Creativity and Innovation

A digital playground for students to develop and publish digital media—games, apps, films, art installations, and interactives—and grow ideas into products and companies. And, they get to work alongside professionals from film, animation, television, 3D entertainment, gaming, and more. A fully outfitted sound stage and post-production studios further enhance learning and allow faculty to introduce real-world film, animation, and digital media workflows to the classroom. Students learn on the same hardware and software platforms used in industry while honing their technical and creative skills. It’s a fully immersive experience for RIT students. Learn more about MAGIC Spell Studios

Access technology refers to products or systems that are created to support the functional capabilities of people with differing abilities. At RIT, a unique innovation ecosystem that consists of unique educational programs and world-class facilities—such as the Simone Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, The Construct, and Studio 930–create a collaborative environment for faculty and students to create, prototype, and incubate new ideas for products and services that enhance accessibility for individuals across a wide range of challenges.

The “R” in Rochester Institute of Technology stands for something special. That’s why the university thrives on partnering with the greater Rochester region. RIT has reinvested in downtown Rochester with the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship and City Art Space, and has formed relationships with Seneca Park Zoo, Rochester Museum and Science Center, The Strong National Museum of Play, and Genesee Country Village and Museum, to name a few. There is also an impressive cluster of 19 public and private colleges throughout the greater Rochester region. Collectively, our institutions enroll 83,000 students and award 19,000 degrees each year. We are one of the most academically productive regions in the country, ranking third in college degrees per capita and No. 1 for degrees in STEM fields, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Indeed, Rochester is a college town.

With three national championships, RIT eSports is on the rise at the national collegiate level. RIT’s team is part of the Electronic Gaming Federation, an organization similar in structure and oversight to the NCAA, but focused on esports competition. About 1,200 students are also involved in the production and technical teams that help stream and run matches, or provide commentary for games as casters—esports’ name for live, in-game play-by-play commentary. Currently RIT has esports teams playing Counter-Strike: GO, Dota 2, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, League of Legends, Overwatch, PUBG, Rocket League, Rainbow Six: Siege, Super Smash Bros. Melee/Ultimate, Smite, StarCraft II, Call of Duty, Fortnite, and Pokémon.

Need time and funding for innovation development? The Gap Year Entrepreneurial Fellowship is a competitive fellowship that provides selected students the opportunity to pursue a high-value business, new product, or compelling social innovation opportunity. But more importantly, it allows students with an ongoing enterprise to take a year to focus their full attention on the venture. As students develop their companies, they receive $15,000 in support and mentoring from experts at the university, all while continuing to make progress on their RIT degree. The fellowship was created to encourage the entrepreneurial instinct and celebrate the initiative of the many RIT students who start their own businesses.

Begun in 1987, RIT Big Shot is a nighttime community photography project produced by the College of Art and Design’s School of Photographic Arts and Sciences. Big Shot has captured iconic locations around the world—The Alamo, Royal Palace Stockholm, Cowboys Stadium, the Intrepid: Sea, Air and Space Museum, Churchill Downs, National Museum of the American Indian—and prominent places around Rochester—Seabreeze Amusement Park, Rochester Museum and Science Center, Mt. Hope Cemetery, Strong National Museum of Play.

Leigh Rubin is RIT’s first cartoonist-in-residence. Rubin is a syndicated cartoonist and the creator of Rubes, which is published in more than 400 media outlets around the world. As part of his year-long residency, Rubin will speak with students in art history, video game production, and design classes, where he’ll share his insights on the business aspects of his work to help them better understand what it’s like to be a successful cartoonist, including marketing and branding his creations, and working with publishers and syndications. He will also meet with faculty across RIT to discuss best practices for teaching students how to be more creative and innovative.