What is Individualized Study?
Individualized study is all about you. It’s focused on your interests, your passions, and your career goals. And, it’s an opportunity for you to create a specialized degree that’s tailored around the knowledge and skills you want to learn, and that fit your personal ambitions.
Students in the School of Individualized Study are unique. But they all share one common trait: their interests don’t fit neatly into a traditional degree program. They have ideas about what they want to study, and where they want to go after they graduate. They need a roadmap on how to structure a degree program that gets them where they want to go.
In the School of Individualized Study, we’ll provide you with the guidance you need to get you to your destination. With RIT’s rich and diverse academic portfolio that includes more than 80 undergraduate programs, more than 100 graduate programs, and thousands of courses, you can hand pick and blend a selection of course work to create an academic program that accomplishes your professional aspirations. And you’ll do all of this with a team of academic advisors who continuously provide personalized guidance and support.
How does individualized study work?
Crafting your own degree program sounds complicated. In reality, it more about identifying your interests, selecting the courses that fit what you want to do, and putting the plan in motion.
Some of our students find their way to us as freshmen. Others spend time in degree programs before realizing that the courses they’re taking aren’t exactly what they want, or they learn through their course work and faculty connections about related but alternative career paths and their possibilities. However you find your way to the School of Individualized Study, we’ll help you tailor your course work to your individual needs.
You’ll start out by meeting with one of our academic advisors, who will spend time learning about you. They’ll talk to you about topics of study that you like and don’t like, and listen as you share your career goals and aspirations. Next, they’ll talk to you about course selection, and identify what classes you need to take to gain the skills you’re looking to acquire. Our advisors will connect you to faculty members so you can meet and learn about exciting career options. As you work together to map out each semester, your advisors will help you select courses and make guide you on extracurricular activities–co-ops and internships, research opportunities, study abroad, and more–that will help round out your education. And, as your interests change, or expand into new areas, advisors will work with you to adjust your plan of study to accommodate your evolving goals.