September 10th, 2012 by Casey Jabbour

Media Arts and Technology isn’t a program of study that can be summed up in only one, simple sentence. It encompasses an industry that is rapidly moving and shifting. Its field is a perfect blend of technology and creativity, that calls for individuals wanting to work on the cutting edge to further develop and innovate new ways to distribute content.

What exactly does this mean? There are content creators, photographers, graphic designers, and authors, and then there’s us. We learn about the different ways content is created, and then take that content and turn it into something that is usable and accessible. This could mean a printed piece, a website, or a mobile application, among others. Media Arts and Technology will prepare you for the industry with critical skills, ranging from the ability to decide on and utilize the best piece of hardware or software to solve a problem, to leadership skills to help you get the dream job you always wanted. We learn every step of the process from concept to completion. And since Media Arts and Technology requires two co-ops to graduate, you will have already made industry connections before graduation!

We take classes in typography, page design, imaging, print production, web design, business, and digital asset management. Most classes involve a lab period where students are able to get hands on experience using cutting-edge software and tools. Projects are widely-varied, including laying out a book, retouching a photograph, identifying a device which something was printed with, creating a website, distributing the same content across multiple mediums, creating workflows, or designing personalized print pieces.

The faculty are exceptionally knowledgeable in their area of study and genuinely care about the students and making sure they learn. Many professors are graduates of RIT that came back to share their passion with future leaders after becoming experts in their field. RIT makes sure have enough selections of a class to keep classes small. This ensures you receive plenty of opportunities for one-to-one interactions with professors and have many opportunities to network with talented members of the industry who will not only teach you something while in school, but can end up writing a truly personal recommendation to a company or scholarship foundation.

Media Arts and Technology also offers students the unique opportunity to work on campus doing things that are relevant to your major of study. A job in food service will not be necessary to make a few extra bucks with the school’s pre-media labs and the Digital Publishing Center, Connect, or the Open Publishing Lab to choose from. All three of these paid work opportunities can help you hone leadership skills and give you an edge over other potential hires to a future employee.

There are also three different clubs in the School of Media Sciences (SMS) that you can join to meet new people and have fun working on projects outside of the classroom. Gamma Epsilon Tau (GET) is a graphic arts fraternity that organizes community service projects and social events that pertain to the industry. PUB is a project-based group that focus on collaboration between different majors within the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, to simulate a real work a real work environment of different skill sets. Members create projects they may not know how to do or even be able to do on their own. RIT’s chapter of the Technical Association of the Graphic Arts (TAGA) edits, creates, and publishes a journal of student work that is entered in an annual, international contest.

Once our students have graduated, they go on to work in higher positions in a multitude of different companies. Some of these companies include: Canon USA, Cunard Cruises, Eastman Kodak Company, Fisher-Price, Hasbro Inc, Heidelberg, Kraft Foods, Marketing by Design, Marvel Entertainment, Penguin Group Inc, Random House Inc, RIT, The New York Times, USA Today, Woodwing Software, Xerox Corporation, and so many more.

Whether you are interested in publishing, print, web, mobile, advertising and marketing, packaging, or communication, Media Arts and Technology has a place for you. This major let you create your own path for your own career instead of pinning one direct path to all students. For more information about Media Arts and Technology please visit cias.rit.edu/sms or you can email or call us at spminfo@rit.edu and 585-475-5992.