In order to ensure that RIT students have access to the best possible experiences abroad, RIT offers several different types of study abroad program options including: Global Campus, Faculty-Led, Affiliate and Exchange programs.
The best way for your student to familiarize themselves with the variety of study abroad opportunities offered at RIT is to utilize all of the resources available on our website. Here they can view the programs offered, get helpful travel/international information and learn about other international opportunities (fellowships, work abroad, etc.). If a student needs specific information about a particular program, they can always contact our office directly via email (global@rit.edu) or by phone (585-475-4466).
Global Campus Programs
These programs take place at RIT's international campuses located in Dubrovnik & Zagreb, Croatia; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Pristina, Kosovo; and Weihai, China. They follow a similar academic calendar as RIT and students directly enroll for a semester abroad. Classes are in session year round, but course offerings will vary depending on the campus and term.
Faculty-Led Programs
These programs are completely designed and developed by an RIT faculty member, who leads a group of RIT students on a program abroad. The location, duration and course offerings of the program depend on the interest and expertise of the faculty member and are typically between one to five weeks in length.
Affiliate Programs
RIT has set up partnerships with other nationally ranked universities and organizations, allowing our students to travel on their programs. Our affiliates include Arcadia University, The School for Field Studies, DIS Abroad, CIS Abroad, IES Abroad, CIEE and a handful of others. Students from RIT who wish to study abroad can choose from any of our affiliated programs and the credits they earn on those programs will count as RIT credits upon successful completion of the program.
RIT Education Abroad is very selective when choosing partners with which to affiliate. This ensures the education of our students receive while on study abroad meets the same rigorous academic standards that they would get if they remained on campus taking clases. All courses taken abroad are pre-approved by the RIT registrar to be equal to an RIT equivalent course before students depart.
Exchanges
Exchanges are programs in which RIT sends a handful of students to a partner university overseas and the partner university sends a handful of students to attend RIT. Exchange programs typically offer a more culturally immersive experience for a fewer number of students based on the exchange agreement with RIT's partner. These programs also tend to be more discipline focused and may have language requirements.