Welcome to Rice and welcome to the School of Humanities! We’re so glad that you’re here. You’ve landed on the first of a handful of pages that we’ve put together to help introduce new students to the school. Our hope is that you will continue to consult the site in the days and weeks to come as your orientation to the university deepens (and as these pages continue to grow as well).
Whether you are presently committed to concentrating your university studies in the humanities, convinced that your primary interests lie elsewhere, or are wisely and carefully avoiding those kinds of decisions and now simply searching, we want you to know that there is an intellectual home for you in the school: a place of solid support and common enterprise; defined too by necessary and difficult and rewarding work; and all characterized by argument, debate, and creation. We think you’re going to enjoy and benefit from the work we do here in the school, and we look forward very much to your participation in and contributions to that work. You’ll grow a great deal here. We promise.
Now, how to proceed? If you’re certain or nearly certain that you want to concentrate your studies in the humanities, you should probably begin by downloading the Humanities Undergraduate Advising Booklet. After you’ve taken that resource for a spin, keep it close by as a reference when proceeding through the pages curated for you here.
There is no best way to move though the site, but there are a couple of wrong ways. If you don’t click on Upcoming Events and put important events on your calendar, you’re doing it wrong. Also wrong: not watching at least one of the videos highlighting the school’s Big Questions Courses. Otherwise, come often, stay as long as you like, and move around as you see fit. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to connect with us at humanities@rice.edu.
Again, welcome to Rice!