepare you to become a manager, hospitality professional, or entrepreneur who will thrive in their career.

The Saunders’ Hospitality and Tourism Student Experience

In Saunders, we ditch the large college auditoriums and embrace learning in small classrooms in order to create meaningful connections among students and faculty. You will get to know your classmates and professors while enjoying the scale, resources, and vibrant student life of a large college campus. At Saunders:

• Work hard/play hard: The rigor of a top-100 business program is met with opportunities to experience large events, enjoy fine dining, taste worldwide beverages, and visit world-class hotels.
• Engage in opportunities for networking and mentoring: You will have opportunities to visit premier hospitality events including the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), The National Restaurant Show in Chicago, and the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITECH), to name a few.
• Industry meets Classroom: We host guest speakers form all aspects of the hospitality industry, including hotel general managers, corporate executives, restaurants and hotel owners; directors of sales, events, and catering; sports marketers; restaurant entrepreneurs; winemakers; and private club managers.

RIT’s Hospitality and Tourism Management Curriculum

RIT's hospitality and tourism management major includes a comprehensive core curriculum that provides you with a strong foundation in the core principles of hospitality, service management, and tourism operations. The hospitality management major gives you the opportunity to gain a wide set of skills which you can apply in any service industry. You may choose to specialize further though one of the hospitality minors:

• Beverage Management Minor: Develop the knowledge needed to engage in beverage sales, marketing, and distribution as you taste worldwide beverages. Course work in this minor prepares you for careers in areas such as beverage sales, distribution, and management in both hotels and fine dining restaurants; procurement/purchasing management; bar, lounge, winery, or brewery owner/manager/entrepreneur; sommelier; cicerone; or beverage brand marketing manager and/or distributor.
• Sports, Events, and Entertainment Management Minor: Delivery highly-effective experiences in the world of sports, events, and entertainment, and engage in careers as an sports/event venue sales manager; event manager for a hotel, sports venue, convention center, wedding venue, etc.; meeting planner for corporations, associations, or non-for-profit organizations; sports marketing manager; sports arena/facilities manager; private sports club manager; or sports analyst.
• Real Estate in Hospitality Minor: From idea to opening day, you'll learn the tools and techniques to develop properties and make hospitality investment concepts real. You'll be well-prepared for a real estate career as a real estate associate, consultant, financial analyst, development analyst, brand analyst, asset manager, or brand manager.

Technology and Hospitality: No Better Place than RIT

Among the biggest evolutions in the hospitality field is the impact of technology on the guest experience, food service and delivery, and more. Technology, along with data analytics, is driving how resorts, restaurants, theme parks, and cruise lines are interacting with guests and managing their expectations. From apps that help plan and manage guest experiences, to wearables that unlock guest room doors, to online check-in and food ordering, today’s hospitality professionals must be knowledgeable of how the latest technology is being used to improve the guest experience.

One of the most unique benefits of RIT’s hospitality and tourism management major is the collaboration between the program and RIT’s high-tech majors in computing and engineering. The latest innovations in hospitality – mobile reservations and check-in for hotels and flights, contactless ordering and restaurant kiosks, and more – are occurring at the interesting of these dynamic disciplines, and you have a front row seat to collaborating on the design and development of the next innovations in hospitality.

Hospitality and Tourism Management Study Abroad Programs

We develop global professionals for global careers. The hospitality and tourism management major offers numerous opportunities for both short- and long-term study abroad. Additionally, our curriculum prepares you for the challenges of operating in a global industry by developing your knowledge of cross-cultural customer interactions, languages, and business practices of multinational corporations.

Global Hospitality Rotation

The global hospitality rotation is an immersive experience where you will gain a global perspective in business and commerce by studying international business on two continents:

• RIT Croatia: You’ll spend the spring semester of your second year at RIT Croatia, studying in Dubrovnik. Known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic,” Dubrovnik is a medieval seaside port on the Adriatic Sea. It is a popular European cruise ship port that boasts many cafes, winding cobblestone streets, and old city neighborhoods. It also served as a main filming location for HBO's hit drama Game of Thrones.

• RIT: The majority of your course work will occur on RIT’s main campus in Rochester, N.Y. From its world-renowned attractions and historic museums to its phenomenal dining, world-class golf courses, and internationally recognized festivals, Rochester is a major metro city and a four-season adventure destination. 

