SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES

Undergraduate Handbook

Undergraduate Advising Booklet

FALL 2023

What Is This Booklet? 4

Why the Humanities? 4

Finding Your Focus 5

Four-Year Planning 6

Humanities Research 15

Internships and Practica 17

After Graduation 19

Overview of Departments, Programs, and Center 25

Department-Based Majors 29

Art 29

Art History 33

Asian Studies 36

Classical Studies 39

English 42

European Studies 45

French Studies 48

German Studies 50

History 53

Latin American and Latinx Studies 58

Philosophy 61

Religion 64

Spanish & Portuguese 68

Center- and Program-Based Majors 71 Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations 71

Medieval & Early Modern Studies 74

Study of Women, Gender & Sexuality 77

Department-, Center- and Program-Based Minors 81

African and African American Studies 81

Art History 83

Asian Studies 84

Cinema & Media Studies 85

Classical Civilizations 86

Creative Writing 87

English 89

Environmental Studies 90

French Studies 91

German Studies 92

Greek Language and Literature 93

History 94

Jewish Studies 95

Latin American and Latinx Studies 96

Latin Language and Literature 97

Medical Humanities 98

Medieval and Early Modern Studies 100

Museums & Cultural Heritage 101

Philosophy 102

Politics, Law & Social Thought 103

Poverty, Justice & Human Capabilities 105

Religion 107

Science and Technology Studies 108

Spanish and Portuguese Studies 110

Study of Women, Gender & Sexuality 111

Center-Based Certificates 112

Center for Languages & Intercultural Communication 112

Contacts for Humanities Students 114

Appendix: Who wants to hire a humanities major? 188

What Is This Booklet?

This booklet is designed to help you—a potential or current Humanities major and/or minor—develop possible directions over your four years at Rice. Use it together with other resources and conversations.

This booklet cannot capture the experience of every Rice student. It merely provides examples.

Rice’s General Announcements (GA) has the final say on all graduation and degree requirements for you. If there are any discrepancies between this booklet and the GA, the GA is the authoritative source. You can follow either the annual edition of the GA for the year you entered Rice, or the edition of the year you graduate from Rice.

This booklet was originally created in 2018-2019 and is updated annually by the School of Humanities Dean’s Office.

Send suggestions for updates to: humanities@rice.edu

Why the Humanities?

The humanities examine, with rigor and self-awareness, what humans do and have done and what it means to be human. Each discipline or interdisciplinary area in the humanities prepares you to interpret and reflect on human action. Often that interpretation means putting human action in a larger social, cultural, political, economic, historical, or other context. It is this ability to see larger contexts—and not to take the status quo for granted—that gives Humanities students a great advantage in innovative thinking. Lack of awareness of such contexts leads to naive and sometimes dangerous errors.

You can investigate practically any subject through a humanities lens. The School of Humanities encompasses 8 departments, 7 centers, and 9 programs for undergraduates. Each offers different perspectives on the question of what it means to be human in the context of the past, present, and future. For example, while medical school trains people to offer surgeries or therapies, studying Medical Humanities might show how definitions of illness have shifted over time, or what impact unequal power relations between healers and the ill may have.

Humanities scholars and students are creators of new knowledge as well as custodians of a rich, global heritage. The research, teaching, and events that happen in the School of Humanities are pieces of the vast, vitally important conversation in and out of academia about the human past, present, and future.

Finding Your Focus

Most majors and minors offered by the School of Humanities have modest course requirements and few, if any, prerequisites. It is therefore vital to consider what you can do with the open spaces and choices you have. There is much more to find and do than just following the minimum of what your course requirements demand of you. The strongest skills and capacities of humanities students tend to be those that cannot be picked up overnight, such as fluent writing, the ability to foresee complexities in the research process, the ability to analyze others’ work with incisive questions, or the ability to read, write, and speak a language other than English in an academic or workplace setting. Don’t find out too late that a life-changing experience is off limits to you because you kept putting off advanced language study. Finding your focus now will position you to take advantage of special research, travel, and other opportunities later.

How can you turn courses and other activities such as study abroad or internships into a coherent program that meets your wider hopes for your years at Rice? Start thinking beyond your requirements, especially if you are still undecided about your major. Develop one or two long-term goals, and use those to guide your near- and medium-term choices. What do you want to have experienced or accomplished by the time you leave Rice? How do you want to set yourself apart, either from other students in your major at Rice, or from students in your major at comparable universities? It is a challenge to define your own criteria, but worth it. Communicating these criteria can be important for your future employer or postgraduate admissions committee, or simply for your own reflection.

Expect your coursework to go from what seems easy enough at first to the truly difficult at the advanced level. This can catch students unawares. Humanities work becomes self-imposed and highly individual. At the advanced level, its success depends not only on your creativity, but also on your acquaintance with and analysis of the work of those who have gone before you in your field of inquiry. There is a steep curve of increasing expectations of you as you move from assigned work to independent work, and you need to see that coming in order to complete a successful independent research project. That is the very kind of project where you can best display your skills as a humanities student, and that does the most to set you apart from others.

It can be helpful to set some concrete long-term goals for yourself, and also to match these goals to expectations that employers or postgraduate admissions committees are likely to have. (See the Appendix at the end of this booklet.)

Here’s an example: Let’s say you set for yourself the goal of participating in the creation of an art exhibit in another country. If you are asked later in an interview for examples of teamwork, initiative, international experience, or language ability, how could you describe what that work on the art exhibit revealed about your abilities, and how would you describe the new abilities you developed by doing that work?

Here are more examples of long-term goals and accomplishments:

Answering a big question about human behavior
Learning in depth about a certain culture, group, or phenomenon
Developing a specific new skill
Improving your writing
Using a language other than English—to read, write, and/or speak
Working or studying abroad
Researching individually or with others—with a faculty mentor; on a research team
Finding an internship/ practicum (practicum = internship for course credit)
Attending graduate school
Gaining business knowledge adapted to your major

These are not the only examples! Also, your goals will likely change over your four years. That’s fine. Even if your goals change, using them at the time as criteria for course selection and four-year planning keeps you oriented better than if you had no goals beyond completing course and university requirements. Your time at Rice is short and probably very expensive for you. There should be a bigger reason for taking a course or choosing a co-curricular activity than just its meeting time or whether it completes a formal requirement. Developing your own personalized “requirements”—which you can adapt anytime of course—can help you shape your Rice experience.

It is always important to try new things. Especially early in your time at Rice, taking courses in a variety of disciplines can open up new paths. You never know what will spark a new passion in you; so much of what is offered to you at Rice does not exist in any high school, so it is likely to be new to you. This is one reason to plan to complete most or all distribution courses early in your time at Rice.

Four-Year Planning

Four-year planning can be daunting in the humanities, not because it is hard to squeeze in your requirements, but rather because there are so many options. A humanities major often has only 10 or so required courses. Together with university requirements, that still leaves you with lots of blank space on your four-year schedule.

Not only do you have lots of options in your schedule, but humanities faculty have lots of options regarding what they teach. Be aware that not every course in the course catalog is offered every year—and a particular course might even not be offered during your time at Rice! Ask the Director of Undergraduate Studies[1] in that department, center, or program if you are wondering when a specific course will be offered.

The variation in course offerings has several causes. Humanities courses tend to be tightly connected to individual faculty members’ research and specialized expertise, so there tend to be a lot of humanities courses in the catalog—far more than could be offered in one, two or even more years. Changes in research focus and personnel constantly bring new courses into the humanities curriculum at Rice, and courses that go untaught for 7+ years or belong to faculty who have left Rice are removed. Moreover, departments, centers, and programs set curriculum one semester at a time, in preparation for preregistration each Fall or Spring, and they keep longer-term plans under wraps. (Publicizing tentative curriculum for future semesters beyond the upcoming one could lead students to make plans with no margin for error—yet some change in those later semesters is inevitable, due to a faculty member winning a research fellowship, taking on a new role such as department chair or center director, going on caregiver leave for a baby, etc.) Do ask individual faculty if they plan to teach a certain course in a future semester, but know that whatever the answer, it is not a contract! This situation means that it can be difficult for you to predict exactly which humanities courses will appear in the course schedule for a given semester, much less what time of day they will be offered.

Keeping your eye on some longer-term goals can help steer you through these uncertainties. If you keep a larger question of yours in mind—for example intercultural contact, or the impacts of poverty, or law—then you can better perceive that there are other courses out there that touch on that theme. A course’s syllabus may reveal chances to choose your own topic to investigate. This can help you to see that a number of courses could help you approach that larger question—so that if one course is not offered, another emerges as relevant.

The next few pages walk you through how to make a four-year plan for yourself, regardless of major. It is also helpful to talk through your plan with a Divisional Advisor (DA), Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), a Peer Academic Advisor (PAA), or an advisor at the Office of Academic Advising (OAA), including the pre-law and pre-med advisors there. The “What If?” feature on Degree Works is useful. (BTW: Do not ignore warning flags in Degree Works—get to the bottom of them instead!)

Here are 5 steps to consider as you build your four-year plan:

1. Get your major requirements in

2. Let’s talk distribution courses

3. Other university requirements (FWIS, LPAP, AD)

4. Filling in the blank space

5. Consider the big picture

Step 1. Get your major requirements in

The last thing you want to do is to stumble through your years at Rice only to discover that you missed some requirements and have to shove too much into your last semester or, worse, graduate later than you expected. The first thing to do when making your four-year plan is to fit in the courses required for your major. Later portions on this booklet give you guidance about the particular major or minor you are interested in. To get started, pull up the GA. Again, some majors and minors require electives that may not be offered every semester or even year. But it is feasible to make a plan without necessarily knowing what specific courses you will take each semester.

Most courses at Rice carry 3 credit hours. This means they should meet 3 “contact hours” a week. A “contact hour” is 50 minutes of in-class instruction, so 3 contact hours is really 150 minutes or 2.5 hours per week. Do note the credit hours in the course catalog or schedule, because there are exceptions! Students take between 12 and 18 credit hours per semester. Most students take about 15 credit hours, which is typically 5 courses per semester. When planning your schedule, aim for this number, then add or subtract as you see fit. A full-time course load is 12 credit hours, or generally 4 courses, and by the way, at Harvard and other top-ranked institutions, 4 courses is the normal load for students! If one (or more) of your courses requires significant research or independent work, consider limiting your credits to 12 that semester. Real research tends not to happen on a neat timetable, and you might need that extra time to give research your best effort.

