Programs of Study / Minors

The actuarial science minor prepares students for work in insurance companies, investment firms, banks, for the government, and in the health care industry where there is a need to analyze the financial consequences of risk. The actuarial science minor prepares students for two exams administered by the Society of Actuaries: the Exam P: Probability, which assesses a candidate's knowledge of the fundamental probability tools for quantitatively assessing risk, and the Exam FM: Financial Mathematics, which assesses a candidate's understanding of the fundamental concepts of financial mathematics and how those concepts are applied in a variety of areas.

Explore the biological underpinnings of cognition, delving into the science of the brain to understand the mental processes behind cognition and perception, particularly visual perception.

Deepen your technical background and gain further appreciation for modern mathematical sciences and the use of statistics as an analytical tool.

Explore the impact of art on science and science on art along with the synergistic overlaps between the two. Specifically, students learn how art and design can be applied in good scientific practice and how the sciences impact the materials, processes, and ultimate perceptual enjoyment of the visual arts.

This minor provides students with an opportunity for additional study in astronomy in order to build a secondary area of expertise in support of their major or other areas of interest. It will provide students with a broad foundational background in astronomy in preparation for graduate studies in astronomy or astrophysics. The minor is interdisciplinary and offered jointly by the School of Physics and Astronomy and the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science.

The bioinformatics analysis minor immerses students in the core challenges and strengths of the field of bioinformatics, as well as the ethical issues involved. Students gain hands-on experience implementing some of the core algorithms utilized by professionals in the field.

The biology: cellular and molecular minor provides students with opportunities to experience and explore topics related to both the cellular and molecular aspects of modern biology to broaden and enhance their educational experience.

The biology: ecology and evolution minor provides students with the opportunity to experience both the ecological and evolutionary underpinnings of modern biology. The minor explores these areas of biology through laboratory and field experiences.

Chemistry is intrinsically a part of our society from the fuels we use, the air we breathe, and the water we drink to the complex chemical behaviors of our own bodies. Chemistry is involved in the development of myriad materials such as computer chips, packaging materials, and alternative fuels. Increasing numbers of policy and ethical choices facing the global community involve issues where chemistry plays a pivotal role. This minor provides students with the opportunity to study chemistry in order to build a secondary area of expertise in support of their major or as an additional area of interest.

The environmental science minor introduces students to the complexities of environmental issues and concepts, and provides them with opportunities to further investigate many of these issues through advanced course work. Central to this minor are the development of field, analytical, and problem solving skills and an understanding of the multiple perspectives often embedded in environmental issues. Students interested in becoming citizen scientists, or those pursuing employment or an advanced degree with an environmental focus, will find this minor beneficial.

Imaging science is a highly interdisciplinary field of study that incorporates elements from mathematics, engineering, computer science, and physics to understand, design, and utilize imagery and imaging systems to study scientific phenomena. The imaging science minor is designed to allow students from various departments across RIT to study how to use imaging to enhance their primary field of study or discover how to incorporate imaging science into their major discipline to solve complex, interdisciplinary problems in imaging, imagery exploitation, and the design and evaluation of imaging systems.

The mathematics minor is designed for students who want to learn new skills and develop new ways of framing and solving problems. It offers students the opportunity to explore connections among mathematical ideas and to further develop mathematical ways of thinking.

Optical science techniques are used in a variety of consumer products (digital cameras, CD players), communication technologies (optical fibers), medical imaging (infrared imaging), and the sciences (surveillance, remote sensing, astronomical systems). This minor can be an important complement to studies in electrical and microelectronic engineering, the biological sciences, physics, chemistry, mathematics, technical photography, and various majors in the field of applied science and technology.

In a broad sense, the aim of physics as a discipline is to develop interconnected unifying threads bridging the vast number of seemingly diverse phenomena observed in the physical world around us. The minor provided students with the opportunity for additional study in physics in order to build a secondary area of expertise in support of their major or other areas of interest.

The minor in quantum information science and technology provides an introduction to the foundational concepts of quantum information science. Topics focus on how quantum devices are designed and operate and how they are being applied in emerging technologies, such as quantum computing, cryptography, and sensing.