Study Abroad Opportunities

The BS in hospitality and tourism management is also offered at RIT Croatia, one of RIT’s global campuses. Located in Dubrovnik, Croatia, RIT Croatia is in the center of one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea. In addition to the global hospitality rotation, you may also consider a:

• A 10-day study experience
• Semester-long study abroad experience

Both of these opportunities enable you to learn about the hospitality and tourism challenges and opportunities in Croatia as you study international hotel and resort management.

Furthering Your Education in Hospital and Tourism Management

RIT’s Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years, giving you a competitive advantage.

• +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway: Successful RIT applicants who are offered admission into the BS degree in hospitality and tourism management as an incoming first-year student may also be offered conditional early acceptance into the +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway. This option enables you to earn both your BS degree and an MBA in as little as five years of study. Learn how the +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway can help you add a competitive advantage to your studies.
• +1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor’s degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can accelerate your learning and position you for success.

Continue your studies at RIT with our MS degree in hospitality business management, where you can continue to advance your hospitality management skills with a master’s degree focused on cutting-edge analytics and technology skills, positioning you to pursue leadership positions. This master’s degree also enables you to develop a secondary focus in a range of areas, including finance, digital marketing, entrepreneurship, human resources, supply chain management, or data management.

RIT’s master’s in hospitality business management specializes in enhancing analytics and technology skills essential for leadership positions in the hospitality industry. A comprehensive curriculum empowers career changers and working professionals to excel in sales, marketing, revenue management, business strategy, customer experience design and management, sustainability, data analytics, as well as hotel real estate development and investment. This hospitality management master’s degree offers you a transformative experience that propels your career to new heights, granting your a competitive edge and unlocking exciting opportunities in the ever-evolving hospitality sector.

RIT’s Hospitality Management Master’s Degree

Recognized by Forbes, Travel Weekly, Nation’s Restaurant News, and Corporate Travel magazines, RIT’s master’s in hospitality management enables you to build upon your previous course work and skills in management, hospitality, tourism, and retail with a focus in a range of areas, including accounting, business analytics, entrepreneurship, finance, human resources, management, marketing, and supply chain management. This versatility unlocks abundant job opportunities, enabling you to pursue diverse career paths beyond the hospitality industry. 

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By incorporating a global focus into the master's of human resources degree, RIT ensures that our graduates can maximize human potential, increase productivity, and retain great talent. You will be able to successfully plan and execute corporate strategy related to human capital, develop workplace talent, retain valuable employees, and much more. Whether you’re starting a career in human resources or enhancing your competencies in training, instructional design, performance management, and employee development, you’ll graduate as a strategic leader of the human potential in your organization.

Human development is at the heart of workplace development in any organization. The MS in human resource development provides the next level of learning in creating a strategy for human capital. The program teaches professionals to leverage specific essential competencies to create a flexible workforce that adapts to change and aligns with strategic organizational goals so that human resource professionals can grow talent and remain competitive in the 21st century.

Plan of Study

The degree requires a minimum of 33 credit hours. Students are required to complete a comprehensive exam at the conclusion of their course work. Students who wish to complete a graduate project or thesis in place of the exam must have the approval of the faculty and department chair.

Electives

Electives are chosen by the student and are used to fulfill their career interests. Courses may be taken in other graduate-level programs, with permission. A limited number of credit hours (not counted toward another degree) may be considered for transfer credit from another college or university.

Advising

Upon matriculation, each student is assigned an advisor who will work with students individually to develop a plan of study.

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Technology enhances an organization’s operational efficiency. Through analysis of existing business processes, you will be able to improve and design new information systems that can help add value to an existing product and help managers make crucial decisions. The management information systems degree focuses on data analytics, teamwork, leadership skills, customer service, and underlying business theories. An MIS degree gives you the ability to develop innovative systems to solve company problems and improve business intelligence.

What is Management Information Systems (MIS)?

People, processes, and information systems are how organizations do business. Management information systems (MIS) is an interdisciplinary major focused leveraging technology, people, and processes to help improve, transform, and support business operations. It is a discipline that emphasizes the management of information and communications technology elements within business organizations. As an MIS student, you can expect to gain an understanding of computer databases, networks, and computer security, but you'll also learn how to help people better use technology. You will become are the essential link between technology and the people who don't understand it as well as you do.

