Medical Illustration

What is a Medical Illustrator?

A medical illustrator is a professional artist with advanced education in the sciences (biology, human anatomy, physiology) and in art and design (illustration, 2D/3D/4D digital design, animation, interactive media). They are skilled in creating art that illustrates the things we often cannot see (internal organs of a body, cells and molecules, muscle tissues and tendons) or that need deeper explanation (how a surgery takes place, the inner workings of the human body, how a disease progresses).

Medical illustrators work with scientists, physicians, surgeons, researchers, and other medical specialists to take complex scientific information and distill it into visual images that can be used in a wide range of applications. These can include textbooks, brochures, infographics, interactive models, 2D and 3D animations, motion graphics, courtroom exhibits, digital presentations, educational materials, and more.

Medical Illustration Courses

During the first two years of the medical illustration degree, you will focus on developing your drawing and traditional illustration skills. During this time, you'll attend human biology, anatomy, and physiology classes. Building on this foundation of science courses, the third and fourth years of the major emphasize 2D and 3D computer illustration and animation. As a third and fourth-year student, you'll attend Human Gross Anatomy, a course that includes full head-to-toe dissection in RIT's Cadaver Lab, one of the few undergraduate cadaver labs in the nation. Through collaboration with area hospitals, you will also be able to draw from direct observation of surgical procedures and medical treatments in progress. The medical illustration degree explores all aspects of health care, from the molecular level through the macroscopic and into the theoretical.

Digital technology is integrated into the medical illustration program, which enables you to create highly polished, sophisticated images and well-designed, interactive, educational media presentations that include motion graphics, animation, and sound. You will graduate from the program with a comprehensive medical illustration portfolio that demonstrates your artistic talent, knowledge of scientific visualization, and expertise using multimedia.

Throughout your course work, you may select elective courses that enhance your studies or enable you to pursue an area of personal or professional interest. Electives are available in graphic design, new media design, 3D digital graphics, illustration, graphic visualization, industrial design, interior design, fine arts studio, environmental design, ceramics, glass, metals, textiles, woodworking, filmmaking, and photography. Additional electives are offered as special topics courses.

Refine Your Medical Illustration Portfolio

The medical illustration degree requires studio art experience and a portfolio of original artwork. In addition to offering portfolio requirements, RIT's School of Art offers an annual Pre-College Portfolio Preparation Workshop. This two-week visual arts class is designed to help prepare the portfolios of rising high school juniors and seniors for admission to college art programs. Learn more about the Pre-College Portfolio Preparation Workshop, including information on workshop dates and how to apply.

Graduate Study in Medical Illustration

RIT offers a medical illustration MFA. This is an advanced scientific illustration program and one of only five medical illustration programs at the graduate level in North America, and the only program in the northeast. The two-year program culminates with the production of a thesis project, which requires extensive background research and an original body of art and design work on a complex medical topic.

Combined Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degrees

Today's careers require advanced degrees grounded in real-world experience. RIT's Combined Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years of study, all while gaining the valuable hands-on experience that comes from co-ops, internships, research, study abroad, and more.

+1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor's degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can accelerate your learning and position you for success.

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