Master of Science - Science, Technology, and Public Policy (Optional Co-op)

The MS degree in science, technology, and public policy enables students to work at the intersection of engineering, science, technology, and public policy. The program builds on RIT’s strengths as a technological university, enabling students to interact with faculty and researchers who are working on scientific developments and technological innovations that drive new public policy considerations. This public policy masters is interdisciplinary and draws significantly from disciplines and courses throughout RIT. It is geared toward producing graduates who will make significant contributions in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors.

All students in the program complete a set of policy core courses that emphasize analysis, problem solving, and interdisciplinary approaches. Students work with an advisor to choose electives that focus their policy studies in a particular area, such as environmental policy, climate change policy, health care policy, STEM education policy, telecommunications policy, or energy policy. Typical students include those with science or engineering backgrounds seeking to broaden their career opportunities in government or business settings, as well as those with undergraduate degrees in the liberal arts (e.g., economics) who are 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.