MS Color Science - The RIT 4+1 Option

This a 4+1 option where the final degree granted is a Masters of Science (MS) degree in Color Science.  This option is open to all qualified students in baccalaureate programs at RIT. 

To be qualified, the student must complete all the requirements for their undergraduate degree program and have completed one-year sequences in Calculus and Physics, and courses in matrix algebra and statistics.  In addition, it is assumed that the student possesses fundamental scientific computer programming capability.  The student must have achieved a grade point average of 3.5 or higher and received recommendations for graduate studies from at least two of their faculty members.

The student may apply to the Color Science graduate program during the spring quarter of their junior year of baccalaureate studies for admission to the MS program for the fall quarter a full year later, contingent on achieving the qualifications described above.  Students may also apply as late as the January 15 graduate admissions deadline during their senior year. Since these are students already enrolled in coursework at RIT and since the recommendations are from existing RIT faculty, no GRE test scores will be required for application or admissions decision.  GRE scores are required if the student wishes to be considered for graduate student support (i.e. tuition waiver and/or stipend).

The MS portion of the option will follow the policies and procedures in place for the Color Science MS degree program at the time of graduate admission. Institute policies currently state that 12 credits attained in graduate courses that count toward the completion of a student’s baccalaureate degree may also be counted toward a graduate degree at RIT.  In this manner a student may begin to enroll in Color Science graduate courses during their final year of undergraduate studies (or earlier if circumstances permit).  Only those graduate courses that are completed with a grade of B or higher can count toward the MS degree. If accepted by the faculty into the program for graduate studies, the student takes the remaining course credits during the +1 year of their 4+1 option.

This option, like the traditional Color Science MS program, has a research requirement that may take the form of a research thesis or a research project/paper.  While the research thesis option will typically be selected to satisfy this requirement, the research project/paper option is available for those students having demonstrated practical or research experience and with the approval of the graduate coordinator. 

For students selecting the research thesis option, the expectation is that graduate research will begin during the summer following their final year in their baccalaureate program (or earlier if circumstances permit).  The research will continue during their following year of coursework and may be completed by the end of the summer quarter following their +1 year.  Additional time may be taken beyond this year of graduate coursework to complete the thesis if necessary and with permission of the graduate coordinator.  A total of 9 credits of graduate research must be taken for those students in the research thesis option.

The total credit count for the +1 year is 45, with 12 credits being carried over from the baccalaureate degree program from courses taken in the Color Science Program.

The Masters of Science degree program in Color Science requires the student to take

     1050-720 / Human Vision System / 4
    1050-702 / Applied Colorimetry / 4
    1050-704 / Computing for Color Science / 4
    1050-721,722 / Color Measurement Laboratory I & II  / 6
    1050-703 / Color Appearance /3
    1050-813 / Color Modeling / 4
    1050-801 / Color Science Seminar / 3

Elective courses are taken as needed to reach the required credit count with approval of the program coordinator.

A student completing the 4+1 option that decides that they would like to continue their education in Color Science by pursuing the Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree offered at RIT would be granted credit for all the graduate coursework taken as part of the 4+1 option.  These credits would be subject to the same 7-year limit imposed on any other student entering this program from another institution.