Rice University

Academic Programs

Rice University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges and offers Bachelor’s degrees, Master’s degrees and Doctorates in over 50 fields. The University is comprised of 6 schools: The Rice University School of Architecture, The George R. Brown School of Engineering, The School of Humanities, The Shepherd School of Music, The Wiess School of Natural Sciences, The Rice University School of Social Sciences; the largest programs are in Engineering (Chemical and Mechanical) and Social Sciences (Economics). Rice is further subdivide into 11 colleges: Baker College, Brown College, Duncan College, Hanszen College, Jones College, Lovett College, Martel College, McMurtry College, Sid Richardson College, Wiess College, Will Rice College – students are randomly assigned to one of these colleges (regardless of their major or degree). In their succinct Mission Statements, Rice University states “As a leading research university with a distinctive commitment to undergraduate education, Rice University aspires to pathbreaking research, unsurpassed teaching, and contributions to the betterment of our world. It seeks to fulfill this mission by cultivating a diverse community of learning and discovery that produces leaders across the spectrum of human endeavor.”

Student Life

Life on campus is busy for the over 6,500 students at Rice. There are myriad clubs based on interests, affinities or field of study. As students are assigned to their specific college, each college has their own housing and dining halls. The blue and gray Owls field teams in 9 sports within NCAA Division I-A competition; their mascot is Sammy the Owl. For the non-varsity athlete, there are club sports and intramurals to engage in. Among the many traditions at Rice is the Beer Bike Run held annually. Rice is dedicated to three missions: educating and preparing outstanding students for diverse careers and lives; contributing to the advancement of knowledge across a wide range of fields; and being of service to our city, our state, our nation, and our world. “The mission of Rice University …is to provide an unsurpassed undergraduate education in science, engineering, the arts, humanities, and social sciences; to produce internationally distinguished scholarship and research and excellent graduate education in carefully focused areas; to ensure that such an education remains affordable; to maintain the distinctive character of a community of learning that is relatively small in scale; and to serve the continuing educational needs of the larger community.”