Let’s say that the major you are interested in requires 10 courses. (This is just an example; check your chosen major.) Here is a way to arrange those 10 courses, assuming you take some time to explore during your early semesters:

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
(Intro) Major requirement	Major req	Major req	Major req

Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
Major req	Major req	Major req	Major req
Major req	Major req

Let’s say that you decide you want to add a minor (usually 6 courses) to your major. No problem—just lay out both:

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
(Intro) Major requirement	Major req	Major req	Major req
Minor req	Minor req	Minor req	Minor req
Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
Major req	Major req	Major req	Major req
Major req	Major req	Minor req	Minor req

Step 2. Let’s talk distribution courses

Rice requires all its undergraduates to take a total of 9 distribution courses (typically 27 credit hours—but it is the number of courses that counts, not credits!). These 9 courses are to be divided evenly among 3 categories. Distribution I (D1) courses are in the humanities, architecture and music. Distribution II (D2) courses are in the social sciences. Distribution III (D3) courses are in natural sciences and engineering. In each of those 6 “Schools” at Rice, please note that only a subset of the curriculum is designated as distribution courses. A course that you want to count toward your distribution requirements must be listed as a distribution course at the time that you take it. The course description in either the course schedule or the course catalog will tell you; so will Degree Works. You will NOT be able to claim later that a course you took that was not a distribution course should have been! While you may not perceive much difference between a distribution course and another, non-distribution course, there is a long process behind the designation that is related to Rice’s accreditation, and it cannot be redone on the spot to accommodate you.

As a Humanities major, it is likely that you will get some of your D1 courses from your major requirements. However, note that you need to take distribution courses from two different course codes to complete the requirements within each of the 3 categories of distribution courses. For example, taking 3 HIST courses won’t work to fulfill D1; you would need to take, say, 2 HIST courses and 1 HART course, each of which needs to bear the designation of distribution course, to complete the D1 requirement. Courses with variable content, such as independent study courses, practica, and “topics” courses, can never be distribution courses.

Choosing your own major is one of the things that make college so much more fun than high school, so some students don’t care for distribution courses or they find D2 or D3 courses to be outside their comfort zone. A distribution course can be a bite-the-bullet class you hate, or it can be a class that opens your eyes to a new way of thinking and provides a break from your routine, allowing you to use your skills in a new way. Look for distribution courses that actually interest you. Beware of choosing the “easy distribution course.” No matter how easy it may be, if you don’t like a course, it will feel like a waste of time and it will be hard for you to be motivated to succeed in it. If you find yourself signing up for a course only to meet a requirement, think again. Look instead for a course that speaks to one of your larger goals. You are more likely to put effort into a course you enjoy.

Ask yourself:

What can this course teach me about the topics I am passionate about? For example, students interested in logic might get a lot out of a course in computer science (D3), which would require a different way of thinking about that same theme.
What classes did I really like in high school that I haven’t been able to take in college? For example, students interested in chemistry who don’t want to take first-year chemistry (CHEM 121) might want to try CHEM 178 Chemistry of Cooking, or CHEM 176 Chemistry of Art (both of which are D3).
What have I never tried before? Not many high schools teach sociology or linguistics (both D2). Try new subjects, or revisit subjects that tend to be taught differently in high school than in college (which is most of them).
How do I want to engage with the material? If you don’t like lecture courses...don’t take a lecture course. Alternatively, if you have a lot of seminar courses, maybe a large lecture course would be a nice change of pace and work type.

People schedule their distribution courses in different ways. This booklet makes the case for starting them early and then spreading them out. That allows you to have a change of pace from your major’s courses. It also means you don’t have to cram distribution courses into your first few semesters in order to “free up space” later. Anytime you feel like you are signing up for a course not for itself, but for the sake of some other priority, stop to consider whether that is truly necessary. Your goals and interests are likely to change. If you take 2 biology courses and 1 math course in your first two semesters in order to “cross off” your D3 requirement, then decide in your junior year that a computer science course looks interesting, one of those courses will not count toward your D3. What a pity, if you had not really wanted to take one of the earlier ones.

Note: If you are a pre-health professions student, you should talk to an OAA advisor about when to take the required health professions curriculum. Those courses must be taken in order, so your choices are limited.

Here you can see what the schedule we drafted in the previous section looks like with distribution courses added:

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
(Intro) Major requirement	Major req	Major req	Major req
Minor req	Minor req	Minor req	Minor req
D2	D3	D2	D3
Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
Major req	Major req	Major req	Major req
Major req	Major req	Minor req	Minor req
D2	D3

If you don’t find yourself drawn to, say, a D3 course in that particular semester, then shift when you take what kind of distribution course. Try not to save your D2’s and D3’s for the end of your time at Rice, as you will want the flexibility to drop and/or shift the courses then too.

Also, you want to leave time after the course to follow up on something unexpected that it taught you. For example, what if taking COMP 140 Introduction to Computational Thinking could change how you define the research question for your History honors thesis? It would be too late if you were taking that D3 course in your senior year!

Step 3. Other university requirements (FWIS, LPAP, AD)

You will take your First-Year Writing Intensive Seminar (FWIS) in either your first or your second semester at Rice. If you must take FWIS 100, that simply means that you will take FWIS both semesters of that first year at Rice, and in most cases, that means that the second FWIS replaces one of your free electives.

You can take your LPAP whenever you like. Some students take the LPAP in their first or second semester to get in the habit of using Rice’s fitness resources and develop good habits early in college. However, a lot of LPAP courses are so popular that they can be difficult to get into. Be careful not to wait until your senior year to take your LPAP, for the same reason that it can be risky to delay taking any university requirement at the last minute. You are only required to take 1 LPAP, but you can take up to 4 and apply the credits toward graduation. Each LPAP carries 1 credit hour.

You must complete and pass one course of three or more credit hours in the area of Analyzing Diversity (AD). Such courses primarily focus on how difference is understood across human societies, on how those understandings have changed over time, and on the consequences of those understandings for human development. Courses meeting this requirement equip students with foundational know-how in the critical study of matters related to diversity, and prepare them to apply such knowledge in other areas of study as they advance at the university.

A wide range of courses are identified as eligible to meet the AD graduation requirement and are accessible to students from throughout the university. All AD courses additionally carry Distribution Credit or fulfill the university’s Writing and Communication (FWIS) requirement and are allowed to fulfill simultaneously more than one university graduation requirement category. Students are encouraged to complete the requirement within their first two years of study, and by taking an AD-eligible course published in that semester’s Course Offerings.

In this booklet’s sample four-year plans, LPAP will be presented in Semester 7, or Fall of the senior year. You should take your chosen LPAP whenever the time seems right to you.

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
(Intro) Major requirement	Major req	Major req	Major req
Minor req	Minor req	Minor req	Minor req
D2	D3	D2	D3
FWIS?	and/or FWIS?
Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
Major req	Major req	Major req	Major req
Major req	Major req	Minor req	Minor req
D2	D3	LPAP

*One of the courses also fulfills the AD requirement.

Step 4. Filling in the blank space

After scheduling in your major requirements, D2 and D3 courses, and your FWIS(es) and LPAP(s), you still have a number of options. Remember that you may use a Distribution or FWIS course to also fulfill your AD requirement. You can use your major electives and free electives to tailor your four-year plan as you wish.

Keep these considerations in mind as you select courses for a new semester:

First, don’t take too many hours. Taking a heavy courseload does not mean you are smarter or more diligent than your peers. Instead, you will be overbooked and too tired to do your best work. If others are taking a very heavy courseload, either they not doing their best work, or else those courses aren’t actually very difficult—so pay them no mind when they boast about how hard they are working! If you always find yourself too busy to go to an exciting campus event, such as a symposium, concert, or majors’ lunch with an invited scholar, or if you find yourself discarding an interesting research question for a project purely because you feel it will take more time than you have that semester, you have overbooked yourself at the expense of your intellectual growth.

Most students find the “sweet spot” to be between 12 and 15 credit hours. You will get out of a course what you put in. The “get through it as fast as possible” mentality is not very compatible with the long-term skills that humanities students build.

Second, consider that your courses are the core of your college experience. Yes, you will have important experiences outside of the classroom as well, but do not take your courses for granted. Courses can help you:

learn foundational skills that you will use for independent projects and after graduation
build relationships with professors who may later be able to recommend you for internships, jobs, or graduate school
build relationships with peers who may later join you in co-curricular or academic team projects; and
launch projects that may continue beyond a single semester.

Each course you choose, be it a major elective or a free elective beyond the major, should be consciously seen as either moving you toward one of your long-term goals, or else helping you explore a new interest or path. Think about the long-term possibilities of a course:

Could a paper or project for this course be expanded and polished enough to be published? Could it serve as the basis for a future, larger-scale research project?
Would you want to take a second course or do a future independent research project with the professor?
Would your professor be able to write you a strong letter of recommendation?

Third, consider how you make choices among the disciplines/ interdisciplines offered. If you feel that you have “done” a subject in high school, perhaps by having taken an AP test in it, hang on a second! High school courses have different formats, expectations, and outcomes than similar-sounding courses at Rice. At the college level, these subjects are no longer assignments to be mastered (although there are techniques and data mastery along the way), but rather disciplines to think through. Also, politics weighs heavily on K-12 education, in all countries. The college classroom is a far freer environment for subject matter and debate than high school. For highly politicized subject matter, college-level study is a revelation.

Don’t dismiss disciplines just because they are unfamiliar and were not offered in high school. Nor should you jump to conclusions about the relevance of unfamiliar disciplines to postgraduate employment. Now is the time to free yourself from such narrowness. Consider philosophy, the study of religion, art history, or the study of women, gender and sexuality. Consider the interdisciplinary minors, many of which merge disciplines in flexible and unusual ways. If you don’t sample some of these now, you will probably never be able to do so. The number of postgraduate jobs out there far exceeds the number of majors and minors at Rice or the subjects taught in high school. Assuming a one-to-one correspondence between discipline and career outcome can be limiting and misleading.

