Rochester Institute of Technology MS in Artificial Intelligence

Rochester Institute of Technology offers an Artificial Intelligence MS that is jointly delivered by faculty from four of its colleges.

The 30-credit program is offered on the Rochester campus and online. Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence, Mathematical Methods for Artificial Intelligence, Fundamentals of Machine Learning, Research Methods for Artificial Intelligence, and Ethics of Artificial Intelligence are all required courses, and students finish with a capstone project or a thesis.

Last reviewed: October 2026

Quick Facts

DegreeArtificial Intelligence MS
SchoolJointly delivered by the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, College of Science, and Kate Gleason College of Engineering
LocationRochester, New York or Online
FormatCampus (full time or part time) or online (part time)
Credits30
Culminating ExperienceCapstone project or thesis
Recommended GPA3.0
GREOptional
Entry TermFall, with rolling admission
Tuition$2,690 per credit hour on campus; $1,582 per credit hour online (2026–27)
STEM DesignatedYes, for full-time on-campus study

Official Artificial Intelligence MS page

Curriculum

RIT runs this degree as an interdisciplinary program with its own course prefix, IDAI. It is separate from the Artificial Intelligence cluster in the university’s Computer Science MS and from the Data Science MS.

Students complete 30 semester credit hours consisting of:

  • 15 credits of core courses
  • 9 credits of electives
  • 6 credits in a professional or research track

Core Courses

  • IDAI 610 – Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence
  • IDAI 620 – Mathematical Methods for Artificial Intelligence
  • IDAI 700 – Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
  • IDAI 710 – Fundamentals of Machine Learning
  • IDAI 720 – Research Methods for Artificial Intelligence

IDAI 710 covers supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning, along with classification, regression, model selection, and deep learning techniques. Unlike the Computer Science MS, the program does not require an algorithms course.

Professional or Research Track

In the final semester, students choose one of two tracks:

  • Professional track: IDAI 780 – Capstone Project, plus one additional elective
  • Research track: IDAI 790 – Research and Thesis, completed with a faculty advisor

RIT describes the thesis as the equivalent of two courses.

Machine Learning Electives

  • CISC 863 – Statistical Machine Learning
  • CISC 865 – Deep Learning, or CMPE 679 – Deep Learning
  • CSCI 736 – Neural Networks and Machine Learning
  • CSEC 720 – Deep Learning Security
  • DSCI 640 – Neural Networks
  • ISEE 601 – Systems Modeling and Optimization
  • ISEE 701 – Linear Programming
  • ISEE 702 – Integer and Nonlinear Programming
  • ISEE 761 – Forecasting Methods
  • STAT 747 – Principles of Statistical Data Mining

The group also lists special topics sections in reinforcement learning and in machine learning for difficult data.

Natural Language, Speech, and Vision Electives

  • PSYC 681 – Natural Language Processing and Large Language Models I
  • PSYC 682 – Natural Language Processing and Large Language Models II
  • PSYC 684 – Graduate Speech Processing
  • CSCI 731 – Advanced Computer Vision
  • EEEE 670 – Pattern Recognition
  • IMGS 621 – Computer Vision
  • PSYC 715 – Graduate Perception

Other Elective Groups

Further electives are grouped under robotics, neuromorphic computing, and sociotechnical analytics and policy of artificial intelligence. Examples include:

  • CSCI 634 – Mobile Robot Programming
  • EEEE 685 – Principles of Robotics
  • EEEE 784 – Advanced Robotics
  • COGS 637 – Advanced Neuro-AI: Probability and Generative Models
  • CSCI 633 – Biologically Inspired Intelligent Systems
  • DSCI 633 – Foundations of Data Science and Analytics
  • ISTE 782 – Visual Analytics
  • PUBL 650 – AI, Policy and Law
  • SWEN 711 – Engineering Self-Adaptive Software Systems With Reinforcement Learning

Deep learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and data mining are electives rather than core courses. RIT notes that the elective list for online students is more limited than the on-campus list and varies by semester.

Cost and Tuition

RIT is a private university, so tuition is the same for New York residents and nonresidents. The rate depends on credit load and on whether the student is in the designated online program.

For the 2026–27 academic year, RIT lists these graduate rates:

CategoryTuition
On campus, 1 to 11 credits in a semester$2,690 per credit hour
On campus, 12 to 18 credits in a semester$32,271 per semester
Designated online program$1,582 per credit hour

The published plan of study never exceeds 9 credits in a semester, so campus students following it pay the per-credit rate. At 30 credits, tuition comes to about $80,700 on campus and about $47,460 online, before fees and scholarships.

RIT also lists a student activity fee of $235 per semester and a student health services fee of $315 per semester. The graduate application fee is $65. Students are not charged tuition or fees during co-op terms.

RIT considers admitted graduate students for merit scholarships automatically, awarded as a percentage of tuition. The university says tuition typically rises each year, so students should confirm current costs.

View RIT tuition and fees

Admission Requirements

Applicants need a bachelor’s degree, or the US equivalent, from an accredited college or university. RIT does not require a specific undergraduate major.

A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is recommended.

Applicants must have college-level credit in Python programming and mathematics. Those who do not can be assigned a programming or mathematics bridge course to complete before starting program coursework.

Application Materials

Applicants submit:

  • online graduate application and $65 application fee
  • transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate coursework
  • current resume or curriculum vitae
  • personal statement of educational objectives
  • two letters of recommendation
  • English language test scores when required

The GRE is optional. International applicants whose native language is not English need a minimum score of 88 on the TOEFL, 6.5 on the IELTS, 60 on the PTE Academic, or 130 on the Duolingo English Test.

Application Deadlines

FormatEntry TermDeadline
On campus, full time or part timeFallRolling
Online, part timeFallRolling

The program admits students for the fall term only. RIT does not publish a fixed application date for it.

Program Format

RIT lists the Artificial Intelligence MS as available on campus, online, or through a mix of online and on-campus courses.

On campus, the published plan of study runs four semesters over two academic years, with 9 credits in each of the first two semesters and 6 credits in each of the last two. Part-time campus study is also offered. International students who need a visa to study in Rochester must enroll full time, which RIT defines as 9 or more credits.

The online program is part time, with students completing one or two courses per semester and spending about 10 to 12 hours per week on each class. Core and bridge courses are taught asynchronously online. Some online electives are synchronous only. RIT does not offer student visas for online study.

The degree is STEM designated for full-time on-campus study, which allows eligible international students to apply for the STEM OPT extension. RIT does not list part-time or online study as STEM designated.

Cooperative education is optional. Co-op terms carry no credit and may extend the time to completion.

Who Is This Program Best For?

RIT’s Artificial Intelligence MS is a strong option for students who want artificial intelligence and machine learning as required coursework, with electives drawn from computing, engineering, science, and liberal arts.

It may be especially appealing to students interested in:

  • a required core in AI fundamentals, mathematical methods, and machine learning
  • natural language processing, large language models, and speech processing
  • computer vision and robotics
  • AI ethics, policy, and human factors
  • entering AI from outside computer science, with Python and mathematics as the stated prerequisites
  • a choice between a capstone project and a thesis

The program admits in fall only, and deep learning, natural language processing, and computer vision are electives rather than core courses. Online students choose from a narrower elective list, study part time, and are not covered by the STEM designation. Campus tuition is at private university rates. Students who want spring entry, a full online elective catalog, or public university pricing may want to compare other New York schools.

Students can also compare Rochester Institute of Technology with other master’s programs in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and related fields offered in New York.

View All Machine Learning Programs in New York