Graduate School
Graduate school can be a great choice for students wishing to continue their educational experience and further hone specific skills that are learned in a general manner at the undergraduate level. Some career paths require a master's or doctoral degree, and many other paths benefit from these degrees. As an added incentive, doctoral degree programs in STEM offer teaching and research assistantships that cover tuition costs for students, provide a stipend to cover living costs, and include health insurance benefits.
Undergraduate students can also apply for fellowships in advance of graduate school, allowing them to secure further financial support. Rice's Center for Civic Leadership offers holistic advising for a range of scholarship and fellowship opportunities for graduate study, leadership programs, and international travel and research.
Pre-Health Professions
Like most universities, Rice does not offer a "pre-med" major. If you are considering the health professions, you can major in any discipline of interest as long as you complete the prerequisites for medical school. This includes rigorous coursework in the natural sciences — biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics. Majoring in a scientific discipline does not increase your chance of acceptance to medical school. However, strong preparation in the sciences and mathematics is required for medical school study.
Academic Opportunities
Rice-UT Public Health Scholars Program
The Rice-UT Public Health Scholars Program is a collaborative initiative between Rice University and the University of Texas School of Public Health (UTSPH) in Houston, Texas. This program will allow selected undergraduate students interested in public health to enroll in up to 5 core courses at the UT School of Public Health during their senior year at Rice and obtain dual undergraduate and graduate credit. This unique BA/BS-MPH program will enable accepted students to accelerate and complete their Master of Public Health degree (MPH) in one year after completing their undergraduate degree.
Pre-Health Advising
The Office of Academic Advising (OAA) provides specialized advising and resources for pre-med and other pre-health professions students. OAA helps you prepare for postgraduate programs and offers guidance during the application process. First-year students should attend the Health Professions Advising Orientation, held early in the fall semester, to begin preparing for potential health profession tracks.
Rice Pre-Med Society
The Rice Pre-Med Society (RPMS) is an undergraduate student-based organization that aims to provide resources, advice and opportunities to all Rice students interested in the health professions. Their programming includes the Big Owl/Little Owl Mentoring Program (BOP), educational activities like panels and suture clinics, an annual medical speaker conference, resources for upperclassmen applying to medical school, MCAT resources from local test prep companies and group community service events.