Honors Programs

To enroll in the two semester Rice Undergraduate Scholars Program (RUSP), students register for HONS 470 and HONS 471. This program is for juniors and seniors in all disciplines who are considering graduate study and an academic career after graduation. Students enroll in the program plan and execute independent research under the supervision of a sponsoring faculty member (they may apply for funding to cover expenses related to their projects). They meet once a week to discuss each other's work and to hear a range of presentations on life in academia. Students may apply in the spring of each year. For more information, contact the program's faculty co-director.

Individual departments may offer undergraduates the option of honors program enrollment. These programs enable students to receive advanced training or to deepen their understanding of a given discipline through an intensive program of independent supervised research. Customary procedure is for students to submit a proposed project to their department's Undergraduate Committee, which helps them rework it, as needed, into a substantial but feasible proposal. Once accepted, students are assigned a faculty advisor to guide their research. The project concludes in an honors thesis, which the advisor and two readers evaluate, and an oral examination. Departments also use honors programs to recognize formally students who have shown outstanding work through the individual projects. Acceptance into a departmental honors program is at the discretion of the faculty. For specific requirements and procedures, students should contact the individual departments.