RIT's Management Information Systems Major

The management information systems major prepares you for careers involving leading-edge enterprise technologies and the analysis, design, and management of computer-based information systems. The curriculum provides you with the opportunity to analyze existing business processes and learn to utilize digital technologies to improve and/or design new models. As a result, you are able to apply the concepts of enterprise resource planning and work with sophisticated enterprise systems to help companies achieve their goals. You will also design systems that are usable, practical, and cost-effective.

Careers in Management Information Systems

The MIS program prepares you for careers involving the design, development, configuration, and management of IT-based information systems for business organizations. In addition to your technology focus, you will also develop the critical business acumen and soft skills needed for successful communication, leadership, business analysis, and project management.

MIS graduates frequently pursue careers in such areas as systems analysis, business analysis, data administration, information security, web design and development, management and IT consulting, and project management. Career opportunities in MIS are excellent. According to forecasts for computer and information systems managers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for MIS-oriented positions will grow by approximately 11% between 2020 and 2030.

Because of the broad relevance of IT management skills in contemporary business, there is high demand for MIS graduates in nearly every sector and industry, with the following sectors having a particularly high demand for MIS skills: information technology, banking and financial services, health care, government services, and management consulting.

Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees

Today’s careers require advanced degrees grounded in real-world experience. RIT’s Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years of study, all while gaining the valuable hands-on experience that comes from co-ops, internships, research, study abroad, and more.

• Management Information Systems (MIS) BS/Business Analytics and AI MS: The combination of a BS in MIS with an MS in business analytics and Ai allows you to bridge the gap between technology and business strategy. The MIS degree provides the technical know-how to implement and manage information systems, data, and the analysis of that information, while the business analytics master's degree ensures that these information systems are leveraged to derive valuable insights for strategic decision-making.
• +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway: Successful RIT applicants who are offered admission into the BS degree in management information systems as an incoming first-year student may also be offered conditional early acceptance into the +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway. This option enables you to earn both your BS degree and an MBA in as little as five years of study. Learn how the +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway can help you add a competitive advantage to your studies.
• +1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor’s degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can accelerate your learning and position you for success.

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Designed both for students without business experience or those who have earned an undergraduate business degree, the MS in management prepares professionals for management roles within a range of industries. The management masters features four tracks – global management and supply chain management, product and service development, leadership, and a flexible option – that enable you to customize your degree to meet your career goals. Through real-world experience, you’ll be prepared for a rewarding career in management.

Tracks

The global management and supply chain management track prepares students to be effective business leaders in today’s global economy. Course work provides a background in significant aspects of managing and operating a multi-national business, including international competitive strategy, cross-cultural human resource management, global marketing, and global logistics and operation management.

The product and service development track develops skills needed to manage the technology development process, coordinate R&D and marketing functions of an organization, and capture value from the commercialization process with business model innovation. Career opportunities range from critical analysis positions, technology and new product project manager positions, brand managers, and functional management occupations like CIO, CTO, and CEOs of technology start-ups.

The leadership track develops individual leadership styles and skills needed to manage and lead people and organizations. It positions students for advancement to an executive-level managerial position.

Students also have the opportunity to customize their program. By using elective courses, students may choose graduate courses in a number of exciting fields across all of RIT's colleges. The program prepares students for leadership positions and careers in management.

The flexible track is aimed at professionals with a specific industry and/or technology focus and provides the necessary business skills to become a leader in their desired field. The track gives students the flexibility to take science, technology, and art courses from other RIT colleges, allowing them to manage in specialized industries with a technology-oriented focus.

Technology entrepreneurship and innovation management are key business drivers in all industries as new products and services rapidly improve our lives in significant ways. Technology innovation managers and entrepreneurs who know how to lead technological change in entrepreneurial ways are in high demand to capitalize on process and product development opportunities. As an entrepreneur and innovator, you will be part of today’s innovation management as you identify problems and view them through the lens of technology innovation in an effort to develop unique and creative solutions.

RIT’s Technology and Innovation Management Master’s

Managing technology and innovation requires the skills to create value for your startups or entrepreneurial organizations. This entrepreneurship master’s offers opportunities to engage with business leaders and entrepreneurs, learn from business coaches and mentors, and capitalize on the developmental opportunities available on campus. You can leverage the robust technology environment at RIT and emerge as a business leader who can lead technological entrepreneurship by solving problems, inventing, creating innovative products and services, and commercializing their ideas.