Step 5. Consider the big picture

Being at Rice is not just about your classes. There are other aspects to being a humanities student: student organizations, internships or paid jobs, leadership programs, travel. The next few pages will walk you through some of these co-curricular options, any of which could be pivotal for your Rice experience. Do consider as part of your schedule planning how much time co-curricular activities can take up, especially if transportation to sites off campus is involved.

When you are done, you will probably have a four-year plan that looks something like the example below. Remember, in any of the spaces that are marked “Open,” you can choose whatever course you like, or take fewer courses.

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
(Intro) Major requirement	Major req	Major req	Major req
Minor req	Minor req	Minor req	Minor req
D2	D3	D2	D3
FWIS?	and/or FWIS?	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
Major req	Major req	Major req	Major req
Major req	Major req	Minor req	Minor req
D2	D3	LPAP	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open

*One of the courses also fulfills the AD requirement.

Humanities Research

Research experience sets you apart because research is unique to you. With independent research or creative work, you are no longer completing an assignment; you are creating the assignment. That open-endedness can be a barrier to students, but don’t let it discourage you.

In most cases, the research you do will take the form of a paper, probably between 15 and 80 pages, depending on the time frame for completion (part of a semester? a full academic year?). A well-executed paper showcases several key skills—organization, clear writing at the sentence level, ability to marshal multiple voices, and more. Don’t leave Rice without having given everything you’ve got to writing a really good paper. However, a paper is really not the only option. Given the humanities encompasses a wide variety of disciplines including creative practices, your research may also manifest as an art exhibition, a piece of creative fiction, the production of a film, a podcast, a website or a performance.

Often, though not always, you will do advanced research on your own, without the support (and without the predefining, simplifying decisions) of a lab group or team leader that natural science, social science, or engineering students may enjoy. A project may grow out of a regular assignment within a course, or out of work done with a group of other researchers, such as with a Houston Action Research Team (HART), organized at the Center for Civic Leadership (CCL), or out of an internship or practicum. Your research project might be executed in the context of a semester-long independent study, or as a summer project, or over a year-long course sequence, as are many honors theses and the Health, Humanism, and Society Scholars (HHASS) practicum.

In an independent research or creative project, you will pose and answer some sort of research question, or strive to create some kind of experience or effect in an artwork. Please, pose a question to which you do NOT know the answer! Humanities research can be difficult for some students to visualize, partly because it can take so many forms, and partly because it is never truly “done.” Good research questions can be pursued indefinitely, and part of the challenge of research is to figure out how to carve a coherent project out of those larger possibilities. One important insight you will gain from doing research is that the “textbook” knowledge out there that too many people take for granted is itself no more and no less than the outcome of others’ inevitably limited efforts. Experiencing research first-hand is likely to give you greater respect for researchers who came before you, and also a healthy skepticism about the finality of their work.

Consider:

What can research accomplish for you? Will it move an older assignment in a direction that interests you more? Will it allow you to use a language that you have been studying? Will it allow you to learn more about a group or place you wish to focus on long-term? Once you decide something like “I want to find out...” or “I want to prove that...” or “I want to use X materials...” then you will have usefully narrowed down your options. Artworks can require extensive research as well. When choosing a topic, consider starting with a general area or context, and then look for a problem or question within that area that your research will seek to solve or answer. Sooner or later, research must become pretty specific if it is to be well-grounded in evidence. Do not worry about researching what seems like a very narrow question. A too-broad question cannot be researched in a convincing way.
How do you choose a faculty mentor? It is not always obvious which faculty are willing to mentor a research project or invite students to help with their own research projects. Look at their departmental webpages, but even more important: Take the initiative by approaching faculty you know or those with whom you share general interests. They won’t know if you are interested in doing research, and doing it with them, unless you tell them! If it is the right fit regarding subject matter and schedule, they will be happy to mentor you. If it isn’t, they won’t be hurt if you go elsewhere, and they are still glad to talk to you about their work. Most faculty are already booked for the coming semester (remember that they have to arrange their classes in time for preregistration the semester before, and that tends to drive the rest of their time in that semester), but they can often easily plan for the semester after that, or the next academic year. Just a simple conversation could open up some long-term options that, again, are not compulsory for you.

Your faculty mentor will work with you in the context of a regular course they are teaching, as the instructor of an independent study course, or as your individual research mentor in support of your work done in a course that has its own instructor, such as a departmental thesis writers’ seminar or the Rice-wide Rice Undergraduate Scholars Program (RUSP).

Fondren Library and Interlibrary Loan there can support a vast range of research projects. Other institutions in Houston also have a wealth of material for you. In some cases, travel will be an important part of your research. Ask your department, center, or program if there is funding available for research travel. It is best to plan travel for the summertime, when it will not conflict with your other courses. For that reason too, research is best planned at least a semester in advance. You may conduct research in the context of a summer internship, for which funding may be available; talk to Andrew Stefl, Lead Academic Administrator in the School of Humanities.

What if you change your mind about what to research? This is normal! Your research question may change a lot or a little. If it changes a great deal, you may even need to shift to a new mentor. Research is a continual mix of curiosity and pragmatism. The many choices you make as you shape your research project are also about keeping it doable, with the time, personnel, and financial resources available.

Undergraduate research in the form of an honors thesis is possible in almost all majors. Typically, application to an honors thesis program is required. But students who are not accepted into such programs, typically for reasons of a lower GPA, have also successfully executed research projects. All you need is a faculty mentor. Note also that university-wide Distinction in Research and Creative Works is not limited to those who are in honors thesis programs; any worthy research or creative project can be considered for that Distinction. Research happens in many different settings, with different inspirations and mentors/ partners—what really matters is the final product.

Internships and Practica

The School of Humanities offers a variety of pre-arranged internships and practica, and can guide students to others. The terms “internship” and “practicum” refer to summertime, semester- or year-long work and/or off-campus research experiences in organizations located in Houston, elsewhere in the United States, outside the United States, or even simply on the Rice campus. While “internship” is the better-known term, a “practicum” emphasizes an academic dimension and carries course credit. A practicum takes the form of a course for which you register. Unlike regular courses, however, it requires an application and selection process in advance of preregistration, so watch for announcements or inquire directly. This is necessary to make sure that each student can be matched with a site supervisor. A Rice faculty member, meanwhile, serves as instructor for the practicum’s course.

You will be able to gain academic credit, funding, or both for almost any internship or practicum you do through the School of Humanities. Such funding can cover expenses such as transportation to the off-campus site, or it can offset lost earnings due to you having chosen an unpaid internship relevant to your educational goals over a paid job that would not be as relevant. If you locate an unpaid internship on your own, consider contacting Andrew Stefl, Lead Academic Administrator (stefl@rice.edu), to talk about how to apply for a stipend. See also https://humanities.rice.edu/hedge.

Students get stressed out about the issue of how to find internships. Like a job search, an internship search can become a job in itself. There is no way around the need to start talking to people and looking through multiple resources that are mentioned below. No one is going to be able to read your mind and contact you with the perfect opportunity for you, but you can rest assured that many, many Humanities students have successfully found internships and derived great benefit from them. You simply must dive into available resources and start the conversation.

The School of Humanities website offers information about current internship and practicum opportunities at the School level, under the “Student Life” tab. These include:

Health, Humanism, and Society Scholars (HHASS). See https://medicalhumanities.rice.edu/hhass-health-practicum. While this year-long practicum carries the MDHM course code, it is not necessary to be a Medical Humanities minor to participate in the practicum.
Law, Justice and Society Scholars (LJSS). For these law or judicial practica, see https://politics.rice.edu/legal-and-judicial-practicum-programs. While these two semester-long practica carry the PLST course code, it is not necessary to be a Politics, Law & Social Thought minor to participate in the practicum.
Professional internships (HEDGE). These are purely workplace experiences, without an accompanying course. See https://humanities.rice.edu/hedge.

To stay on top of these opportunities, sign up for the HEDGE listserv, which can be done at https://humanities.rice.edu/hedge.

There are more internship and practicum opportunities at the department, center, or program level. See https://humanities.rice.edu/internships-and-practica.

Additional internships can be located via other, Rice-wide resources. These include the Center for Career Development’s listings on Handshake (and see other CCD resources on its website, too!), and the Rice alumni networking site Sallyportal. There is no one right way to find an internship—word of mouth works too. It doesn’t matter where you find your internship, as long as you find one that moves you toward your goals.

Remember when choosing to take part in an internship or practicum that it may take up more time than just the hours listed, due to transportation or any needed external preparation. For that reason, summer is a good time to do an internship.

International students, please note that special attention is required when planning an internship or practicum to preserve your visa status. Contact Andrew Stefl with questions.

After Graduation

Careers in the Humanities

Most majors in the School of Humanities are not vocational preparation for a specific job. This is actually a good thing, as you go to college only once, but you will probably hold several different kinds of jobs over your lifetime.

The vast majority of jobs out there in the world do not require highly specific technical skills. If specific technical skills are required, the employer often teaches new employees those skills on the job. That is why the first thing a new hire with 16 years of K-BA education does is...go to a training!

Employers do rely on the long-term skills and capacities that you are developing over four years of undergraduate study, because they have no time to teach you those on the job. Here are a few more examples of these vague-seeming but vital skills—the kind that can’t be taught in a training session for new hires:

an ability to express oneself clearly in writing, when speaking, and through graphics
a problem-solving orientation and an ability to analyze problems
an ability to recognize, tolerate, and work amid ambiguity
an appreciation of contestation and diversity of opinion; collaborative skills including judgment, tact, strategy, and the ability to listen to opposing views
sensitivity of culture, difference, and how the past informs the present
attention to detail
visual acuity and digital literacy

All of these skills are valuable in any field and in any kind of organization. If you have done well in humanities courses, you have these kinds of skills.

As you set your long-term goals for your years at Rice, consider what kinds of activities would let you demonstrate these skills at a high level. Such activities may be undergraduate research, student organization activities, volunteer work, etc. How will you be able to show the range and level of the skills you have when you apply to jobs or postgraduate education opportunities? Try to match examples of your own accomplishments to the above skills.

