Rochester Bridges to the Doctorate
16000
$ Tuition Waiver Per Year
Wrap Around Mentoring
4
Research Lab Rotations
RIT Masters of Science Programs
With the Rochester Bridges to the Doctorate program, getting a doctorate is now more possible than ever
University of Rochester Doctoral Programs
With the Rochester Bridges to the Doctorate program, getting a doctorate is now more possible than ever
Program Description

The Rochester Bridges to the Doctorate Program is the first of its kind that provides scientific mentoring for deaf and hard of hearing individuals to become a strong candidate for a doctoral degree program in biomedical or behavioral science disciplines. The University of Rochester (UR) is a premier research institution that offers graduate lab research experience, doctoral-level mentoring, and valuable networking opportunities. The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has a number of master’s degrees in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) is one of nine colleges at RIT, and is the foremost technical higher education institution for the deaf in the world. Deaf and hard of hearing students will be paired with faculty, students, and staff from NTID, RIT, and UR to gain skills necessary for graduate studies and career advancement.
Who Should Apply?
Deaf and hard of hearing students who have been accepted into one of the biomedical or behavioral science master’s degree programs at RIT may apply for the Bridges program. Applicants must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better with a desire to become a biomedical or behavioral scientist.
Team
The Rochester Bridges to the Doctorate program is the first of its kind that provides master’s level mentoring and guidance toward admission to a doctoral degree program in biomedical and behavioral science disciplines.
The University of Rochester (UR) offers biomedical and behavioral sciences doctoral programs at the UR Medical Center, which is a research-intensive institute.
The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is a major master’s-granting institution with a wide range of degrees in biomedical and behavioral sciences disciplines. The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) is one of RIT’s colleges and is the foremost Deaf higher education technological institution in the world. Within the Bridges Program, Deaf and Hard of Hearing students will be paired with faculty, students, and staff from NTID, RIT and UR to develop skills necessary for graduate studies and career advancement.
Bridges Team
The Bridges team is comprised of world-renowned researchers, as well as a program coordinator and administrative assistant to help the program run smoothly for both the Program Directors and the Scholars.
Bridges Mentors
Mentors involved in the Bridges Program are leaders in their areas of research, and are enthusiastic about training future researchers in their fields.
Applying for the Bridges Program
Students who intend to apply for this program should have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above, and have the goal of becoming a biomedical or behavioral scientist. After applying to, and being accepted into, one of the relevant RIT master’s degree programs, applicants are then expected to write a personal essay on how the Bridges Program will assist them in preparing for doctoral training. Applications should include biomedical or behavioral science research interests and how the RIT MS program that students have been accepted to aligns with the PhD programs at UR, or similar programs at another university. Overall, applicants should describe how the Bridges Program will help them achieve their dream of becoming a Deaf scientist.
Along with the application form and personal essay, applicants should also include 3 letters of recommendation and academic transcripts.
Please email your completed application materials to bridges@rit.edu and cc to bcjntm@rit.edu.