Hello everyone! I have some questions about RIT and would you like to share your thoughts about this school? (especially if you are RIT almni!)
It seems that the national rank and global rank of RIT are not that outstanding but I find it has strong STEM programs. Is RIT overall a reputable school (in the US or the world)? Or it is only reputable in STEM fields?
If I go to this school for my undergraduate studies, is it possible for me a chance to get into the graduate school of a prestigious university?(such as MIT, Harvard, etc.)
Is their Web and Mobile Computing major considered a computer science or information technology program? If I study for a bachelor’s degree in Web and Mobile Computing, may I apply to graduate schools for a PhD in computer science (AI track) with this degree in the future? Is it a degree relevant to computer science?
How is the life of a RIT student? (Environment, professors, classes, etc.)
Thank you very much if you can help me with my questions and share your experience!
I can only add thoughts as an outsider. Students from my high school have gone to RIT and loved it. They’ve all gone as some sort of CS major, and every one of them had a job lined up that they wanted before they graduated. I think they all came from their Co-op experiences, but I’m not sure on that last part.
It’s a very recommended school for computers where I work - as long as one can afford it. They often aren’t super good with aid.
Rochester, itself, is a nice little city with good eating options, etc.
Thanks for sharing your opinions! But I want to know if anyone you know from RIT went to graduate schools… I’m concerned about this because I want to study for a Doctorate’s degree in CS.
Those I know opted for jobs. The pay is lucrative. Students I know who apply to RIT love the Co-op to job route, along with the depth of classes, etc. Not so many from my high school plan to head to PhD’s, esp in computers. We’re more rural with a low percentage of computer grads even among adults. I suspect that affects what kids want to pursue with college.
I suggest you contact someone in the department and ask where recent grads have gone. Most departments have been willing to share this with potential students if they ask (not admissions - they often don’t know).
In general, computer science is a divergent field. As an undergraduate, your best preparation for a later specialization in graduate school would be to obtain a broad foundation in programming and in the (often advanced) mathematical concepts related to programming. Faculty-mentored research experience, through which you could explore emergent areas of computer science, also would be important. A major in Web and Mobile Computing seems design oriented, and may not suffice in establishing the deeper foundation you would need to reach your goals.
You can compare the web & mobile computing coursework with that of RIT’s Computer Science degree. Your degree seems like a more hands-on one than a standard CS degree. If you are interested in a PhD and research, you will need more theory in CS and Math than this degree provides.
Thanks for your advice! In this case, should I do a master’s degree in computer science before the PhD? May I apply for the master’s degree in computer science with a bachelor’s degree in web and mobile computing?
I suggest you contact RIT career services or School of Information about prospects for graduate study.
According to the outcomes info on the RIT website, 100% of the students with this degree are employed and none in graduate school. But their CS degree outcomes also says 0.7% in grad school.
The CS major at RIT appears to be more technical than the WMC major at RIT, and should be better preparation for PhD study or most other technically-focused post-graduation pathways in computing. Compare:
I know only one person that went there. My friends daughter graduated about 5 years ago in electrical engineering. Her dream internship was Tesla… She got it. Her dream job was… Tesla, she worked there for a few years. She has moved on and never has issues getting better paying jobs. So ya, people know about it. But it’s also what you do on campus. Get involved. Internships /companies like seeing active students.
That’s funny, I was going to say the same. The student I know that went to RIT had an internship at Tesla, graduated and is working in San Francisco. He had a great experience at RIT.
Well if the person was from the Detroit area it just might be the same person… Lol… If not, then maybe Tesla likes the school… Lol… Haha… Just noticed you said “he” so not the same…
RIT offers a combined bachelors masters program. There are certain ones already defined but I believe you can also create your own. So you could probably work toward a MS in Computer Science while finishing your Web and Mobile BS. Or you could switch your BS to Software Engineering which already has a defined BS/MS in Comp Sci track (see here: Software Engineering BS | RIT). You may not be able to switch to comp sci for your bachelors - it is a limited major, but you could ask and see what they say. Most Bachelors degrees at RIT are 5 year programs because of the co-ops but you don’t pay tuition while on co-op – in fact you get paid, usually quite well, which helps cover the rest of your years of tuition. The combined BS/MS programs are only 1 additional year for your masters so a total of 6 years. And from there, I’m sure you could go on to your doctorate if you wanted. My son is at RIT in the software engineering BS/MS program and really likes it there – it is a large program so there’s lots of choice for classes and instructors but class sizes are small and all taught by professors which is rare in the larger programs. I think it’s a great school for anything computer related. Good luck!
Lol… If not, then maybe Tesla likes the school… Lol… Haha… Just noticed you said “he” so not the same…