In addition, prepare yourself to answer the obvious question of why you chose your major. Employers and others love to hear about your passion for your major because that helps them figure out what kind of colleague you would be.

A job search is a substantial undertaking. The things you practice for your job search will come in handy again and again. Talk to people in the Center for Career Development (CCD). Consider taking HUMA 217 Business Workshop for Humanities Students, a college course offered in spring semester. It is perfect for getting better acquainted with career possibilities in the business world. Consider attending other offerings from the School’s Business Toolkit for Humanities Students, such as our one-day Accounting Workshop for Humanities Students and possible offerings on disruptive technologies, Excel, and more. Remember that the business world includes nonprofits, and that all organizations, even universities, need “business” skills. Make sure you have familiarized yourself with the resources on the CCD website—people out in the working world pay extra for such resources.

Ask your professors, family members, friends’ family members, etc., for contacts in the field you think you are interested in. When you find appropriate contacts, ask them a set of questions you’ve developed and refined. Conducting these “informational interviews” is a recognized and popular method for finding your interests and making connections in various fields of work.

Graduate or Professional School

If you are considering a degree after the BA, plan on having multiple conversations with people in the specific discipline and subfield that interests you. It’s fine to talk about graduate school plans and then completely change your mind about going, so don’t hesitate to ask!

Here are some further considerations, organized by type of advanced degree.

PhD programs in the humanities or related fields

If you plan to go to graduate school, try to complete an honors thesis in that discipline. You will be glad you did, as it is a good foretaste of what graduate school is like, and you will be a stronger candidate. However, if it is not possible for you to write an undergraduate honors thesis while you are at Rice, it is still very possible that you will be a highly competitive applicant for graduate-level study.

You may apply to a PhD program right after receiving your BA, or you may wait a year or more. Either is fine. However, if you choose to take a gap year, be aware that those reading your application will want to know why you took a gap year, and what you gained from it. Avoid thinking of a gap year as a break. Think of it as doing something else that is worthwhile.

You should not have to pay to attend a PhD program; the program should pay you, with a fellowship stipend that covers all or most of the years you will require to complete the degree. You won’t be wealthy, but you should be able to cover your basic housing and food costs with the stipend. A PhD usually takes between 5 and 7 years to complete. Apply to multiple programs (say, 4 or 5). Ask what conditions are attached to the fellowship package that each offers (length of stipend support, teaching obligations, etc.). Take advantage of your Rice professors’ expertise—consult them about the reputation of the institutions and specific degree programs you are considering. They are likely to have an informed opinion, or can point you to someone who does.

Note that many masters programs generally do not offer you fellowships or stipends. Instead, you are expected to pay tuition as well as your living expenses, and this can be very expensive. However, you may be able to seek out residencies and scholarships. Beware of taking out additional student debt for a masters program unless you see a clear way forward for your career. If you think at all that you are interested in the PhD, and not just the MA, it is wiser to apply to a PhD program from the outset. You can change your mind partway through and leave a PhD program with an MA—and you will have the stipend to support you, rather than a loan to pay back!

Law school—the JD, or “Juris Doctor”

All students who aspire to law school are encouraged to meet with a pre-law advisor in the Office of Academic Advising.

Law schools are fairly open-minded about the major or the type of courses a student has taken, as long as the student can show coursework with advanced reading and writing. They seek a diverse pool of applicants, also with respect to major. Students are considered first of all on the basis of GPA and Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) score. Most students take the LSAT after their junior year. Law schools are looking for critical thinking, strong writing, strong interest in the law, and personal resilience, and the application essay or personal statement is the best place to demonstrate those things. The personal statement is not so much “personal” as individual—it is valuable for demonstrating your writing, for setting yourself apart from others, and for answering the key question “Why law?”

Many pre-law students take classes about law, including PLST 305 Introduction to Law, PHIL 116 Introduction to the Philosophy of Law, HIST 332 American Legal History, and POLI 321 American Constitutional Law (which is also a D2 course). Taking one or more of these courses, along with talking to legal professionals and law students, is a good way to be sure that you do want to pursue law.

It is unusual to receive grants or fellowships to help cover the cost of law school. It is expensive to earn the JD only to discover that one does not care for practicing law. That said, many organizations are glad to have a JD on staff, even if the person was hired in a different capacity.

A few law schools offer a joint JD/ PhD program. This is closer to the experience of a humanities PhD program than to earning the JD alone, and is relevant primarily to an academic career.

Business school—the Masters of Business Administration (MBA) or Masters of Accounting (MAcc)

Business is about dealing with people, and humanities students are better than most at appreciating the diversity of our country and world. As with law, there are no pre-defined majors or types of courses that lead to a career in business. Here too, postgraduate degree-granting schools are interested in applicants with a wide range of undergraduate majors and interests. However, like any postgraduate school, they will want to know why you are choosing their path.

Humanities students interested in business often take additional majors or minors such as the Business minor offered by Rice’s Jones School of Business, the Managerial Studies major offered by the School of Social Sciences, or the Financial Computational and Modeling minor offered by the School of Natural Sciences. However, it is perfectly possible for a humanities student to prepare themselves for a business career without completing any of those. Simply take individual business-related courses in accounting, economics, statistics, management, or finance. That can help you determine if pursuing an MBA is right for you. Such courses are offered to Rice undergraduates by the Jones School of Business and the School of Social Sciences, and you may also wish to consider taking such courses over the summer at other institutions. Definitely look into the School of Humanities business-related offerings: COLL 217 Business Workshop for Humanities Students (a 1-credit Baker College course), as well as other, short-term Business Toolkit for Humanities Students offerings, such as our one-day Accounting Workshop for Humanities Students taught by Rice’s MAcc faculty and students.

Rice’s Jones School of Business offers a Masters of Accounting (MAcc) that a number of Rice humanities graduates have completed with success and a 100% placement rate before graduation. Accounting is about telling the story of a business. It requires individual judgment and the ability to navigate ambiguity and context. Humanities students are well equipped to do that at a high level. See https://business.rice.edu/academic-program/master-accounting-macc, where you will also find information on prerequisites for entering the program. While it is unusual to receive grants or fellowships to cover the tuition for the MAcc, the return on investment for that degree is excellent.

Advanced Degrees in the Health Professions

Here are just some of the advanced degrees related to the health professions:

- Medical School—the Medicine Doctor or Doctor of Medicine (MD), or the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
- Dental School—the Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS), or Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD)
- Nursing School—the Registered Nurse (RN)
- Public Health—the Masters in Public Health (MPH) or Masters of Science in Public Health (MSPH)

Many students interested in medical school major in the humanities. In fact, medical schools are increasingly looking for humanities students as applicants, for these students’ creative thinking, well-informed cultural understanding, and reflectiveness, all of which are recognized as important for successful outcomes in the health professions. See this overview from the American Association of Medical Colleges: https://news.aamc.org/medical-education/article/focusing-arts-humanities-well-rounded-physicians/. A recent example of medical schools’ interest in humanities students is the new facilitated admission program arranged between Rice and UT Health’s McGovern School of Medicine, inaugurated in 2019, for which McGovern reserves up to 8 spots in each year’s admissions cohort for Rice humanities majors. The Rice students apply in the fall of their junior year. For more information, contact Prof. Kirsten Ostherr.

All students planning to attend medical or dental school must complete a curriculum that these schools require. It consists of about 13 or 14 courses, of various credit hour loads. An explanation of requirements for medical programs is in the OAA’s Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental Guide. If this curriculum is not completed as part of the BA, then it must be done in a post-baccalaureate program (for additional tuition!). This curriculum is not, in itself, a major; therefore it is inaccurate to speak, as some still do, of being a “pre-med major.” All pre-med students need a major, and that major does not have to be in the biosciences.

The humanities major who is pre-med will find that scheduling the pre-med requirements is less flexible than scheduling most of the major requirements. Here is a suggested four-year plan for a student without AP credit who has a humanities major requiring 10-12 courses. (CHEM 123 and 124 are 1-credit courses.)

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
FWIS/ Major req	FWIS/ Major req	Major req	Major req
PSYC/ SOCI (D2)	Major req	Major req	EBIO 202
CHEM 121	CHEM 122	PSYC/ SOCI (D2)	CHEM 215
CHEM 123	CHEM 124	CHEM 211	CHEM 212
BIOC 201	BIOC 211/ EBIO 213	PHYS 125	PHYS 126
Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
Major req	Major req	Major req	Major req
Open	Open	Major req?	Major req?
MATH 101	Approved STAT	LPAP	Open
BIOC 301	PHYS 126	Open	Open
BIO elective	BIO elective	Open	Open

*One of the courses also fulfills the AD requirement.

Overview of Departments, Programs, and Centers

Departments with Majors

The Art Department offers coursework in the studio arts (painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, and comics), photography (analog and digital), film (16mm film and digital), installation-based practices, and performances.

The Department of Art History offers the Art History major and also the opportunity to specialize within the major in the History of Architecture. Students learn about a variety of cultures and time periods, ranging from ancient to contemporary art from Asia, the Islamic world, Europe, the United States, and more.

The Department of English offers a major focusing on literary study (via one of a number of possible themes). Students can also major with a formal concentration in Creative Writing. All seniors carry out a year-long research/ creative project that can take a wide range of forms. English is the home of a student-run publication, R2 (Rice Review).

The Department of History faculty offer near-global coverage. Students are free to focus their courses as they wish; there is a modest breadth requirement concerning time period and geography. All majors take two 400-level courses, and each such course requires a full-length research paper based on sources from the time and place under investigation. The International History concentration within the major spotlights study abroad and the use of a language other than English. History is the home of a student-run publication, the Rice Historical Review. The Department of History offers a “within-discipline” minor.

