Important Dates

When What Who
Last day of Fall classes
Progress Reports due
1st-Years
Last day of Spring classes
Progress Reports due
All students
Last day of Spring finals
First-Year/Second-Year Project papers due
1st and 2nd years

First-Year Project Required Timeline

  1. A paper must be turned in to your advisor by the last day of finals of the Fall semester.
  2. First-year projects are due by 5:00 p.m. on the last day of final exams in the spring semester. A PDF version should be sent to your advisor and the Graduate Program Administrator.

Second-Year Project Required Timeline

  1. Second-year projects are due by 5:00 p.m. on the last day of final exams in the spring semester. A PDF version should be sent to your advisor and the Graduate Program Administrator.

Master's Required Timeline

  1. Towards the end of the first year, but no later than September 15 of the second year, students must select an advisor for their Master’s-level research.
  2. Students should ask potential committee members to join the committee before April 15 of their second year of graduate study.
  3. Students must be approved for candidacy before the beginning of the fifth semester of their residency at Rice. See the Master's Degree page for instructions on assembling the necessary documents and submitting the candidacy paperwork to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
  4. Students who wish to receive their M.A. in the same semester as they achieve candidacy must submit their candidacy petition prior to November 1 for mid-year degree conferral and before February 1 for May degree conferral.
  5. Master's students must defend their thesis before the end of the eighth semester of their residency at Rice. The date of the oral defense must be announced one week in advance of defense at Rice Events and to the department.
  6. Students have a limit of six additional months from the date of defense to submit their thesis in the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. This time boundary includes any period in which the student was not enrolled or enrolled part-time, for whatever reason.
  7. Master's students are required to complete their program, including thesis defense, within five years of initial enrollment. This time boundary includes any period in which the student was not enrolled or enrolled part-time, for whatever reason.

Doctorate Required Timeline

  1. Ph.D. students must be approved for candidacy before the beginning of their ninth semester of their residency at Rice. See the Doctorate page for instructions on assembling the necessary documents and submitting the candidacy petition to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
  2. Students who wish to receive their Ph.D. in the same semester as they achieve candidacy must submit their candidacy petition prior to November 1 for mid-year degree conferral and before February 1 for May degree conferral.
  3. Ph.D. students must defend their thesis before the end of the 16th semester of their residency at Rice. The date of the oral defense must be announced two weeks in advance (form for announcing oral defense) to Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and one week in advance to the department.
  4. Students have a limit of six additional months from the date of defense to submit their thesis in the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. This time boundary includes any period in which the student was not enrolled or enrolled part-time, for whatever reason.
  5. Ph.D. students are required to complete their program, including thesis defense, within 10 years of initial enrollment. This time boundary includes any period in which the student was not enrolled or enrolled part-time, for whatever reason.