Successful technology and innovation management students often have backgrounds in business or technology. They are interested in managing innovation, keen to lead and manage technological innovation, manage product development, eager to implement innovative ideas, and passionate for innovation and entrepreneurship. They seek to create and/or run an entrepreneurial venture, are getting ready to lead a small business, and have an interesting idea they are looking to convert into an innovative product or service. As a technology and innovation management student you will:

• Develop strategies for innovation
• Manage innovation projects
• Create and lead technology entrepreneurship
• Commercialize products
• Generate seed funding for start-ups
• Develop a viable business model
• Use analytics to make business decisions
• Identify businesses opportunities globally

Options

Two options cater to the unique needs of innovation managers and technology entrepreneurship.

• Technology management option: Designed to equip you with advanced skills in product development and data analytics enabling you to address organizational management and strategy needs.
• Technology entrepreneurship option: Equips you with skills required to start and manage new ventures utilizing research and marketing analytics, evaluate market options, and build strategy to capitalize on the options.

Access to Industry Technology and Resources 

Capitalize on a rich entrepreneurial culture on campus, with full access, hands-on exposure to facilities such as the Simone Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, where you engage with:

• Industry experts and innovation coaches who provide one-on-one coaching and mentorship to develop your idea or start-up
• Idea labs where students get to solve actual problems of organizations and businesses
• Student Accelerator program where students get paid to develop their business concepts to seek angel investment
• Programs that solve real world challenges or teach students to raise funds to create and manage their own ventures
• Tiger tank competition where students pitch their early-stage product or service business idea to a panel of judges for prize money

Additional resources include world-class makerspaces; Venture Creations, RIT’s business incubator; and MAGIC Spell Studios, an entrepreneurial and commercial production studio. Teachers, industry mentors, an applied approach, and access to science, technology, engineering, and design resources prepare you to focus on entrepreneurial and innovation processes by which inventions and creative new ideas are brought to market.

Marketing is a critical element in the success of modern business operations. The overall process of entering markets, creating value for customers, and developing profits is the fundamental challenge for the contemporary marketing manager. RIT’s bachelor of science in marketing focuses on the complete business-consumer relationship, from internet marketing, social media, professional selling, international marketing, and consumer behavior. You’ll gain competencies in the technical skills of search engine optimization and data analytics as you gain a complete understanding of the dynamic field of marketing and its impact on an organization’s success.

What is Marketing?

Marketing is strategic communication between an organization and its customers. And, it can have multiple goals. Marketing raises awareness of a product or service, helps acquire new customers, generates sales leads, builds brand reputation, boosts brand engagement, establishes an organization as a thought-leader, reaffirms value for consumers, grows a social media presence, and so much more.

To be truly effective a marketing professional must:

• Understand Their Audience: Through in-depth consumer research, marketers can gain deep and profound insight into who is buying their products and services, and why.
• Identify Needs/Goals of Customers: Understanding what consumers need and why can help marketers discern how these opportunities can lead to new or revised product lines and services.
• Build Trust and Communicate Information: Sharing product benefits and value enables consumers to make informed decisions on products and services.
• Boost Brand Awareness: Engagement with your brand tells you that your audience is listening, watching, and interested in what you're doing.

RIT's Marketing Bachelor's Degree

In RIT's marketing degree, you will gain a solid understanding of the business activities that fall under the marketing umbrella. These include identifying and selecting target markets; developing, placing, and promoting goods and services; managing relationships among organizations and their customers; and analyzing the successfulness of marketing campaigns and activities.

Business Marketing Courses

Throughout your marketing courses you'll study business-consumer relationships from multiple angles as you learn about the power and influence of internet marketing, social media, search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), and data analytics on consumer awareness and behavior. A range of business marketing courses also cover strategic management, marketing analytics, and marketing strategy. You'll also gain practical experience by developing marketing plans. Through a range of projects, you'll work independently and in teams to solve marketing challenges. Studying marketing through course work is only one part of your experience. Through classroom experiences and your work on real and simulated business challenges, you'll develop leadership and communication skills while you gain proficiency in analyzing and understanding buyers, developing and delivering professional sales presentations, and designing and implementing marketing research projects. You'll graduate ready to create and critically evaluate strategic marketing plans.

Marketing Electives

As part of the marketing major, you will select elective courses in a range of topic that enable you to further explore areas of marketing and gain an understanding of additional topics, including global marketing, digital entrepreneurship, marketing research, and more.

Furthering Your Education in Marketing

Today’s careers require advanced degrees grounded in real-world experience. RIT’s Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years of study, all while gaining the valuable hands-on experience that comes from co-ops, internships, research, study abroad, and more.