The Department of Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures offers six majors: Classical Studies, French Studies, German Studies, European Studies, Latin American and Latinx Studies, and Spanish & Portuguese. All of these majors foster an interdisciplinary understanding of culture and history over nearly three thousand years, and across the world, from ancient Greece to modern Europe, the Caribbean, and Global Latin America. Classical Studies majors choose between a specialization requiring Greek or Latin, and a specialization using English only. European Studies does not require a language other than English, although language study is highly recommended and a capstone project is required. French Studies and German Studies do require advanced work in those languages. Majors in Spanish & Portuguese focus on language learning and literature, while majors in Latin American and Latinx Studies focus on the history and culture of the Latin American world and are required to carry out a capstone project using a relevant language other than English. All programs offer study abroad options and fellowship opportunities.

The Department of Philosophy specializes in ethics (especially applied ethics), social and political philosophy, the history of philosophy, and core analytic philosophy areas (especially philosophy of mind). Students also gain training in many schools of thought.

The Department of Religion is distinctive for its emphasis on marginalized religious communities across time. The major emphasizes the methodology of comparative religion and interdisciplinary approaches to religion as a social and cultural phenomenon. Students gain breadth through the requirement to study a range of traditions. Some language study (Biblical Hebrew, Coptic, Tibetan, classical Arabic) is offered through the department. The Department of Religion offers a “within-discipline” minor.

The Department of Transnational Asian Studies works across disciplines in the humanities and social sciences to better understand the peoples, ideas, practices, and cultures of Asia, which is not defined by national boundaries but as a series of global transformations, influences, demographic movements and migrations. Students can tailor the major to their own interests, around classes and research opportunities on topics of gender, migration, race and identity, medicine and technology, literature and history, religion and the arts, of globalism, consumerism and economics. Students interested in Asian Studies may choose to join the Rice Asian Studies Organization (RASO/ https://asianstudies.rice.edu/undergraduate/raso) and assist in the publication of the Rice Asian Studies Review (RASR/ https://asianstudies.rice.edu/undergraduate/rasr). In addition, the Department of Transnational Asian Studies has a wide variety of research and internship opportunities for undergraduates, both at home and abroad.

Centers and Programs with Majors

The program in Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations offers a major that draws on a variety of disciplines: history, classics, anthropology, art history, and religion, for example. The focus on the Mediterranean encompasses Islamic traditions as well as Greek, Latin, Christian, Jewish and other traditions. Students often participate in archaeological fieldwork in the summer.

The program in Medieval & Early Modern Studies offers an interdisciplinary major with strengths in the arts that investigates the medieval and early modern world (with a broad geographical definition encompassing the “Old World” of Europe, Asia, and Africa). Majors also analyze modern perceptions of the medieval and early modern eras.

The center for the Study of Women, Gender & Sexuality offers a major with two alternatives for a capstone project: a year-long thesis, or a sequence of a seminar on feminist research methods and then an engaged research practicum that pairs each student with a community organization. The major highlights both theory and empirical findings concerning race, gender, class, sexuality, and more.

Centers and Programs with Minors

The center serves as a hub for conversation, curriculum, and programming related to African and African American Studies. The African and African-American Studies Minor is an interdisciplinary course of study drawing on disciplines from the Humanities and Social Sciences. The African and African American studies minor allows students to focus on issues of concern across the university, including (but not limited to) histories of race and slavery, studies of African and African American culture, religion, and philosophy, and race and racialization. The goal of the African and African American Studies minor is to provide students with resources and opportunity to think about key issues and themes within African and African American Studies in ways that enhance their work and that provides key competencies that enhance their professional life.

The program in Cinema & Media Studies offers an interdisciplinary minor foregrounding analysis of the moving image in all its forms, such as television, advertising, the internet, video art, medical imaging, and expanded cinema. The minor gives students an array of theoretical, historical, political, and formal approaches to the moving image to help them better understand our media-saturated world.

The program in Environmental Studies offers a minor that draws upon the natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities to provide a better understanding of the human-nature relationship. Students learn to assess and develop solutions that meet intergenerational human needs without compromising the natural systems upon which humans depend.

The program in Jewish Studies encompasses the religious practices, literature, history, and philosophy of the Jewish people. It brings Jewish culture and history to students of all backgrounds, and emphasizes travel and community engagement. It is ideal for students who want to enrich their major field of study with a focus on Judaism and Jewish culture.

The program in Medical Humanities is designed for all students, pre-med or not. Here, medicine is analyzed as a social and cultural interaction that has changed over time, is shaped by power relations, and continues to change. The program helps administer the Health, Humanism and Society Scholars (HHASS) year-long or one-semester practicum, which can be used to satisfy the practicum requirement for the minor. (Note: While this year-long practicum carries the MDHM course code, it is not necessary to be a Medical Humanities minor to participate in the practicum.)

The program in Museums & Cultural Heritage is an interdisciplinary minor combining anthropology, museums, and curation, and the ethical and legal aspects of cultural heritage. Students learn about preservation and the use of tangible and intangible cultural heritage for study, archival purposes, and public display. They use digital analysis tools as well as traditional methods of preservation and analysis.

The program in Politics, Law & Social Thought gives students the opportunity to ask the big questions about politics, government, and law. Coursework draws from the humanities and social sciences. The program helps administer the Law, Justice & Society Scholars (LJSS) practicum, which offers a legal practicum in the fall or a judicial practicum in the spring, either of which can serve as an elective for the minor. (Note: While these two semester-long practica carry the PLST course code, it is not necessary to be a Politics, Law & Social Thought minor to participate in the practicum.)

The program in Poverty, Justice & Human Capabilities, which in turn is part of the Center for the Study of Women, Gender & Sexuality, makes students aware of and prepared to combat inequalities here and around the world. The minor has a service leadership requirement.

A Center with Certificates

The Center for Languages & Intercultural Communication (CLIC) offers a certificate in each of the 10 languages it currently teaches.

Department-Based Majors

Art

The Department of Art prioritizes flexibility, accommodating many different paths through the major. Students might specialize early, pursuing their area of concentration in depth, or they might choose to work across many disciplines. Courses span a range of media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, comix, photography, film, ceramics, and performance. The department supplements course work with an annual trip for majors, distinguished speakers, visiting artists, exhibitions, film series, and performances for and by students.

The faculty are active in their art practices and professions on the local, national, and international levels. The curriculum engages Houston’s art scene as an extension of the studio classroom. The result is a dynamic environment that encourages students to mesh their art interests with other fields of study, in the belief that connections between fields of study can produce richer and more collaborative artwork. Art majors pursue a variety of careers—in the arts, engineering, law, medicine, and more.

Major Breakdown

How many courses? 13

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 7. But some beginner courses are listed as 300-level; the distinction between lower- and upper-level courses is less important than selecting the right number of courses from the right groups.

What’s the intro course? Any course that does not have prerequisites is essentially an intro course. Students enter the major according to their own interests.

Is there an honors option? In the Department of Art, honors are often conferred as prizes and exhibition opportunities. Students may also earn graduation with distinction.

What if I want to go to grad school? Majors gain admission to top graduate schools in their areas. Talk to the Director of Undergraduate Study.

What should I look out for? ARTS 387 and 388 are required for all majors. It is highly recommended that you take these two courses in your junior year. ARTS 499, Senior Studio, is required both semesters of your senior year. It’s a good idea, though not required, to take several studio courses and the two art history classes before senior year; Senior Studio is more productive when you already have some studio experience and art historical context.

Considerations

While introductory courses are taught every semester or every year, it’s not guaranteed that advanced classes in a particular area will be offered frequently, so take advantage of those when you can.
The Junior Field Trip, ARTS 387, is required for all Art majors. Past destinations include New York City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Marfa, Texas. Travel takes place during one of the University's official recess periods.
All majors, even those who prefer to specialize, will have to take some art courses in media or subjects they’re unfamiliar with. When taken as an opportunity to expand your perspective, to gain a greater understanding of your social context and the world around you, these electives can serve to deepen and enhance your practice.
What about research? The work that Art students produce in Senior Studio is research. The same is true of independent or collaborative work in several other courses as well.
Apart from the many options available within the School of Humanities or via the Study Abroad Office, some study abroad opportunities are tailored specifically for Art majors. For example, students can take advantage of a partnership with Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts (FAMU), the famous film school in Prague. Up to 2 study abroad or transfer credit courses can, with DUS approval, be applied toward the major.
The Department of Art awards prizes to students each year. Majors can apply for the Mavis C. Pitman Fellowship, in which three students win funding to produce their own exhibitions. There are two fellowships for art studies with a travel component— more information is available on the department website.

Degree Requirements

For the Art major requirements, see the GA entry for a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Art.

Sample Four-Year Plan

Notes:

Students may choose to work across many different media, or may find their area of concentration early. The major accommodates both approaches, but the 6 Core requirements (4 introductory, 2 studio/intermediate) must include courses from at least two genres (FILM, FOTO, or ARTS). A student who chooses to focus largely on studio art, for instance, will need to take at least one film or photography course, and vice versa.
Introductory courses are offered most semesters. Second-level or advanced courses may not be available as frequently! Since there are so many different disciplines within the Department of Art, take advantage of the advanced course you’re interested in as soon as it is offered, in case you don’t have another chance.
It is recommended that students take no more than two studio-based courses per semester. This is because you are likely to spend out-of-class time working on projects, in addition to long studio sessions. Combining studio with non-studio courses in a given semester will help to keep a balance.
ARTS 387 and 388 are required for all Art majors. It is highly recommended that these both be taken in your junior year, as it is a great way to get to know your cohort before Senior Studio.
You will produce your own independent work in Senior Studio, which becomes the culmination of what your other classes have given you. Take classes that will help with what you want to do in Senior Studio. The Junior Field Trip can be influential here, too.

Sample Four-Year Plan

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
ARTS/FILM/FOTO Core (Beginning)	ARTS/FILM/FOTO Core (Beginning)	ARTS/FILM/FOTO Core (Beginning)	ARTS/FILM/FOTO Core (Beginning)
D2	HART Elective	ARTS/FILM/FOTO Elective	ARTS/FILM/FOTO Core (Intermediate)
FWIS/ Open	D3	D2	D3
Open	FWIS/ Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
ARTS 388	ARTS 387	ARTS 499	ARTS 499
ARTS/FILM/FOTO Core (Intermediate)	ARTS/FILM/FOTO Elective	LPAP	Open
D2	D3	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open

*Be sure to confirm that one of your courses also fulfills the AD requirement.

