Certificates: Graduate-Level

Graduate Certificate programs at Rice are post-bachelor’s degree academic credential programs.

Graduate Certificate programs may be (1) restricted to Rice degree-seeking graduate students, (2) restricted to non-degree-seeking post-baccalaureate students, defined as graduate certificate students, or (3) open to both Rice degree-seeking graduate students and graduate certificate students.

Graduate Certificates for Rice Degree-Seeking Graduate Students

When seeking admission into a Rice graduate degree-granting program, student applicants may apply for a certificate program through the online graduate application; all application fees are waived. After beginning a graduate degree-granting program, Rice students may declare their intent to pursue a graduate certificate using the Declaration and Change of University Certificate Form (GR) available in ESTHER.

As part of the student’s application or declaration for the graduate certificate, the student’s initial graduate degree program will have an opportunity to comment on, or object, to the student’s addition of the graduate certificate, but explicit approval is not required. Students may complete and acquire more than one graduate certificate, provided that the student meets any and all of the requirements for each certificate program. Unless specifically prohibited by the graduate program in the General Announcements, courses taken toward the certificate may additionally count toward the graduate degree. The certificate is awarded at the same time as the conferral of the student's terminal Rice degree, and is included on the academic transcript.

Graduate Certificates for Non-Degree-Seeking Post-Baccalaureate Students (Graduate Certificate Students)

Non-degree-seeking post-baccalaureate students, who apply for and are granted admission into a graduate standalone certificate program, are known as graduate certificate students. Graduate certificate students must apply formally for the graduate certificate program via the online application. As a standalone graduate certificate, the minimum requirements and deadlines for admission are consistent with the standards for Rice degree-granting programs. Please see Admission. Graduate certificate students in these standalone graduate certificate programs may only take the specifically identified coursework within the requirements of that graduate certificate.

Within certain circumstances, students completing a Rice University standalone graduate certificate may use the credits earned toward that graduate certificate towards a specified Rice graduate degree, unless specifically prohibited by the General Announcements. For credits earned toward the certificate to count toward the graduate degree, students must complete that graduate degree within the time-to-degree boundaries defined in the General Announcements, based on the start term of the graduate certificate.

Graduate Certificate Requirements

Graduate certificate programs are intended to recognize students who have achieved a defined level of competence, skill, or professional expertise, as well as to encourage students to pursue additional areas of interest in a particular area or field that complements their coursework in the graduate degree-granting program to which they have been admitted. The certificate must include, but not be limited to, the following:

  • A minimum of 4 courses (12 credit hours) of standard or traditional (with a course type of lecture, seminar, laboratory, lecture/laboratory) graduate semester credit hours (coursework taken at the 500-level or above) to satisfy certificate requirements, or
  • A minimum of 3 courses (9 credit hours) of standard or traditional (with a course type of lecture, seminar, laboratory, lecture/laboratory) graduate semester credit hours (coursework taken at the 500-level or above) and a graduate-level internship or other substantial experiential learning opportunity
  • A minimum overall GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework
  • A minimum GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework that satisfies requirements for the graduate certificate with a minimum grade of B- (2.67 grade points) in each course*
  • All coursework taken to satisfy certificate requirements with the standard letter grade earned (not on a Pass/Fail basis), with no more than one-third of the coursework taken to meet certificate requirements on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis and no more than one-third of the coursework taken to meet certificate requirements earned through transfer credit
  • For degree-seeking graduate students, all requirements for the graduate degree-granting program in which the student is enrolled.

Note: Graduate Certificate programs may identify and define in their program's General Announcements Requirements tab stricter minimum requirements to satisfy their program requirements. With approval from the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies, graduate programs may substitute but not waive local certificate requirements with comparable requirements.