• +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway: Successful RIT applicants who are offered admission into the BS degree in marketing as an incoming first-year student may also be offered conditional early acceptance into the +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway. This option enables you to earn both your BS degree and an MBA in as little as five years of study. Learn how the +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway can help you add a competitive advantage to your studies.
• +1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor’s degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can accelerate your learning and position you for success.

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As the world continues to depend on digital communications, marketers are looking for professionals who are knowledgeable in internet marketing, social media marketing, SEO, and graphic arts. A digital marketing degree allows you to develop these skills to help increase brand awareness, communicate directly with customers, raise awareness of new products, and develop brand loyalty.

New media marketing is an interdisciplinary major with a curriculum that covers marketing, imaging, graphic arts, information systems, and management. The major provides an overall assessment of the current and future state of the graphic communication industry and is designed to meet the need for broadly educated marketing, new media, and management professionals.

The master’s in organizational leadership is designed to develop leaders who have the mindset and advanced skills to lead in organizations that are constantly adopting and evolving with the latest in tech innovations. The organizational leadership and innovation program empowers you with the knowledge, skills, and mindset to lead organizations of the future. You will be equipped with the tools to spearhead innovative projects and enable your organization to embrace the changes that come with innovation. Courses focus on technological changes and their implications for leadership, developing the ability to foresee emerging trends and technologies, creating strategies to exploit the foresight, leading teams of innovators, creating a work environment that encourages experimentation, and enabling individuals to change, adapt, and evolve.

By combining two critical aspects that determine success of organizations in the future – innovation and leadership – this unique program prepares you to:

• Foresee emerging technologies and innovations
• Develop strategies to capitalize on foresight
• Create innovative work cultures
• Guide creative individuals
• Lead change initiatives

Is the MS in organizational leadership and innovation management right for you? 

Are you a working professional interested in influencing people, leading a team of innovative individuals, implementing innovation, or leading change initiatives in your organization? Then the organizational leadership and innovation program might be for you. The program attracts professionals who are: 

• Skilled with a technical background and are (1) interested in leading innovative projects or (2) developing the knowledge and skills to lead a team of innovators.
• Mid- or entry-level and keen to grow into leadership roles.
• Leaders in traditional organizations who aspire to lead an organization towards innovation.
• Mid-career professionals tasked with leading change initiatives.
• Passionate entrepreneurs keen to build an innovative organization.
• Managers dealing with changes in technology and the workforce.
• HR professionals interested in developing innovation talent within an organization.

What is Organizational Leadership?

Leading in innovative environments demands leaders who have a future-focused mindset. They possess the advanced skills to develop teams for organizations that are strategically adopting and evolving from the latest in technology innovations. Organizational leadership is creating an intentional, collaborative work environment where you are able to identify and influence organizational change, to innovate and evolve. Leaders of innovation are initiators, doers, range-agents, and change-makers.

RIT’s Master’s in Organizational Leadership and Innovation

Constant technology advances provide organizations with a growing set of tools and opportunities to manage innovative work cultures. They need leaders to spearhead organizational change, with strategic foresight and innovation, to leverage technology and the future of work. In the MS degree in organizational leadership and innovation, you will be equipped with the tools to spearhead organizational change and foresee emerging technologies in innovative contexts. The curriculum adds future-focused and innovative leadership-oriented courses that leverage faculty expertise in organizational leadership, innovation, technology, and strategy development. You’ll learn to create an entrepreneurial culture and build sustainable teams while you develop skills in the leadership and management of innovation.

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Today’s global economy requires visionary management, a 360-degree view of customers, and breakthrough strategies that lead to product and service innovation. The MS degree in service leadership and innovation enables professionals in any industry to transform their organizations through novel ways of thinking, efficient problem-solving, and projecting current and future needs. By learning how to see and capitalize on opportunities that others miss, graduates of the program are positioned to take employees, products and services, and their own career, to new levels of success.

What is Service Innovation?

Service innovation refers to developing or modifying services, or the ways in which companies deliver services, by creating or implementing technologies that add value for customers. Service leadership is important because it can help companies and organizations design services or products that address unmet customer needs and stay competitive in the marketplace. An electric car is an example of a service innovation. Customers were looking for vehicles that were more sustainable and environmentally friendly. An electric car is an innovative product that met a customer need. As electric cars grew in demand, companies realized that they must continue to differentiate their electric cars to stay competitive and to meet evolving customer demand. As a result, longer battery life and other innovations became crucial product and service differentiators that added value for customers.