Contacts

The department website is vada.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies— Teaching Professor Josh Bernstein

Peer Academic Advisors who are Department of Art majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Department of Art majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Art History

The Department of Art History offers a wide range of courses in European, American, Asian, African Diaspora, and Middle Eastern/Islamic art history from antiquity through contemporary times, with additional strengths in architectural history and in film and media studies. It is a methodologically and theoretically diverse department. Most years, the regular faculty are joined by visiting professors, including museum curators.

Students in Art History go on to many different types of careers, ranging from art conservation to diplomacy to curation to medicine. They are lawyers and gallery managers, professors and cultural managers, and all things in between. Many go on to excellent graduate schools.

Major Breakdown

How many courses? 10
How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 5
What’s the intro course? HART 101/HART 102; HART 115
Is there an honors option? Yes–students complete additional coursework to write a thesis.
What if I want to go to grad school? Find an area of interest within the discipline as a specialty, but make sure also to take courses that give you broad acquaintance with the discipline as well. Take advantage of related classes in other departments/ disciplines for a more complete view of your specialty. Begin or continue language study.
What should I look out for? Art History majors are strongly encouraged to learn another language, which should be planned early on.

Considerations

Students can take the regular History of Art major, or the major with a specialization in the History of Architecture.
For departmental honors, you are asked to complete a two-course sequence that is additional to the major requirements. During this sequence, you write an honors thesis. If you are interested in completing honors, be aware that you will need to fit those 11th and 12th courses into your schedule.
The Art History department offers a summer study abroad course every other May in a globally important cultural center that is the chosen destination for that year. The course follows a required seminar in the spring semester and is led by a faculty member and a PhD student, for course credit. Past locations have included Istanbul, Rome, Rio de Janeiro, and London. There is a financial aid policy for this course; talk to the department chair, DUS or the faculty member leading the course.
Majors may take part in a highly subsidized spring break trip to New York City. This trip is offered each year and is led by department faculty.
Art History has a number of generously-funded internship and study-abroad opportunities for students. These include internships in museums and other art institutions here in Houston, summer study abroad with other students in the major, self-guided travel, and an exchange program with the Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany. Together with the departmental course offerings, these opportunities offer the strategic student a phenomenal set of travel, artistic, and intellectual experiences. They can set you up extremely well for graduate school or for a wide range of international careers.

Degree Requirements

For the History of Art or the History of Architecture specialization requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

For the honors option, see this part of the GA entry.

Sample Four-Year Plan

Notes:

Students should take HART 101 and HART 102 or HART 115 their first year.
This four-year plan assumes a student in the regular History of Art major.
It is recommended that you take 1 or 2 additional 200- level courses before jumping into upper-level coursework.
Students are encouraged to engage with art and curatorial careers outside of their coursework, through department-coordinated internships and fellowships with museums and through department trips and seminars. This is a major best absorbed through experiences beyond the classroom as well as in it.
To plan for honors, shift your electives around and be more strategic with your choices of electives. For instance, you may be able to consider courses marked electives as your area or non-canonical electives as well. You may also be able to count seminar courses as area or non-canonical electives. Talk to the DUS for specifics about planning honors. Honors students should try to choose courses that will complement the subject matter of their future thesis.

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
HART 101	HART 102	HART area elective	HART area elective
D2	D3	HART non-canon	D3
FWIS/ Open	FWIS/ Open	D2	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
HART area elective	HART seminar	HART elective	HART elective
HART seminar	D3	(HART honors)	(HART honors)
D2	Open	LPAP	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open

*Be sure to confirm that one of your courses also fulfills the AD requirement.

Contacts

The department website is arthistory.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Lida Oudaderova

Peer Academic Advisors who are Art History majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors who are Art History majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Asian Studies

The Department of Transnational Asian Studies offers the major in Asian Studies. The Asian Studies major is designed to encompass Asia and global Asia broadly, focusing on people and their movements across time and space in and around Asia. The major emphasizes research, introducing students to research projects at an early point. The Asian Studies capstone, ASIA 495, concludes the degree with substantial research work based on the student’s own design and data collection, in addition to demonstrating the ability to integrate Asian language materials into research. Students in this major gain strong language training and cultural proficiency. They work toward sophisticated general expertise in Asia, along with a few chosen areas of specialization. The major is suitable for careers in the foreign service, law, international NGOs, or international business, among other fields, as well as preparation for graduate school. Asian Studies can be complementary to many other majors in ways that will enhance and expand your career prospects. The department houses the Chao Center for Asian Studies.

Major Breakdown

How many courses? 10

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 4

What’s the intro course? ASIA 295 Introduction to Transnational Asian Studies. It is required for the major.

Is there an honors option? No. All majors do independent research in ASIA 495 Asian Studies Research Seminar, which encompasses a thesis-like final project. Outstanding work may be nominated for university-wide Distinction in Research and Creative Work.

What if I want to go to grad school? Become as proficient as possible in your target language, and take advantage of faculty and Chao Center for Asian Studies contacts and guest speakers, etc.

What should I look out for? Students in Asian Studies must show proficiency in an Asian language.

Considerations

Up to 4 language classes may count towards the major.
ASIA 295 Introduction to Transnational Asian Studies and ASIA 495 are required for the major. Apart from that and other core courses, you take a number of electives to complete the major. These electives with a high proportion of Asia content come from a variety of departments. Besides all courses with the ASIA course code, selected courses in other departments count, according to the discretion of the DUS.
Several kinds of independent research projects are also possible. Researchers in a wide variety of disciplines work in conjunction with the Chao Center and may seek undergraduate assistance with their work. For example, the Chao Center for Asian Studies hosts a number of postdoctoral scholars doing innovative research. It also houses an online journal, Transnational Asia: An Online Interdisciplinary Journal, and community internship possibilities. Ask how you might be able to participate in the ongoing research projects in the Chao Center.
Asian Studies undergraduates run the Rice Asian Studies Organization, which produces the Rice Asian Studies Review.
Majors can apply to the Chao Center for Asian Studies for funding to support a summer internship in an Asian country. Students who want to improve their language fluency and/or gain a new, immersive experience should study abroad. Talk to the DUS. There are also internship possibilities in Houston, for example at the Asia Society Texas and the Chao Center’s own Houston Asian American Archive, an oral history project.

Degree Requirements

For the Asian Studies major specialization requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Sample Four-Year Plan

Notes:

The Asian Studies major draws upon both the humanities and the social sciences, so you may be able to complete some D2 as well as D1 requirements as you complete the major.
This sample schedule assumes a lack of language upon entry. It is beneficial to start taking language classes as soon as possible, which is why the language courses are slotted from the first semester. However, if necessary the language component of the major can be moved to later semesters. If you already have language proficiency that meets the requirement, you can treat these courses as additional electives.
Most students take their language courses in a continuous sequence, without interruption. However, not all Asian languages at Rice offer upper-level courses. There are opportunities for summer language study in the US and abroad. In addition, some professors may help arrange an independent study, if other language learning alternatives are not available. Also, talk to the CLIC Director, who seeks to support upper-level language learning in such situations. She may be able to match you with a language consultant and help you continue your language study, with or without credit.

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
ASIA Language	ASIA Language	ASIA Language	ASIA Language
D2	ASIA 295	D2	D3
FWIS/ Open	FWIS/ Open	D3	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
ASIA Elective	ASIA Elective	ASIA Elective	ASIA 495
ASIA Elective	D3	LPAP	Open
D2	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open

*Be sure to confirm that one of your courses also fulfills the AD requirement.

Contacts

The department website is asianstudies.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Sonia Ryang

Peer Academic Advisors who are Asian Studies majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Asian Studies majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Classical Studies

The Classical Studies major offers instruction in the Greek and Latin languages, in Greek and Roman literature (studied in the original and in translation), in the classical civilizations as a whole, and in particular themes, genres, and periods of classical culture and its influence through subsequent ages. Students come to the study of ancient Greece and Rome with a whole spectrum of interests. Some wish to concentrate on learning Greek and Latin and reading classical texts in the original languages. Others seek a broader introduction to the cultures of Greece and Rome and their legacy. For this reason, the Classical Studies program offers two specializations to satisfy the requirements for a BA. The Classical Languages specialization emphasizes Greek and Latin and reading classical texts in the original languages. The Classical Civilizations specialization allows for a broader set of approaches and does not include a language requirement.

Major Breakdown

How many courses? 10

How many courses must be upper-level? 2

What’s the intro course? There isn’t one intro course. Students must take 2 of these core courses: CLAS 107/HUMA 107, CLAS 108/HUMA 111, CLAS 235, or CLAS 336/LING 336. It is better to take them early in your major, but in fact they can be taken any time before graduation.

Is there an honors option? Yes–students who want to complete honors conduct individual research in the form of a thesis. Per the department website, “Any graduating senior who completes a BA in Classical Studies with a departmental GPA of 3.30 or higher, who completes a senior thesis or a research project of similar scope and difficulty under faculty guidance, and whose thesis or research project is judged by the department to be excellent, will receive on his or her transcript ‘Distinction in Research’.”

What if I want to go to grad school? To go to graduate school, it’s best to select the Classical Languages specialization and write an honors thesis. Be aware that a reading knowledge of French and German can be important to studying classics at the graduate level. This is because a great deal of classics scholarship has been done and continues to be done by French- and German-speaking scholars. Being able to read those languages will enable you to read a wider range of classics scholarship during your graduate studies.

What should I look out for? Students must select either Classical Languages or Classical Civilizations as a specialization. The former requires upper-level language competency in Greek or Latin.

Considerations

Students interested in the Classical Languages specialization should know that they must complete 200-level language courses in both Latin and Greek, and one 300-level course in either Latin or Greek. Therefore, any need to gain such language competence would add to the time necessary to complete the major.
A common study abroad option for Classical Studies majors is the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome. Students can visit Rome for a semester or full year and study ancient history, archaeology, Greek and Latin literature, and ancient art, while learning outside the classroom about the classical world and working on their languages.
Classical Studies majors use independent study options to prepare for a thesis or to write it. In this major, students and faculty often work in pairs.
The Texas Classical League, a set of classics competitions for high school students, holds one Certamen at Rice each January. Students interested in classics, whether they are majors or not, can get involved with planning, writing questions, and scoring the competition.

