College of Liberal Arts

RIT Liberal Arts brings the humanities and social sciences into the digital age.

You’ll innovate, play, and grow in our human-centered, tech-infused environment. Our faculty is a caring community of compassionate and confident creators, ready to support and guide you as you pursue your passion. Committed change-makers thrive in a place where people care as much about bettering the world as they do helping each other. Welcome to liberal arts for doers. Where future leaders turn “What If?” into “I Will.”

Learn more about the College of Liberal Arts

Meet us on campus

Learn about academics, co-op and internships, financial aid, and more.

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Act Sooner. Know Earlier.

Undergrad students can apply Early Decision by Nov. 1 to get an admissions and financial aid estimate by mid-December.

Explore other benefits

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What does amazing look like?

Get a glimpse of what it's like to innovate, imagine, and impact your world.

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4:1

Student-to-faculty ratio

Classes are small and students receive personal attention from faculty and staff.

13

Countries represented

Students from across the United States and from 13 countries are enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts.

^$12.3⁺M

Immerse Yourself

Students sitting and listening to a presentation

Opportunities for Leadership Development

Students sitting on a brick wall on a sunny day

Building Your Network Begins Here

A student and professor working on a white board next to one another

Pursuing Knowledge Across Disciplines

A violinist playing a piece of music with a dark backdrop

The Performing Arts as a Craft and Science

Meet the Interim Dean

From our legal systems and economic, political, social structures to the ways we connect, share our stories, and form our most fundamental relationships, the Liberal Arts are at the very heart of what it means to be human. At RIT—a technical university renowned for vision and innovation—our approach to the Liberal Arts is human-centered and tech-infused, distinguishing our grads with the skills for a digital age and the mindset to thrive, think big, and transform ideas of “what if” into commitments of “I will."

Kelly Norris Martin

Interim Dean, College of Liberal Arts

585-475-2142

Kelly.Martin@rit.edu

Full Message from the Dean

Faces of RIT

The Hands of Time

Landyn Hatch

Museum Studies

At RIT’s makerspace you’re free to design, test, tinker, and build. Hatch utilizes The Construct to create 3D-printed mannequin hands for Genesee Country Village & Museum's 19-century clothing exhibit.
Evoking Emotion Through Music

Jonathan Kruger

Professor

A difficult task to accomplish, yet a joy to teach, Kruger enjoys composing for visual mediums. As chair of the Department of Performing Arts, Krugar focuses on enhancing a scene with music while keeping the audience immersed in the medium.
Beyond Human

Jessica Wegman

Psychology Major

Seeing the world through the eyes of a different species is just one way we connect with the world around us. Through faculty-led research, Wegman is working to improve the quality of life for North American River Otters by studying their visual perception.
The Excitement of Live Performance

Ted Canning

Adjunct faculty

Director of Steelband Ensemble

For Professor Ted Canning, music is a universal language anyone can learn. No matter your major, no matter your level of experience, you can make music part of your life at RIT.
Giving a Voice to a Community

Tianna Manon '15

Communication

As an alum of the journalism program, Manon has put into practice the storytelling platforms and opportunities She took advantage of at RIT. Today, Manon serves as editor-in-chief of Open Mic Rochester, an online magazine that gives a voice to Rochester’s black community.

News

December 4, 2023

AstroDance II: Across the Universe

The inaugural production in the newest building on the RIT campus, AstroDance II: Across the Universe, premiered Dec. 1 to 3 and featured a variety of dance, aerial and circus arts, and augmented reality.
December 4, 2023

Students create publication that transforms a deadly weapon into a tool for social advocacy

Students enrolled in an Opinion Media course flexed their creative muscles and persuasive writing skills by producing a new publication about gun violence printed with ink made from an assault rifle.
December 4, 2023

RIT students explore RIT Archives for ‘Hands on History’ class

A history class dug into the RIT Archives to sample the cutting-edge domestic science curriculum taught in 1893 at the Mechanics Institute, a forerunner to RIT.
December 1, 2023

Distinguished Alumni Award winners named for 2023-2024

Twelve RIT alumni have been honored with Distinguished Alumni Awards for the 2023-2024 year. The Distinguished Alumni Awards are presented annually by each of RIT’s nine colleges, the School of Individualized Study, and the RIT Graduate School to alumni who have performed at the highest levels of their profession or who have contributed to the advancement and leadership of civic, philanthropic, or service organizations.