Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education
At RIT, our liberal arts programs cultivate a rich dynamic where innovation infuses our course work in the humanities and social sciences to raise your awareness of the connections between technology and our political, cultural, economic, and social world.
Independent thinkers tend to blaze their own trail. Here, we emphasize global education, student-centered research, and social justice. These themes prepare you for the challenges you will face as informed professionals living in an evolving global society.
Faces of RIT
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![Professor Jonathan Kruger composing music.]()
Evoking Emotion Through Music
Jonathan KrugerProfessorA 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.
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![Tianna Manon holding a camera to take a picture.]()
Giving a Voice to a Community
Tianna Manon '15CommunicationAs 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.
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![Fred Beam and another actor signing.]()
Visual Exploration
Fred Beam '85As outreach coordinator for Sunshine 2.0, a theater group at RIT's National Institute for the Deaf, Beam and his troupe provide performances and activities for deaf and hard-of-hearing children and adults that highlight the fields of deaf culture, literacy, and STEM.
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![Landyn Hatch holding 3D printed hands.]()
The Hands of Time
Landyn HatchMuseum StudiesAt 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.
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![Katherine Duffy sitting with kids from a children's home in Haiti.]()
Making a Positive Impact
Katherine DuffySociology and International RelationsShe’s a professional ballet dancer and a humanitarian who spends her free time volunteering at a children’s home in Haiti. Duffy created a degree program in the School of Individualized Study so she can one day establish a non-profit of her own.
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![Remy DeCausemaker working with another student in front of a computer.]()
Creating a Balanced, Equal World
Remy DeCausemakerCommunications and Media TechnologyPublic PolicyOpen source software is integral to building a movement toward equality. For DeCausemaker, that meant creating a degree program in the School of Individualized Studies that targeted the specific areas of expertise he needed to craft the career path he wanted.
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![Jessica Wegman sitting at a desk, taking notes.]()
Beyond Human
Jessica WegmanPsychology MajorSeeing 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.
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![Rydrea Walker with a camera in front of a green screen.]()
Bringing Deaf Culture to the Big Screen
Rydrea WalkerDesign and Imaging TechnologyWalker wants to share Deaf and hard-of-hearing stories to bridge the gap between cultures and represent the Deaf community in Hollywood.
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![Berta Rivera walking down a street.]()
More Than One Path
Berta RiveraApplied Arts and SciencesWith the flexibility to shape her education around her professional and personal lives, Rivera has found the School of Individualized Study to be the pathway toward a fulfilling degree and a rewarding career that pays it forward.
Typical Job Titles
- Crime Analyst
- U.S. Marshal
- Economist
- Environmental Analyst
- Environmental Scientist
- Sign Language Interpreter
- International Relations Manager
- U.S. Foreign Diplomat
- Cultural Anthropologist
- Historian
- Policy Analyst
- Archaeologist
- Foreign Service Officer
- Urban Community Developer
- Journalist
- Editor/Writer
Some Companies That Hire Our Graduates
Related Stories
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December 16, 2021
![children in the Philippines looking at two laptop computers.]()
RIT/NTID multilingual platform World Around You earns 2022 Zero Project award
World Around You, a multilingual platform created by a team at NTID, is a Zero Project 2022 award recipient for its work to improve accessibility. The platform is one of only 76 awardees from 35 countries for the Innovative Practices and Policies prizes.
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December 8, 2021
![graphic reads Life, Edited.]()
Hi-Phi Nation: Life, Edited
Slate Podcasts’ Hi-Phi Nation interviews Evelyn Brister, professor of philosophy, about the ethics of bioengineering for conservation. Her portion begins around 14:45.
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December 7, 2021
![researcher standing outsite next to a sign that reads Play Lab, perception, language and attention in youth lab.]()
NTID PLAY Lab initiates new research on cognitive development in infants and children
A new research lab, sponsored by NTID, will soon open to help scientists learn more about cognition, language, and perception in infants and young children.
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December 1, 2021
![exterior of Golisano Computing building at dusk.]()
From floppy disks to the cloud
In 2001, the dot-com bubble was bursting and investors had lost confidence in internet companies. Twenty years later, data has become a new currency, and people can access just about anything from their smartphones. Throughout all these changes, Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences has evolved into the largest college at RIT, with more than 4,600 students this year. Since its creation 20 years ago, GCCIS has awarded more than 14,000 degrees—in a growing number of computing disciplines.