Degree Requirements

For Classical Studies requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

For the honors option, see this part of the GA entry.

Sample Four-Year Plan

Notes:

This sample schedule assumes a lack of language upon entry. A student with AP Latin will likely be able to move faster. However, even students with no prior knowledge of Latin or Greek can embark on this major and continue their coursework in either specialization.
This four-year plan shows the Classical Languages specialization. However, adapting to a Classical Civilizations specialization is easy: substitute electives for the specific Latin and Greek courses.
While the major can be taken in almost any order, the introduction and core courses really are foundational for majors. CLAS 107 and CLAS 108 are each offered once per year, in alternating semesters. CLAS 235 is offered every year, while CLAS 336 is offered every other year. Since students must take at least two of these courses, you have some flexibility and choice.
Higher level courses in Greek and Latin are small, but are not cancelled due to low enrollment; they always run.
If there isn’t a course you are interested in taking being offered, you can ask a professor to supervise an independent research and study course.

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
CLAS core	CLAS core	GREE 101	GREE 102
LATI 101	LATI 102	D2	D3
D2	D3	Open	Open
FWIS/ Open	FWIS/ Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
GREE 200	LATI 200	GREE/ LATI 300	CLAS elective
D2	D3	LPAP	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open

*Be sure to confirm that one of your courses also fulfills the AD requirement.

Contacts

The department website is cultures.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Hilary Mackie

Peer Academic Advisors who are Classical Studies majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors who are Classical Studies majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

English

Rice English integrates creative and critical practice through training in close reading, analytical writing, cultural history, and craft/form. Our faculty research and pedagogy cover the breadth of the study of British and American literatures and cultures ranging from the medieval era to the present. The curriculum emphasizes literature and literary history, race and ethnicity studies, feminist and gender studies, queer theory and the history of sexuality, visual culture and comparative media studies, and the Anglophone literature of the postcolonial world. Faculty have particular strengths in the newer interdisciplinary areas of medical humanities, public humanities, ecocriticism, post-humanism, and environmental humanities. Rice English is also home to a vibrant creative writing concentration offering a range of courses in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction.

Major Breakdown

How many courses? 11

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 7

What’s the intro course? ENGL 200

Is there an honors option? No. Our program is designed so that all students take ENGL 410 Senior Seminar and 411 Research Workshop in their senior year. The collective experience of this course often feels like an honors seminar and each student completes a substantial project advised by faculty and suited to their interests and futures after Rice. Students may apply for the Rice-wide designation of Distinction in Research and Creative Work, see here for more information.

What if I want to go to grad school? Seek out advising from a faculty member or the Director of Undergraduate Studies so you pursue a course of study particular to your interests but also advantageous for grad school applications. Focus on opportunities for longer papers (including during the Senior Seminar and Research Workshop) and courses that are theoretically-informed. For students interested in advanced Creative Writing degrees, consult with the Creative Writing faculty.

What should I look out for? Take English 200 in the freshman or sophomore year. English 300 is to be taken after English 200, ideally in the spring of freshman year or in the sophomore year.

Considerations

All students entering Fall 2019 or later choose either the Creative Writing concentration (requires 4 courses and “Creative Writing Concentration” appears on the transcript), or one of these areas of specialization, each of which requires 3 courses:
- Literature & Literary
- History Culture & Social Change
- Visual Culture & Comparative Media
- Science, Medicine & the Environment
English 200 is offered every semester by a host of different professors. If you encounter a closed section, faculty are willing to help out future English majors, so contact the instructor right away.
Many students grapple with deciding whether to take ENGL 300 in the first year. The course involves heavy reading and writing on theoretical and philosophical material. Taking ENGL 300 early can give you a solid theoretical foundation to get more out of later classes. Taking it later, however, may help you understand the course itself better. Consider the rest of your workload that semester.
The department has its own study abroad program with Exeter University in the UK. Majors go in the spring semester of their junior year. If you take the suggested courses there, the transfer credit is pre-approved through a special arrangement between Exeter and Rice. Students should complete ENGL 200 and 300 before going, and can complete field requirements with the department’s preapproval; see the website. Of course there are other study abroad options that are good for English majors, too.
Beyond coursework, there are research opportunities in the summer through the Minter Summer Scholar Program, which supplies travel funds for students to complete an analytical or creative project of any sort related to English. See the website. Students are also invited to get involved in public writing through our student-led blog, The Wild Grain.

The English Undergraduate Association hosts several events throughout the year for majors, including academic and joint study sessions as well as movie nights and group excursions. They also function as a communicative link between the department and the student body. New students can get involved by being College Ambassadors to their residential colleges, or simply by coming to events and meeting other English majors.

Degree Requirements

For the English major requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

For the honors option, see this part of the GA entry.

Sample Four-Year Plan

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
ENGL 200	ENGL 300	Div Trad elective	Spec/Conc #2
D2	Pre-1800 elective	Spec/Conc #1	Pre-1900 elective
FWIS/ Open	D3	D2	D3
Open	FWIS/ Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
Pre-1800 elective	Spec/Conc #3	ENGL 410	ENGL 411
D2	D3	LPAP	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open

*Be sure to confirm that one of your courses also fulfills the AD requirement.

Contacts

The department website is english.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Lacy Johnson

Peer Academic Advisors who are English majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors who are English majors can be found on this website:https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies

European Studies

European Studies is an interdisciplinary undergraduate major offered by the Department of Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures. The major offers a critical and synthetic understanding of European cultures and societies in a global context and from antiquity to the present. It draws upon courses from Art History, English, History, Philosophy, Religion, Classical Studies, German Studies, French Studies, Spanish & Portuguese as well as Latin American Studies.

Major Breakdown

How many courses? 10

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 6

What’s the intro course? EURO 101 and EURO 102

Is there an honors option? Yes–majors may fulfill 2 elective courses by writing an honors thesis in their final year of study. Faculty mentor and topic should be arranged in the spring before the year in which the thesis is to be written. You then sign up for EURO 499 in the fall and again (it is repeatable for credit) in the spring.

What if I want to go to grad school? Many graduate programs related to European Studies require proficiency in at least 1 language other than English, sometimes 2. Get involved in study abroad and independent research opportunities, and get to know other professors in your fields of interest. Expanding your reading proficiency in languages other than English will open up new avenues for research.

What should I look out for? A given class may not be offered regularly, so focus on the groups of electives rather than a specific course. The 7 electives come from 2 groups, Group A and Group B (see the GA for these groups). The latter includes the courses outside the department. Note that more recent additions to the course catalog tend not to be crosslisted, yet do often count toward majors and minors outside their course code. Keep an eye out for related courses and check with the DUS if a course you are interested in is not listed among the electives in the European Studies section of the GA.

Considerations

There are 3 core courses: EURO 101, EURO 102, and EURO 401. It is strongly recommended that students take EURO 101 and EURO 102 before EURO 401. However, it is possible to rearrange those courses if absolutely necessary.
The European Studies major does not require language courses. However, note that several courses that count as electives are taught in French, German, Spanish, or Portuguese. In fact, courses taught in a relevant language at an advanced level (except for these: FREN 301, FREN 302, GERM 301, and GERM 302) may be considered electives towards the major, even if they are not explicitly included on a list of electives. Especially for students interested in studying abroad or pursuing an advanced degree, learning a relevant language will increase the value of this major. Do confirm the use of any course not listed as an elective with the DUS!
Students in the major are strongly encouraged, but not required, to study abroad. It will be especially helpful to study abroad if you are considering pursuing an advanced degree in a subject related to European Studies.

Degree Requirements

For the European Studies major requirements, list of courses that count as electives, and information on the honors option, see the GA entry.

Sample Four-Year Plan

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
EURO 101	EURO 102	Group A elective	Group B elective
D2	Group B elective	D2	D2
FWIS/ Open	D3	D3	Open
Open	FWIS/ Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
Group A elective	Group B elective	EURO 401	Group B elective
D3	Group A elective	LPAP	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open

*Be sure to confirm that one of your courses also fulfills the AD requirement.

Contacts

The department website is cultures.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Philip Wood

Peer Academic Advisors who are European Studies majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are European Studies majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

French Studies

This major is interdisciplinary, focused on great teaching, and draws upon broad interests of the faculty concerning France and the Francophone world. Courses range from medieval courtly love to French philosophy since the Enlightenment, and from women in the 19th-century Caribbean literary imagination to social issues in contemporary France. The major’s focus is not only on literary analysis and linguistic fluency, but also gender and visual art; history and medicine; and postcolonialism and critical theory. The majority of the courses are offered entirely in French, but there are a few courses taught in English (some in collaboration with faculty in Classical Studies and German Studies) in order to share the richness of French and global Francophone traditions with the wider Rice student body.

Major Breakdown

How many courses? 10

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 8, including three required core courses: FREN 302 and any two of FREN 311, FREN 312, FREN 313, or FREN 321. Two 400-level courses are required.

What’s the intro course? Students with no prior French, or with limited French, should take the language placement test offered by CLIC and enroll in either FREN 141/142 or FREN 263/264. Any other students should consult with the DUS. Students with sufficient French for 300-level courses do not need to take any language placement test and can start with any FREN course on the 300 level.

Is there an honors option? Yes–students write senior thesis with a chosen faculty member.

What if I want to go to grad school? Write a senior thesis and engage in research in French as much as possible.

Considerations

In case a course you are interested in is not available, talk to a faculty member about taking an independent study course in a related area.
French Studies majors and minors are strongly encouraged to study abroad in a French-speaking country. The department supports programs that are summer-, semester-, or year-long. Many carry funding, and details for these opportunities are listed on the department’s website. For instance, students can apply for the Bull Fellowships, which fully funds a semester or a year in any French-speaking country, or the Leonardon-Magne scholarship, which can subsidize a student’s summer study at a French university.
The French Club Chouette is a student group sponsored by the department that engages in activities relating to French culture and language learning. Language tables are offered at lunch, and small get-togethers for trips to local places related to French or Francophone culture, movie nights, etc. take place over the year. See Club Chouette’s Facebook page.
Students with strong records may join the French honorary Pi Delta Phi.
Students who receive a 4 or a 5 on the AP exam can take any 300-level course with no placement exam. You have received credit for FREN 226. Also, students who received a 6 or 7 in French on the International Baccalaureate Exam should not take the placement test and enroll in any 300- or 400-level course.

