Communication Bachelor of Science Degree

You’ll build advanced skills through courses in group communication, digital content strategy and production, activism and social change, health communication, and journalism. 

How Can You Customize Your Education for Your Career Goals? 

RIT’s communication BS allows you to design a curriculum to suit your career goals. Tapping into RIT’s exceptionally diverse range of electives, minors, and immersions, you can develop expertise in design, management, marketing, or computing—getting valuable breadth while also developing depth in core communication expertise. Examples include:

• Corporate Communication: Prepare for roles in corporate communication and management by combining courses in small group dynamics, public relations, organizational communication, and leadership. 
• Health Communication: Study how health campaigns, communication strategies, social media, and advertising shape public understanding of health issues, as well as communication in the healthcare setting. This path leads to opportunities to work in healthcare organizations, nonprofits, and advocacy groups. Read about the RIT health communication minor.
• Nonprofit, Activism, and Social Change: Learn how communication drives advocacy and civic engagement through courses communication for social change, visual activism, public relations, and public policy—ideal for nonprofit and socially driven careers.
• Communication Studies: Build a strong theoretical and analytical foundation by choosing courses such as intercultural communication, interpersonal communication, visual communication, rhetoric of race relations, media and gender, and communication theory and methods. This path prepares you for graduate studies or careers in multicultural organizations, education, political communication, or social services. 
• Journalism:  Choose the communication BS - journalism option to build skills in news writing, multimedia storytelling, and digital content creation for careers in reporting, editing, and digital media production. You’ll learn to gather information, write with clarity and impact, and integrate verbal and visual elements to communicate news stories and digital content across diverse media channels.  

Fast Track Options for Advanced Degrees

RIT Accelerated Combined 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.

• Communication BS/Communication MS: Level up your communication expertise by earning both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in the field. As a graduate student of communication, you will delve deeper, focusing research and study to develop career-boosting expertise in areas such as AI use in communication, social media, visual communication, health communication, and civic engagement.
• Communication BS/Sustainable Systems MS: By combining communication studies with sustainability, you’ll be equipped to address issues such as environmental justice, community resilience, and sustainable development—preparing you for impactful careers in policy, advocacy, corporate sustainability, and international development.
• +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 more about the +1 MBA. 

A Foundation for a Career in Law

The RIT College of Liberal Arts offers two options for students whose ultimate goal is a career in law: the Pre-Law program and the 3+3 Law program. Beginning with a bachelor’s degree in advertising and public relations can build skills like public speaking, strategic planning, and critical thinking that transfer well and provide a solid foundation for a legal career. 

• Pre-Law Program: RIT’s pre-law program will help you navigate the admission process for law school, prepare for your LSAT, explore a range of legal careers, and guide you through course selections to bolster your success in competitive law school applications. The program is open to students in all majors. 
• 3+3 Law:  A fast track to law degree, this option lets you earn a bachelor’s degree at RIT and a Juris Doctorate degree at either Syracuse University’s College of Law or University at Buffalo School of Law. Interested students may apply to the option directly, with successful applicants offered admission to RIT and conditional acceptance into either Syracuse University’s College of Law or University at Buffalo School of Law.

Teaching Partnership Programs

RIT's communication degree is eligible for RIT’s Teaching Partnership Programs, 4+1 options for earning your bachelor’s degree at RIT, and a master’s degree in education at a partner university. 

Whether your goal is to go into early childhood or elementary education, become a secondary education teacher with a content area specialty at the middle or high school level, or work in higher education, these programs with local universities provide a guided pathway. As you progress, you’ll benefit from focused academic advising, career exploration opportunities, and RIT resources for research, learning, and skill development.  

Learn more about RIT’s Teaching Partnership Programs.

Advising 

Professional advisors support you with course planning and registration. Faculty mentors guide your career development, help you identify research opportunities, and prepare you for graduate study or professional pathways, and your RIT Career Coordinator is here to help. 

Learn more about Resources for Success for RIT College of Liberal Arts students. 

Learn more about Academic Advising for RIT College of Liberal Arts students. 

Learn more about your Career Coordinator and other Career Launching Support and Experiences for RIT College of Liberal Arts students.