Degree Programs

Advance your understanding of artificial intelligence in computer science by learning to implement AI to solve a range of problems in business, computing, engineering, and more.

The artificial intelligence master’s will teach you to harness the benefits of AI and gain transferable skills in the responsible and impactful design, development, analysis, and deployment of artificial intelligence.

A big data certificate that will develop your expertise in managing, analyzing big data.

RIT’s cognitive science Ph.D. provides an interdisciplinary study of the human mind that combines insights from psychology, computer science, linguistics, neuroscience, augmented reality, and philosophy.

In RIT’s computer science degree, you’ll specialize in areas such as artificial intelligence, computer graphics, computer theory, networking, security, robotics, parallel computation, data mining, computer architecture, or systems software.

Explore an in-depth study of programming or sample selected theoretical or applied areas within the computer science field. At least two of the four electives must have course numbers of 300 or higher and students with the proper prerequisites may use graduate-level computer science courses toward the minor.

In this dynamic computer science master’s degree, you’ll explore computer graphics and visualization, data management, and intelligent systems while developing the skills to excel in this ever-changing field.

The Ph.D. in computing and information sciences is a research degree that produces independent scholars, cutting-edge researchers, and well-prepared educators. You'll study with RIT's world-class computing faculty and take advantage of diverse academic offerings and modern facilities as you identify and research challenges within and beyond computing. 

RIT’s computing and information technology degree teaches you complex computing systems and how to become well-versed in their management. 

Exploring majors in computer science in our computing exploration program allows you to experience the different fields of computer science before choosing a major.

A graduate certificate in cybersecurity that develops a strong foundation in computing security in order to create secure network environments.

In RIT’s cybersecurity bachelor’s degree you’ll learn to preserve assets, identify security vulnerabilities, prove threats occurred, and design strategies for data recovery.

With the prevalence of mobile computing, the advantages of cloud computing, the ubiquity of computing in general, and the issues of securing big data caused by the world-wide explosion of eBusiness and eCommerce today, secure computing environments and appropriate information management have become critical issues to all sizes and types of organizations. Therefore, there is a vital and growing need for all computing professionals to have a foundation in the issues critical to information security and how they apply to their specific disciplines. The minor consists of two required courses and three electives chosen by the student from the computing security advanced course clusters. There are many elective course choices to provide flexibility. Therefore, the minor provides any computing major outside of the computing security degree program with basic knowledge of the issues and technologies associated with computing security and allows students the opportunity to select a set of security electives that are complementary to their majors. Before beginning the minor in students must possess prerequisite knowledge that can be obtained from various programming sequences and courses in calculus and discrete math.

Earn a cybersecurity master’s degree at RIT, recognized as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Research and Education by the National Security Agency.

With the prevalence of data breaches and cyber-attacks, securing intellectual properties and customer’s personally identifiable information has become increasingly challenging in business, government, and academia. It is commonly recognized that a key factor for having a cyber-secured environment and operations is well-trained employees with good cyber hygiene. A small human error may lead to a disastrous cyber incident. The cybersecurity risk management minor is designed for students in non-computing majors who are interested in learning about cybersecurity and developing the knowledge and skills to support organizations in their efforts to protect their computing and informational resources. Students learn the basics of computing and cybersecurity and then gain knowledge and practice in cybersecurity policy and law, risk management, and business continuity plans in the event of a cybersecurity attack.

Demand is high for professionals skilled in both analytics and computing. Enhance your skill set by learning to manage large-scale data sets in this data science master’s.

The minor is a cohesive set of courses that elevates students from a foundational level to advanced knowledge of database systems and the database development process. Students learn the basics of data modeling, the relational model, normalization, and Structured Query Language (SQL). Students also learn the skills needed to effectively capture requirements, compose data models that accurately reflect those requirements, develop programs that establish lines of communication with back-end databases, build and manage large databases, and learn methods for designing and developing data warehouses.

Free and open source software is released with licenses that allow it to be redistributed freely for others to use, copy, and/or modify within certain restrictions and conditions. Free culture refers to writing, art, music, and other creative materials released with rights for reuse and/or redistribution that are more flexible than those of the traditional marketplace. Both are often created and/or distributed by collaborative teams with members around the world. The minor in free and open source software and free culture is intended for students who want to develop a deep understanding of the processes, practices, technologies, financial, legal, and societal impacts of these movements. The minor includes a set of computing and liberal arts courses that explore these aspects through research, analysis, and participation in these communities via the creation of digital cultural artifacts and team-driven software projects. Students complete three required courses, one constrained elective course, and one elective course.

Business, the arts, the sciences, and the humanities now rely on work that is “open," work that is released in a manner that allows it to be shared, copied, and improved upon by its users. Open Source Software powers the internet and the World Wide Web, Open Data, and Open GIS mapping. All of these are at the core of most digital humanities projects. Creative Commons licenses allow artists, musicians, and writers to collaborate more freely by altering the “all on or all off” conditions of copyright. The Open Hardware of the Raspberry Pi and Arduino board drive the maker movement and interactive arts.

RIT is ranked 3rd among top universities in the world for students who want to study and create games, according to the 2023 international rankings from The Princeton Review.

The game design and development minor is intended for students studying in a technical field who want to combine their knowledge and skill in software development with the media-centric approach to application design that is exemplified in the professional games and simulation industries. The minor defines a series of courses that build upon students’ existing knowledge in computing, physics, and mathematics to explore the design principles of games and interactive worlds through the creation of prototypes and software projects.

