COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS www.rit.edu/cla Message from the dean Contents Often students are confronted with 1 Dean’s Message the “either/or” choice between a small, 2 residential liberal arts college and a large, A Distinct Advantage comprehensive university. The College 3 Liberal Arts Exploration of Liberal Arts at RIT offers the best of 4 Advertising and Public Relations both worlds. Our students receive the educational benefits of a small liberal arts 5 Applied Modern Language and Culture college—small class sizes, personal attention from professors, a tight-knit 6 Communication learning community—while enjoying the resources, diversity, and 7 Criminal Justice course variety that a career-focused, technological university like 8 RIT has to offer. Digital Humanities and Social Sciences Our liberal arts programs in the social sciences and humanities have the unique advantage of being taught on a campus that is 9 Economics world-renowned for technical innovation, exposing students to 10 International cutting-edge technology, and preparing them for the challenges and Global Studies of today’s highly technical world. In addition, every student in 11 Journalism the College of Liberal Arts is expected to complete some form of experiential learning during his or her time at RIT. This learning 12 Museum Studies could be in the form of a co-op or internship, research with one 13 Philosophy of our world-renowned faculty, engaged scholarship in a local 14 Political Science community, or an international experience through faculty-led study abroad trips. 15 Psychology Graduates of the College of Liberal Arts leave with experience 16 Public Policy and skills highly sought after by top employers and graduate 17 schools. Our students are employed by or have been accepted Sociology and Anthropology to the top companies and graduate schools in the country, and 18 Faculty are successfully building careers through the private, public, and 19 Cooperative and Experiential nonprofit sectors. This really is a great time to be in the liberal arts. Education Opportunities James Winebrake, Ph.D., Dean 20 Undergraduate Research College of Liberal Arts 21 Study Abroad 22 Academic Enrichment 23 Student Life 25 RIT in Brief Introduction 1 A Distinct Advantage philosophy, and women’s studies to cyborg A dynamic, interactive community College of Liberal Arts theory and sustainable communities. We’re Since all RIT students take courses in the proud of the fact that we offer more courses College of Liberal Arts to fulfill their under- Undergraduate students: 531 than many liberal arts colleges. graduate requirements, you’ll benefit from Graduate students: 73 interaction with others who have diverse A student-centered college backgrounds, academic interests, and career Faculty: 161 The College of Liberal Arts combines the ambitions. During a debate over the right to Experiential learning: best features of a large university—a challen- privacy in the digital age, you might be Co-op or an internship is required in ging academic curriculum, state-of-the-art sitting next to a computer science student most programs and strongly encour- facilities and technology, and extensive after- with an entirely different perspective from aged in all other majors; international class opportunities—with the benefits of a yours. When examining the role of the arts study or an international co-op is small college—intimate, interactive classes in society, you could be listening to the required in the international and global studies major and the applied modern and personal attention from professors and viewpoints of classmates majoring in language and culture major; field staff members. Upon your arrival at RIT, photography, painting, or ceramics. These experience is required in the criminal you will have access to a professional adviser experiences will expand your ability to justice major; study abroad and under- to help with class selection and graduation understand and analyze issues from graduate research are encouraged in requirements, and you’ll be assigned a multiple perspectives. all majors. faculty academic adviser who will help Outcomes Rate: 91% you formulate career goals and offer Get experience before you graduate guidance when you need it. Starting in your first year, you’ll be encour- Degrees offered: BS, MS aged to think about your career ambitions. Research initiatives: Experienced, dedicated professors All of the majors in the College of Liberal The College of Liberal Arts continues to Our 161 liberal arts faculty members include Arts offer opportunities for you to apply expand its research agenda with new scholars and practitioners who share their your knowledge in a professional work initiatives in areas that integrate traditional experiences with students as mentors, setting and gain career-oriented experience research in the social sciences and educators, and academic advisers on a daily through cooperative education or intern- humanities with new interdisciplinary basis. Because these committed professionals ships. These experiences give you a broad fields in health, computing, science, and engage in research, they are at the forefront view of the opportunities available in your engineering. This interdisciplinary research, of their disciplines and set challenging career and deepen your understanding of along with an emphasis on community engagement and global perspectives, standards for the students they teach. your academic studies. They are valuable represents defining characteristics of Our faculty are responsible for the liberal tools that can set you apart from other the college’s research portfolio. arts curriculum required of all RIT under- graduates in the job market or develop a graduates, as well as for degree programs focus for further study—at RIT or elsewhere. within the College of Liberal Arts and The College of Liberal Arts is an integral myriad college-based minors. Drawing on part of RIT’s tradition of career-oriented the expertise and knowledge of our liberal education for a rapidly changing world. arts faculty, you’ll develop the skills and We’ll encourage you to wrestle with perspectives needed to succeed in graduate important contemporary issues while study and your chosen field. you are a student so that you will be better prepared to determine appropriate High-tech learning environment responses in the future. RIT is a national leader when it comes to Degree programs in the College of Liberal incorporating digital technology into the Arts offer several distinct advantages: a classroom. A liberal arts education at RIT strong focus on careers, a wide selection of includes course work that prepares you for professional courses, and an emphasis on the technological challenges and opportuni- critical thinking and problem solving. Our ties ahead. You’ll have the opportunity to graduates set themselves apart with profes- choose a number of technology courses that sional work experience gained through relate to your major and career aspirations. cooperative education and internships. The There’s no better place to get this kind of college has an impressive array of courses in education than at a leading technological everything from Japanese, creative writing, university like RIT. 2 Introduction Liberal Arts Exploration rit.edu/exploration Do your interests span a number of majors Explore your options in the liberal arts? Maybe you have a passion The liberal arts exploration program begins for philosophy, but you’re also drawn to the with liberal arts courses as well as other general appeal of interactive media and journalism. education core components. You’ll explore the Do you love the theoretical and analytical various majors in the College of Liberal Arts rigor of economics, but are also attracted to while an academic adviser helps you identify the exciting world of international studies? and select courses that will give you direction If your interests are focused in the liberal and help focus your interests. You’ll meet with arts, but you are unsure which major is right faculty members, talk with students in each for you, the liberal arts exploration program major, and experience firsthand the career is the best place to begin. You’ll have the options offered by each program. time you need to understand which career path best meets your goals and objectives. Choose your path After a thorough investigation of your How it works options, you’ll be well positioned to select The liberal arts exploration program provides a major that matches your interests. The you up to two years to declare a major. During courses you’ve completed will satisfy the Emily Clark this time, you will complete required general education requirements or will count Emily Clark came to RIT unsure of a major, but courses that serve as a foundation for each directly toward the requirements for your while taking a career exploration course as part of the majors in the College of Liberal Arts. major. You’ll be on your way toward an of the liberal arts exploration program, she Advisers will assist you in researching exciting career in the program of your choice. discovered a path toward her future. “Through potential majors while you earn academic credit that can be applied to any of our writing these different assignments about what liberal arts degree programs. I want to do and where my interests lie, I was able to really narrow in on wanting to be a jour- nalist,” she says. Clark transferred into the jour- TYPICAL COURSES General Education— Career Exploration Seminar: A course Liberal Arts and Sciences nalism major after one semester in the explora- designed to help students identify their Math Requirements tion program. “Through the exploration program career goals through self-assessment, Science Requirements interaction, and standardized career- Web Foundations I was able to pick and choose the courses I oriented tests. The seminar also allows First Year Writing wanted to take and not feel rushed to have a students to learn more about each of the Year One: College Experience TYPICAL TYPICAL COURSES college’s majors.