A medical illustrator is a professional artist with advanced education in the biomedical sciences, cutting edge digital media, and the principles of visual communication. RIT’s medical illustration degree is one of only five such programs in North America and the only program in the northeast. It combines training in human anatomy (with illustration students observing complete cadaver dissection in RIT’s Cadaver Lab), immunology, histology (the cellular structure of organs), and pathophysiology (the study of disease) with extensive training in 2D and 3D digital graphics, interactive media, and animation.Collaborating with scientists, physicians, and other health care professionals, medical illustrators translate complex scientific information into visual images that support medical education, science research, patient care, advertising, and litigation. Illustration projects are designed for use in print, projection, broadcast media, and distribution via the web and mobile devices.

This is a two-year, graduate-level medical illustration degree where you’ll earn a master of fine arts (MFA). The program emphasizes visual problem solving to determine the best approach to communicate a difficult concept. Students also gain real world experience by collaborating with medical researchers and observing live surgery in operating rooms. The program culminates with the production of a thesis project, which requires extensive background research and an original body of artwork on a complex medical topic.

Becoming a Medical Illustrator

Successful medical illustrators must possess exceptional illustration skills and artistic ability while also having in depth knowledge of the biological sciences in order to fully understand and effectively communicate complex medical information. In the MFA in medical illustration degree, you'll accomplish the following outcomes:

Demonstrate an advanced level of knowledge in the biomedical sciences

• Demonstrate advanced knowledge of human anatomy, molecular biology, physiology, and related biomedical sciences

Visualize scientific structures, processes, and concepts

• Visualize and accurately render anatomic, tissue, cellular, and molecular structures
• Illustrate physiological processes and abstract scientific concepts through visual storytelling

List instructional objectives to communicate biomedical content to a variety of target learners

• Identify the target learners (audience) for each set of instructional illustrations
• Describe the level of scientific literacy of each group of target learners
• Create a set of instructional objectives for each instructional illustration

Solve complex communication problems with appropriate application of verbal and visual content, realism, symbolism, graphic conventions, and motion or interactive media.

• Select the most appropriate medium for delivery of content to target learners
• Select appropriate level of realism, symbolism, and graphic conventions for optimal delivery of instructional objectives to target learners

Utilize a variety of media and production techniques in appropriate applications and understand production processes sufficiently to communicate with pre-press companies, art directors, etc.

• Create artwork in a variety of media
• Select the appropriate dimensions, color space, resolution, file format, and other criteria for delivery to client
• Use industry standard terminology when discussing production and output processes

Communicate effectively with clients, subject matter experts, co-workers, supervisors, and vendors in oral and written form

• Use correct anatomic and medical terminology when discussing scientific content

Demonstrate knowledge of professional and ethical conduct

• Describe HIPAA regulations regarding the use of patient information
• Follow operating room protocols at affiliated hospitals
• Describe US and international copyright laws and how they apply to the use of reference materials
• Describe copyright infringement and the criteria for determining Fair Use

Demonstrate awareness of established business and management practices

• Describe standard employment practices in the profession  
• Describe business models and taxation of independent illustrator
• Describe pricing strategies and calculate prices for illustration projects     
• Create a personal identity package and marketing materials
• Generate sample contracts, licensing agreements, and invoices

Demonstrate competency in the academic research process through a graduate research project or thesis

• Conduct background research on a proposed biomedical topic
• Develop a set of instructional objectives to deliver the topic to a specific group of target learners
• Create a body of artwork to meet the instructional objectives
• Exhibit the body of work during one of the thesis shows or at a screening of digital media productions
• Complete a written thesis paper summarizing the project

Medical Illustration, MFA degree, typical course sequence
Course    Sem. Cr. Hrs.
First Year
ILLM-601    Human Gross Anatomy    6
ILLM-602    Anatomic Studies    3
ILLM-603    3D Modeling of Biomedical Forms    3
ILLM-606    3D Animation of Biomedical Forms    3
ILLM-607    Computer Applications in Medical Illustration    3
ILLM-608    Scientific Visualization    3
ILLM-890    Thesis    1
MEDS-615    Medical Pathophysiology    3
MEDS-630    Human Immunology    3
     
Studio Elective
3
Second Year
ILLM-612    Surgical Illustration    3
ILLM-615    Interactive Media I    3
ILLM-616    Interactive Media II    3
ILLM-617    Portfolio and Business Practices    3
ILLM-890    Thesis    9
MEDS-620    Histology and Histopathology    4
     
Studio Elective 3
Total Semester Credit Hours    59
Studio Electives
Course
HCIN-610    Foundations of Human-Computer Interaction
HCIN-620    Information and Interaction Design
HCIN-660    Fundamentals of Instructional Technology
ILLM-618    Eye Ear and Nose Prosthetics
ILLM-627    Advanced Digital Technology for Medical Instruction
ILLM-628    Medical and Scientific Animation
ILLM-689    Special Topics
ILLM-799    Independent Study

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to the MFA in medical illustration, candidates must fulfill the following requirements:

• Complete an online graduate application. Refer to Graduate Admission Deadlines and Requirements for information on application deadlines, entry terms, and more.
• Submit copies of official transcript(s) (in English) of all previously completed undergraduate and graduate course work, including any transfer credit earned.
• Hold a baccalaureate degree (or US equivalent) from an accredited university or college in a field of the arts, sciences, or education. The undergraduate degree should include one year of general or introductory biology (for biology majors), and a minimum of three advanced biology courses, such as vertebrate anatomy, physiology, neurobiology, cell biology, molecular biology, immunology, microbiology, genetics, developmental biology, or pathology.
• Recommended minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (or equivalent).
• Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae.
• Two letters of recommendation are required. Refer to Application Instructions and Requirements for additional information. 
• Not all programs require the submission of scores from entrance exams (GMAT or GRE). Please refer to the Graduate Admission Deadlines and Requirements page for more information.
• Submit a portfolio. Refer to Graduate Portfolio Requirements for more information.
• Submit a personal statement of educational objectives. Refer to Application Instructions and Requirements for additional information.
• International applicants whose native language is not English must submit official test scores from the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE. Students below the minimum requirement may be considered for conditional admission. Refer to Graduate Admission Deadlines and Requirements for additional information on English requirements. International applicants may be considered for an English test requirement waiver. Refer to Additional Requirements for International Applicants to review waiver eligibility.

Students in medical illustration come from a variety of backgrounds including biology, chemistry, anthropology, fine arts, illustration, photography, and graphic design. Students who have no prior experience in illustration, fine art, drawing, or medical illustration must demonstrate outstanding drawing skills and a strong aptitude for the life sciences.

Tuition fee-2 years1,06,000

Total fee-2 years1,44,000