RIT is ranked 4th among top universities in the world for students who want to study and create games, according to new international rankings from The Princeton Review.

The game design minor is intended for students outside of technical computing majors who want to explore the process and principles of game design and the associated theories of interactive media. The minor provides an introductory experience to media-centric software development that enables students to prototype and test their own designs.

As the world grows in complexity and interconnectedness, new challenges arise in visually representing, reasoning, and making sense of spatially-oriented problems and data. The geographic information systems immersion allows students to study geographic problem solving and scientific inquiry from an interdisciplinary perspective of interactive, digital mapping tools and related digital data problem solving technologies. Students are introduced to geographic mapping concepts and theory, digital cartography, geographic problem solving with geospatial and related computer tools, geospatial technology ethics and application of GIS to global problems such as natural disasters.

The geographic information systems (GIS) minor provides students with experience in the concepts, technology, and applications related to computer-based mapping, spatial databases, and geographic analysis and problem solving. The minor features two tracks: a GIS development track for students interested in GIS software development, and a GIS analysis track for students interested in utilizing GIS as a strong methodological base within their major of study. Required courses provide core GIS foundations applicable to a variety of multidisciplinary elective courses students can choose from to match their research, post-graduate, or career interests.

Demand is high for health informaticists–those professionals who are well versed in applying computing and information technology solutions to the management of health care information and patient data. This health informatics masters will give you the knowledge and experience you need to succeed in this evolving field.

Medical informatics, also known as health information technology or health IT, is experiencing a period of rapid growth fueled by the federal government’s push for universal adoption of electronic health records. The health IT minor teaches students with a computing background how to develop and maintain software systems in the health care field. One year of object-oriented programming and an introductory database course are required prerequisites. Five required courses give students the skills they need to design and develop computing systems for the health care environment.

RIT’s human-centered computing degree combines computing, psychology, and design to examine how people use technology and how computing systems can become more intuitive.

In the human-computer interaction master's degree, you'll study how people interact with websites, computer systems, and software, enabling you to create intuitive interfaces that improve how we interact with and use emerging technologies.

RIT’s humanities, computing, and design major pairs the liberal arts with tech to prepare you for a dynamic career that requires advanced computing and digital skills.

In this information technology master’s degree, you’ll engage in an applied IT program to understand how Big Data is collected and managed, and how its analysis informs both industry decision making and IT solutions in the computing industry.

The minor in mobile design and development provides non-computing majors with a firm foundation in designing applications for mobile devices. There is an explosion in the types and amount of mobile devices and this minor is designed to provide students with the ability to design and implement cross-platform applications.

The minor in mobile development provides students enrolled in computing degree programs with experience designing and creating compelling native applications for mobile devices. Smartphones are outselling desktop computers. New mobile devices of varying sizes, types, and uses are being created everyday for both businesses and personal use and contexts. Developers are needed to create applications for these needs that perform well on the major mobile platforms.

This minor provides computing students with a firm foundation in networking and/or systems administration. Computer networks and the systems attached to these networks have become ubiquitous. Therefore, knowledge of how computer networks function, their administration, and the administration of the systems attached to them can be of value to every computing professional since their work is impacted in some way by computer networks and computer systems. Students may choose between two tracks: networking or system administration.

RIT’s new media interactive development degree adapts digital technologies for social software, wearable devices, touch interfaces, virtual/augmented reality, and more.

The principles of computing immersion introduces students from interdisciplinary backgrounds (for majors outside of computing, mathematics, or informatics) to the central ideas of computing. In this immersion, you will understand how computing impacts and changes your world; establish the foundational concepts and best practices of computational thinking, use of computing technology, and data to solve real-world problems; and learn basic programming skills and develop programming techniques to solve problems, and become familiar with the effects that computing has on society and culture. This immersion is intended for students with no prior computing background as a bridge to expand their understandings of the computing domain.

RIT's software engineering degree encompasses technical issues affecting software architecture, design, and implementation, as well as process issues.

Students in disciplines with a heavy reliance on software applications may be interested in pursuing a minor in software engineering. The minor provides a broad view of the software engineering landscape including introductory material and fundamentals in design and process. Students deepen their software design skills and learn techniques for working on a productive software engineering team by choosing electives in design or process to gain a deeper understanding of one of these areas, or they may choose to balance their courses for a broad view of both topics.

Gain hands-on experience through team-based and individual projects in this master's in software engineering, all while you further your understanding of the development and implementation of modern software systems.

RIT's web and mobile computing degree teaches students a user-centric approach to creating impactful apps, with solid code and good design.

The minor in web design and development is for non-computing majors and students outside the computing field who wish to learn more than just the basics of web usage. The minor features courses in web images, video, communication, development, and integration technologies. Students learn how to design and build websites, and create and manipulate digital images and video for the web. Students develop a broad range of skills and the understanding necessary to design and build a web presence.

With a graduate certificate in web development, you'll develop an expertise in interactive multimedia design as you enhance the communication and digital media experience.

This minor provides students with a firm foundation in web development. The web has become a global, essential, and ubiquitous information delivery medium. Hence, knowledge of how the web works and how to effectively develop dynamic websites adds considerable value to computing majors. This minor provides foundational skills in web development, starting with simple sites, moving through dynamic client-side and server-side functionality, and culminating in web-based systems that create and access various information services.