B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences

www.rit.edu/gccis

Fast forward. Few universities can offer you the range of academic programs, the number of faculty and the variety of their interests, or the sophisticated computer hardware and software available to you at RIT. The Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences is one of the nation’s largest producers of computing professionals.

RIT has been a leader in computing education since 1972, when we started one of the first undergraduate computer science programs in the United States. Today, the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences collaborates with other colleges of RIT to form an educational computing powerhouse.

The college offers you a comprehensive approach to computing through your course work, specialized research opportunities, and experiential education.

Specialized research can be conducted in any of the college’s 31 labs, including the Social Computing Lab, which develops tools to facilitate interpersonal interaction through computer networks.

All of the programs within the college require cooperative education, giving you great practical experience that pays you to put your knowledge to work. This résumé-building opportunity gives you hands-on experience in your field prior to graduation.

Applied networking and system administration

Our applied networking and system administration program prepares you for a successful career designing, building, and/or maintaining local area networks and gateways to the Internet. In our hands-on NetLab and SysLab, you will learn how to specify, procure, deploy, and maintain computer systems to support software developers and developers of Web and database applications. Specialize in one of four tracks: network administrator, system administrator, Web system administrator, or database system administrator.

Computer science

If you want to become a professional in computing and explore the full breadth of the field, then you want the computer science program. The program offers specializations in computer science theory, computer graphics, artificial intelligence, parallel computing, systems software, operating and database systems, programming languages, and distributed systems and networking, to name a few. Adding elective courses or a minor in entrepreneurship, mathematics, psychology, or other areas complements your major and gives you even more options.

Game design and development

The roots of this RIT program are in computing and information sciences, but it involves students in game design, the design process, and animation. This BS degree program is the result of collaboration with our College of Imaging Arts and Sciences. It responds to the industry need for developers who will be involved in the design process from the beginning. The program integrates strong programming skills—mandatory in the game development field—with game design and the collaborative skills that are essential in the industry. As you explore the entertainment technology landscape, you also will be gaining a broad-based university education.

Information security and forensics

With this program, we are responding to the critical need for security professionals who can protect industries and individuals from every level of computer crime. As the number of computer networks and their connection to the Internet has grown, so has our dependence on these technologies. Now an explosion of malicious software and attacks on systems and networks preys on our vulnerability. This field calls for diagnostic and forensic specialists who can find it, prove it—and fix it. A BS degree in the information security and forensics program will catapult you into an intriguing career.

Information technology

The explosive growth of the Web, the merging of traditional industries and technologies, and the redefinition of how we live, work, and communicate have created an unprecedented demand for professionals who can help people in virtually any field access new computing technologies. The program, the first and largest of its kind in the country, provides a mix of technology-based courses in areas such as networking, Web deployment, and digital media with user-centered courses in areas such as technology transfer, social computing, and human factors.

Medical informatics

Computers are used in every aspect of health care, which has generated a great need for individuals who understand the technological and human aspects of the field. The medical informatics curriculum lets you explore the still-growing clinical and laboratory applications of computer technology. The program’s computer science track suits those interested in developing computer software for medical applications, while the information technology track focuses on computing support for databases, networks, and Web applications.

New media interactive development

New media specialists love a challenge. They possess deep and far-ranging skills in their fields of concentration, and they also show their broad understanding of the social and economic impact of all cutting-edge new media technologies. Are you, too, an instinctive problem solver with the desire and ability to teach yourself emerging technologies? In our BS program you’ll gain a solid background in design, programming, and computing technologies and the development of dynamic experiences. New media students master an exceptionally varied range of skills—from concept, multimedia project, and gaming development to digital photography, video, and sound to animation and interactivity.

Software engineering

Our bachelor’s degree program in software engineering was the first in the nation, but like so much else in computer science, the demand for software is exploding. A distinctive feature of our curricula is our “application domain” electives, which allow you to choose three courses in an area where software engineering principles can be applied, such as electrical engineering, computer science, or business.

Exploration options

Our year-long exploration programs offer the opportunity to explore and decide on a computing or informatics major. All students take a one-credit course—Introduction to Computing and Informatics, which provides an overview of the six programs available through this exploration option—and have the opportunity to learn more about each program before choosing a career path. An academic adviser will consult one on one with each student regarding the college’s programs and courses during this exploratory period.

Viewbook

The Computing and Information Sciences Viewbook provides an overview of computing and information sciences related programs at RIT.

View the Computing and Information Sciences Viewbook (PDF)