Rochester Institute of Technology
Check out the most popular majors and specific degrees students have earned at Rochester Institute of Technology.
*Sources for school statistics and data include the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Data may vary depending on school and academic year.
Check out the online programs offered at Rochester Institute of Technology.
Imagine being given one paper coffee cup, a plastic lid, a cardboard cup sleeve, and a wooden stir stick and being told you have three hours to design and produce a scale model of a chair using only these materials. Such challenges keep design students at RIT engaged in their classes while developing creativity, productivity, and other skills they’ll need in their future careers. No wonder IDEO, Fisher Price, and Apple are among the top employers of industrial design graduates. (Not to be outdone, 3D digital design grads have gone on to positions at DreamWorks, and notable ad agency BBDO is fond of RIT’s graphic design majors.) RIT has one of the oldest and most extensive cooperative education programs in the nation, and interested students from design programs are encouraged to take advantage of the institute’s connections to gain real-life experience in their field of study. Also available to students is the Vignelli Center for Design Studies, which opened on campus in 2010 to house the extensive professional archives of Massimo and Lella Vignelli. The center’s annual lecture series provides the opportunity to gain invaluable insight from visiting design professionals.
RIT’s commitment to hands-on education shines in its Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management. The undergrad major – which includes concentrations in food and beverage management, international food marketing and distribution, entertainment and event management, and international hotel and resort management -- requires students to combine 1,200 hours of practical cooperative education experience with classroom theory. The institution maintains corporate connections with the likes of Kraft Foods, Dove Chocolate, Hampton Inns, and The Walt Disney Company, to name just a few. Alumni also are eager to “pay it forward” by taking students under their wings. The campus itself is home to Henry’s Restaurant, a fully-operational fine-dining establishment located on the same floor as the department that enables students to experience what it takes to run all aspects of a business. Students also manage all the logistics and details for RIT’s Puttin’ on the RITz gala and fundraiser, a tradition since 1986. Other highlights include helping with the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Rochester and an annual trip with faculty to the International Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Show in New York City.
Opening my restaurants, Charred American Bar + Grill and Tomaso's Trattoria, has been my lifelong dream. I would not have been able to do so without the education, support, guidance, networking opportunities, and encouragement given to me by RIT and the Hospitality & Tourism Department as a student and also as an alumnus. RIT provided me with rewarding co-op experiences working on campus in Food & Beverage and for Marriott International. These opportunities solidified my love for this profession. Being a part of the Student Hospitality Association, participating in the Hospitality Service Management Career Fairs, and being offered a spot in the management development program for Marriott through RIT were all instrumental to my success. I can't thank RIT and my department professors enough.
RIT is special because it actually does prepare you for your venture into a career and the real world. There is plenty to do in ‘down-time’ from schoolwork, or what passes for the fleeting moments of deep breath, but it was definitely an education-first experience. As for the design program itself, the biggest strengths are the reason my company (Carrot Creative) and many others recruit so heavily from CIAS (RIT’s College of Imaging Arts and Sciences). As a student, you really learn to become self-reliant on your talents, and you hone them at a rapid pace. There’s no skipping class because you'd immediately fall behind. I left the program ready not only for the reality of work and pace in the ‘real world,’ but I was equipped to handle that while starting Carrot on ambition and naivety. All in all, the education asked a lot of me, professors expected even more, and the Rochester weather bullied you into focusing.
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