Service Innovation Course Work

Achieving competitive advantage demands that organizations know how to innovate, and do so not once, but repeatedly over the life of a product or service. Customer demands and expectations evolve, and products and services must continue to meet these changing expectations. Creativity and innovation in product and service development, rapid learning through continuous analysis and improvement, and the ability to turn ideas into action, products, processes, and services are crucial.

In the MS degree in service innovation and leadership, course work emphasizes processes that provide value and service differentiators that create unique experiences for the customer. You'll complete courses that help you master concepts for creating new services or for improving existing services in efficient and effective ways. You'll also learn how individual, team, and organizational dynamics impact innovation across an organization, and how to foster a culture that is conducive to creative innovation.

As part of the program, you'll complete a thesis, a capstone project, or a comprehensive exam as a culminating experience, which allows you to demonstrate your ability to apply the theories and concepts learned throughout the program. Program advisors and/or program faculty will work with you to determine which option is most appropriate based on your career goals and objectives.

Many companies and organizations are involved in making supplies and products readily available so producers, manufacturers, and consumers, can have them when and where they want them, and at a competitive price. Coordinating and managing all of the organizations and suppliers involved in the activities that move products to the right places and the right times is the goal of supply chain management. More than ever, technology is driving supply chain processes and strategies to help give companies a competitive edge.

What is Supply Chain Management?

It’s not often a supply chain gets interrupted to the point where consumers cannot find the products they need. But when it does, people notice. And the disruption can cause chaos.

When the Covid-19 virus created panicked buying at grocery stores around the country, suddenly consumers couldn’t find toilet paper, paper towels, canned soup, tuna, rice, or cleaning products. As a result of those empty grocery store shelves, the public came to understand the importance of supply chain management in our every day lives.

What is a Supply Chain?

A supply chain is a complex and interconnected system that begins with business strategists forecasting or predicting consumer demand for goods and ends with products available for consumers to purchase. In between is a complex web of purchasers and negotiators managing raw materials and suppliers, information systems that manage inventory and data, transportation systems that move and distribute materials and goods between warehouses and retail operations, and retail stores stacking shelves and selling products to you, the consumer.

Supply chain optimization occurs when you manage this intricate, expansive network of suppliers, producers, vendors, warehouses, transportation networks, logistical partners, and retailers. This is the focus of the supply chain manager, the supply chain analyst, and other professionals in the field that deal with the wide range of responsibilities that keep the global supply chain humming along. Gaining the expertise you need to build a career in this dynamic field comes from a degree in supply chain management.

RIT’s Supply Chain Management Degree

RIT’s bachelor’s degree in supply chain management provides you with the knowledge needed to effectively develop, implement, and manage efficient global supplier systems in order to maximize customer value. Supply chain management coordinates a wide range of supply chain processes required of both businesses and business partners, including suppliers, to deliver products and services. You will gain a solid understanding of the areas needed to support supply chain management, such as supply chain strategies, logistics, information systems, lean/quality management, customer service, purchasing, negotiations, contracts, forecasting, inventory management, and project management. In addition to business operations, supply chain management plays a critical role in medical missions, disaster relief operations, and other types of service industries.

Supply Chain Courses

The degree in supply chain management includes foundational business courses in financial and management accounting, economics, marketing, business planning, and operations management. Supply chain management courses–in topics that include database management systems, enterprise systems, managing supplier relations, logistics in supply chain management, and Lean Six Sigma fundamentals–prepare you for a range of dynamic careers in the field. You’re free to select elective courses that round out your degree and add in-depth study within supply chain management. Elective courses include cross-cultural management, exporting and global sourcing, business intelligence, and negotiations and decision making, to name a few.

Furthering Your Education In Supply Chain Management

Today’s careers require advanced degrees grounded in real-world experience. RIT’s Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years of study, all while gaining the valuable hands-on experience that comes from co-ops, internships, research, study abroad, and more.

• +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway: Successful RIT applicants who are offered admission into the BS degree in supply chain management as an incoming first-year student may also be offered conditional early acceptance into the +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway. This option enables you to earn both your BS degree and an MBA in as little as five years of study. Learn how the +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway can help you add a competitive advantage to your studies.
• +1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor’s degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can accelerate your learning and position you for success.

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