COURSE CURRICULUM

The Associate of Science in Applied Arts and Sciences at RIT is a flexible 60-credit program designed for students who want to build a customized academic pathway by combining different disciplines aligned with their career goals. The curriculum is structured over two years and includes a balance of general education courses and individualized concentration areas, allowing students to develop both broad academic knowledge and specialized skills. In the first year, students complete foundational courses such as writing seminars, artistic perspective, and social perspective general education requirements, along with open electives and concentration courses chosen based on their academic interests. The program also includes an individualized study seminar that helps students understand how to design and manage their personalized academic plan effectively. In the second year, students continue completing general education requirements in global perspective, scientific principles, ethical perspective, and additional electives, while also focusing heavily on their selected concentration areas, which make up a significant portion of the degree. These concentration courses are fully customizable and can be drawn from various fields such as business, communication, psychology, leadership, web design, criminal justice, and other interdisciplinary subjects across RIT’s colleges. The structure of the program ensures that students gain both essential transferable skills and targeted expertise in their chosen fields of interest. Overall, the Applied Arts and Sciences AAS degree provides a highly adaptable educational experience that prepares students for diverse career paths or further academic study, including progression into bachelor’s degree programs, by emphasizing flexibility, interdisciplinary learning, and personalized academic planning.