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Master of Science in Science, Technology and Public Policy
RIT’s public policy program offers an innovative master of science degree in science, technology, and public policy, with an emphasis on engineering, science, and technology policy. The program builds on RIT’s strengths as a technological university, enabling students to interact with faculty members and researchers who are working on scientific developments and technological innovations that drive new public policy considerations.
The program is interdisciplinary and draws significantly from disciplines and courses of study in RIT’s colleges of Liberal Arts, Business, Science, Engineering, and Applied Science and Technology. The program is geared toward graduates who will make significant contributions in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors.
All students take a set of policy core courses that emphasize analysis, problem-solving and interdisciplinary approaches. Students work with an adviser to choose electives that focus their policy studies in a particular area, such as environmental policy, telecommunications policy, or energy policy.
Typical students include those with science or engineering backgrounds looking to broaden their career opportunities in government or business settings, as well as those with liberal arts undergraduate degrees (e.g., economics) interested in science, technology, and policy issues. Full-time students can typically finish the program in one to two years.
The program prides itself on working one-on-one with students to ensure that their educational needs and academic goals are attained.
Admission requirements
To be considered for admission to the program, candidates must have:
- a completed graduate application,
- a baccalaureate degree at an accredited college or university,
- a minimum 3.0 overall GPA,
- two writing samples, one of which should be a statement of interest,
- scores from the Graduate Record Examination,
- completed coursework in Calculus and statistics (students may be required to take a data analysis or statistics course and an introductory calculus course, if not taken previously),
- two formal letters of reference.
For applicants whose native language is not English, scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language are required. A minimum score of 570 (paper-based), 230 (computer-based), or 88 (Internet-based) is required.
Current RIT undergraduate students may enter the program from the public policy or mechanical engineering BS programs and earn a combined BS/MS in five years. To be admitted into the graduate portion of the BS/MS track, a student must receive permission of the department, complete all requirements of the BS curriculum, and have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
This school offers programs in:
- English
Last updated April 25, 2018
