Rice University - Houston, Texas Today is Friday, May 09, 2008
 
GRADUATE DEGREES AND DEPARTMENTS
See
General Announcements
:
Research Degrees
Ph.D. Programs.
The Ph.D. degree is awarded for original studies in the departments listed in the Graduate Degree Chart; in architecture, the equivalent degree is the D. Arch. Candidates receive a Ph.D. degree after successfully completing at least 90 semester hours of advanced study and concluding an original investigation that is formalized in an approved thesis. As final evidence of preparation for this degree, the candidate must pass a public oral examination. The residency requirement for the doctorate is four semesters of full-time study at the university.
Master's Programs.
The M.A. degree is available in the departments listed in the Graduate Degree Chart, including certain scientific fields of study. The M.S. degree is offered in the engineering and science fields also listed in the chart. Candidates may undertake the M. Arch, M. Arch. in Urban Design, and M. Mus. degrees as research degrees by adopting the thesis option. Candidates receive a master's degree after completing at least 30 semester hours of study (including thesis hours), 24 hours of which must be taken at Rice. Master's programs require original work reported in a thesis and a public examination. Most students take three or four semesters to complete a master's degree (some programs may require more time). Students receiving a master's degree must be enrolled in a graduate program at Rice University for at least one semester.
Students may also pursue a non-thesis degree in certain departments. This degree would be based on alternative departmental requirements and would include, but not be limited to, the following:
  • 30 semester hours of study
  • 24 semester hours must be at Rice University
  • Minimum residency is one semester of full-time study
  • At least 15 hours of course work must be at or above the 500 level
  • All courses must be in the relevant field

In certain departments, students may receive a master's degree (called an Automatic Master's) when they achieve candidacy for the doctoral degree. Students seeking a master's degree in this manner must submit a petition for the degree, signed by their department chair, to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies by February 1 of the year in which the degree is to be awarded.

For those who seek part-time studies, the new Rice University Master of Liberal Studies (MLS) degree program brings together adults who love to learn with faculty who love to teach.

Professional Degrees

Rice University offers advanced degree programs to prepare students for positions in a number of professional fields. In some departments, the professional degree also prepares the student for a doctoral-level program. All professional degrees are master's degrees with one exception: Candidates earn the D.M.A. after concluding a program of advanced music study.

Requirements for professional degrees include the successful completion of 30 semester hours or more of upper-level courses (at the 300 level or higher) with at least 24 hours taken at Rice. Additional information and specific requirements for individual degrees appear, listed by department, in the Undergraduate Degree Chart. Program information and application materials are also available from the department chairs.

Admission into a professional program is granted separately from admission into a research or thesis program. Students who wish to change from a thesis program to a professional degree program must petition their department in writing. Upon recommendation of the department and approval by the dean's office, the request is sent to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for consideration and final approval. If approved, students who receive tuition waivers while enrolled in the thesis program will be expected to repay the tuition before their professional degrees are awarded. Professional degree programs terminate when the degree is awarded. Students who wish to continue graduate study after completing a professional program must reapply for admission into a research program.

Rice offers three professional master's degrees through the Professional Master's Program in the Wiess School of Natural Sciences. The degrees currently offered are the MS in Nanoscale Physics, MS in Subsurface Geoscience, and MS in Environmental Analysis and Decision Making. These are professional master's degrees geared for students seeking advanced scientific knowledge coupled with management and communication skills to prepare them for jobs in industry. The exciting 21-month programs consist of courses in the particular track, management and policy/ethics training, and an industrial internship. Please contact profms@rice.edu or visit http://www.profms.rice.edu/ for more information.
For more information contact: graduate@rice.edu or research@rice.edu
© Copyright 2008 Rice University