School of Design

Contact

585-475-2668
design@rit.edu
Booth Hall, 3311

Overview

The School of Design is ranked among the best, with Business Week naming it one of the top 10 design schools in the country. Effective design combined with creativity and professionalism are the school’s tenets. Using both technological and theoretical approaches to find solutions to design problems, students work with award-winning faculty who are creatives, critical thinkers, and innovative problem-solvers. Students have access to state-of-the art laboratories and computer facilities as well as the Cary Graphic Arts Collection and the entire archive of renowned designers Massimo and Lella Vignelli, housed in RIT’s Vignelli Center for Design Studies.

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6

Number of designs from the industrial design program’s Metaproject senior studio that have gone into production through various companies.

12

Our Fab Lab is equipped with 12 3D printers - in addition to laser cutters, CNC routing devices and other technology - to complete submitted projects by students, faculty, and staff.

Dozens

In the last few years alone, our design programs have partnered with dozens of companies for students to complete sponsored projects.

Latest News

  • February 19, 2026

    Georg Seifert and Rainer Schiechelbauer both look at a computer as they present.

    Pioneering type design duo to receive RIT's 2026 Goudy Award

    Georg Seifert (from Germany) and Rainer Erich Scheichelbauer (Austria), cited for their innovative work with game-changing font editing software Glyphs, will accept RIT's prestigious Goudy Award in April. The honor has long celebrated outstanding practitioners in type design and related fields.

  • February 19, 2026

    Steve Matteson working at a letterpress.

    From hot metal to global typefaces, professor has lifelong love for letters

    Steve Matteson's two-year appointment as as the Melbert B. Cary Professor in RIT’s School of Design marks a return to where his affinity for letterforms all started. Since graduating from RIT, he went on to become a typeface trailblazer, responsible for creating recognizable fonts and graphic language for huge brands.

  • February 18, 2026

    Tommy Desjardins works in RIT's Simulation Lab.

    Student creates out of this world design for NASA internship

    Tommy Desjardins '26 (3D digital design) created an immersive environment for users to experience a visualization of the Psyche asteroid’s potential landscape. NASA's ongoing Psyche mission is aimed at reaching a metal-rich asteroid orbiting the sun between Mars and Jupiter to study its properties. 

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Featured Work and Profiles

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Faculty

Undergraduate Programs

Innovative and creative design solutions that enrich the ways in which people live, work, and play is the emphasis of the school’s undergraduate programs. The school offers BFA programs in 3D digital design, graphic design, industrial design, interior design, and new media design.

Create 3D assets for games, VR, simulations, and more in RIT’s cutting-edge 3D digital design degree.

Learn more about the 3D Digital Design BFA program

RIT’s 3D design visualization degree emphasizes the creation and simulation of environments and objects for virtual spaces for a growing number of real-world opportunities.

 

Learn more about the 3D Visualization Option - 3D Digital Design BFA program

Pursue a game art design degree that focuses on the innovative creation of assets for a wide range of game platforms. 

Learn more about the Game Arts Option - 3D Digital Design BFA program

Create bold, compelling visuals by combining design principles, words, and images in RIT’s innovative graphic design BFA.

Learn more about the Graphic Design BFA program

In RIT’s industrial design BFA, you’ll create and develop innovative products for both consumers and manufacturers with your choice of diverse industries to work in.

Learn more about the Industrial Design BFA program

The interior design BFA establishes you as an expert in creating human-centered environments and understanding the relationship between people and their physical surroundings.

Learn more about the Interior Design BFA program

In RIT’s new media design major, you’ll combine interactivity, visual design, and tech skills to create next-gen digital experiences and products.

Learn more about the New Media Design BFA program

Graduate Programs

The School of Design offers two MFA programs and an MS program. The MFA in visual communication design focuses on all areas of design, including graphic design, user experience/interaction design, design studies, motion graphics, and 3D digital design. The MFA in industrial design includes seminar courses in design history and research and studio courses focusing on sustainability and design process. Meanwhile, the MS in integrative design establishes a variety of creative design thinking techniques in multiple areas.

A master’s in industrial design that explores design theory, design history, and human-centered design as you create a range of consumer products.

Learn more about the Industrial Design MFA program

Integrate UX, motion graphics, and 3D design to shape the digital experiences of tomorrow.

Learn more about the Visual Communication Design MFA program

Facilities

Events

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Student Resources

For internal College of Art and Design resources such as academic information, forms, FAQs and more, visit myRIT. For information about academic advising, visit here.