Degree Requirements

For French Studies major requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

For the honors option, see this part of the GA entry.

Contacts

The department website is cultures.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Philip Wood

Peer Academic Advisors who are French Studies majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are French Studies majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

German Studies

German Studies is a research-centered and student-friendly major with a challenging curriculum taught by internationally renowned faculty. The major covers the entire tradition of German culture, history, and politics within a European and global context, from early modern times to the present. Particular strengths are in eighteenth- to twentieth-century literature and culture, media and film studies, modern intellectual history and political thought, and philosophy. The close connection between research and teaching lies at the heart of the curriculum and enables students to develop original contributions at an early stage. Beyond a detailed and historically grounded understanding of German and European culture, students gain intellectual and social qualities that are highly valued in a global knowledge society: logical reasoning, critical thinking, linguistic skills, and cultural competence.

Major Breakdown

How many courses? 10 (8 if you need to take GERM 263/264)

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 8

What’s the intro course? GERM 301/302 (GERM 263/264 for students without advanced proficiency). Students should take the placement test; those with advanced proficiency should definitely talk to the DUS.

Is there an honors option? Yes, it requires 2 semesters of independent research and thesis work.

What if I want to go to grad school? Work with German-language primary and secondary sources to solidify your mastery of the language and further improve your analytical skills. Consider German-related courses in other departments, especially Art History and History.

What should I look out for? It is possible to pursue a German Studies major with no prior knowledge of German; doing so will require 2 additional courses.

Considerations

If you’re worried about being a beginner in the language and completing the major, consider study abroad immersion programs such as the summer Rice-in-Germany course offered by the Center for Languages & Intercultural Communication. In one academic year and the first part of the following summer, you can complete two years’ worth of German study with strong fluency, due to the well-organized in-country experience.
One of the stand-out capacities of the German Studies program is its focus on studying abroad in German-speaking countries. 6 credit hours (2 courses) can be earned over the summer in a Rice-sponsored program with the University of Leipzig. Students in the Leipzig program typically have completed their second year and will consolidate their language over the summer in a language and culture program. In some cases, students will go to Leipzig after their third year of language for an independent study program. Other possibilities for year-long programs include Vienna and exchange programs with the Free University and Humboldt University, both in Berlin. See this part of the department website for these and more study abroad opportunities: cultures.rice.edu.
You will see more courses taught in English in German Studies than in, for example, French Studies. Courses taught in German can be less numerous than those taught in English. Take advantage of study abroad over the summer (or during a semester or academic year) to supplement your coursework in German.
Research in German Studies can take multiple forms. Often, faculty members will hold independent study courses in which students can co-design the course and pursue their own interests. Additionally, students can do an internship or practicum in German-speaking countries, with funding and credit from the School of Humanities and/ or the department.
The Center for Languages & Intercultural Communication (CLIC) and the German Studies program host weekly German table lunches and a weekly coffee hour, where students are encouraged to come practice their German outside the classroom with other students of all levels.

Degree Requirements

For the German Studies major requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

For the honors option, see this part of the GA entry.

Sample Four-Year Plan

Notes:

This sample schedule assumes a lack of German proficiency upon entry.
A student who places into upper-level German would be able to bypass the lower-level German language courses. If you are coming in with proficiency in German and can move to the 300 level right away, simply shift electives from Semesters 5-8 into the spaces where language classes are in Semesters 1-4. It would be wise to rearrange distribution courses accordingly.
Since up to two courses for the German Studies major can be taken in English, it is beneficial to take these courses while still at the lower levels of language learning.

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
GERM 141	GERM 142	GERM 263	GERM 264
D2	D3	GERM elective in English	GERM elective in English
FWIS/ Open	FWIS/ Open	D3	D2
Open	Open	Open	D3
Open	Open	Open	Open
Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
GERM 301	GERM 302	GERM 400+	GERM 400+
GERM 400+	GERM elective	GERM elective	GERM elective
D2	D3	D2	Open
Open	Open	LPAP	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open

*Be sure to confirm that one of your courses also fulfills the AD requirement.

Contacts

The department website is cultures.rice.edu

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Martin Blumenthal-Barby

Peer Academic Advisors who are German Studies majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors who are German Studies majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

History

The department of history at Rice is among the largest of the departments in the Humanities. Its exciting range of courses explore the human experience from medieval Central Asia and Europe to the Indian Ocean, colonial Brazil, modern China, Mexico, the American South, Europe, and Africa. The department has generous funds to support undergraduate research, a peer-reviewed journal The Rice Historical Review, and prestigious Honors program. Classes are small and discussion-intensive. They are taught by faculty members who have won university-wide, national and international prizes for their research and teaching. Students of history acquire critical skills in research, communication, writing, and analysis; they learn to use evidence to develop interpretive skills and a broad perspective on global challenges. After graduating, history majors pursue careers in business, law, education, politics, public affairs, NGOs, technology, new and traditional media, arts and entertainment, medicine, and more.

Major Breakdown

How many courses? 10

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 6, including two 400 level seminars

What’s the intro course? There is no official intro course. Several 100-level courses serve the general purpose of an introductory history course: HIST 101, 102, 108, 117, or 118. There are two (admittedly somewhat contradictory) things to say about these100-level courses: 1) Don’t assume that just because you’ve had AP history courses, you can’t learn anything from these 100-level courses—they will be different from your AP courses. 2) Don’t judge your interest in the major by these courses. Taking 200-or 300-level HIST coursework, even in your first few semesters at Rice, is a better way to get a sense of the major’s demands. The best way to see what the course is really like is to attend the first day, get the syllabus, and talk with the professor. When it is offered HIST 217 “History: The Workshop” is highly recommended for prospective majors.

What courses are required? There are no required courses in the major however you need to take 1 course from at least 4 of the 5 following fields: A. Premodern; B. Europe; C. United States; D. Africa, Asia, Latin America, Middle East; E. Transnational, Comparative, World and Thematic. There is a list of which classes qualify for which fields here.

What’s the capstone course? The toughest courses in the major are usually the two 400 level seminars, which require a 20-25 page research paper written using primary sources. There are a diverse range of 400 level classes offered each semester and you can take them at any point in your degree though it’s smart to wait until you’ve had experience in a 200 or 300 level course first. If you’re interested in taking honors, try to complete at least one 400 level seminar before the Spring Semester of your junior year. Students often submit their seminar papers to The Rice Historical Review and faculty nominate them for the substantial departmental essay prizes. Majors often rate seminars as their favorite experiences at Rice. 500 level graduate courses may be substituted for seminars with permission from the instructor and History Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Is there an honors option? Yes; the Honors Program involves writing an independent 60-80 page research thesis in your senior year. The thesis is written with the advice of a faculty mentor and enrollment in 2 courses, HIST 403 in Fall and HIST 404 in Spring. Thus, a History Honors student takes 12 courses rather than 10. Successful completion will also qualify the student for the university honor of Distinction in Research. Students apply in the Spring of their junior year and many travel to conduct independent research, sponsored by the department, in the summer prior to their senior year. Prepare by talking to potential faculty mentors in your sophomore and junior year and by writing a 400-level seminar paper subject matter related to your prospective thesis.

What if I want to go to grad school? Learning a language relevant to the area you’re interested in will be important for doing research in graduate school. Take language classes at Rice and the opportunity to study abroad in your region of interest. The History Department has sponsored summer programs for students who need to develop skills in languages not taught at Rice or only taught to an elementary level. The International Concentration in the major will allow you to demonstrate your language ability. Definitely apply to the Honors Program and the Pyke Prize, to get work experience at an archive, library or museum. Also, talk to several faculty to get advice on where to apply. Visiting speakers may be good sources of advice regarding graduate programs. What counts in searching for advice is the faculty member’s knowledge of the specific area you want to go into (geographical location, time period, and/or theme).

What opportunities should I look out for? The department has generously endowed research funding through the Gruber Prize which may be used domestically or internationally. Travel awards include: the Pyke Prize, which supports domestic or international travel, internships, and experiential learning related to history for returning students; and the Garside Prize, which offers graduating seniors the opportunity to deepen their history education through travel and reflection. Through the Gruber Fund and other sources, history professors employ majors as Research Assistants and Teaching Assistants. Undergraduate history majors work on data bases and digital humanities projects, particularly www.slavevoyages.org and www.imaginerio.org. Ask your professors how you can get involved. The International Concentration in the major foregrounds study abroad and use of a language other than English. The Rice Historical Review is a student-run undergraduate research journal that many history students work on for course credit and as an extracurricular activity; it’s a great way to hone your skills and meet fellow historians at Rice!

Considerations

History as a discipline has a wide variety of geographical, chronological, and thematic subfields. Rice’s department offers cutting-edge perspectives on European, United States, Latin American, Asian, African, and Middle Eastern history, and several transnational and global fields. It also has thematic strengths in histories of science and technology, gender and sexuality, race, slavery, and law, politics and social thought. Taking classes on unfamiliar themes or places can be an eye-opening, mind-changing experience.
Undergraduate research outside of regular HIST courses may be accomplished as a research assistant for a professor, in a semester-long independent study (HIST 300), or in a 2-semester honors thesis focused on your interests. Generous research funding for independent projects and faculty collaborations is available. Faculty specialize in a wide variety of subfields and disciplines; even their websites and CVS may not show all their interests. If research interests you, start talking soon to any professors who may be doing work in something you are interested in, especially if you have already had a course with them. You are not committed to doing a project just because you raised the possibility. It can be hard for professors to accommodate last-minute research proposals and they are unlikely to supervise more than a couple of independent studies per year.
Many History majors study abroad during their time at Rice and it is highly recommended. You can complete an International Concentration in the major with a substantial study abroad experience along with demonstrated research capacity in a language other than English. The Study Abroad Office offers a large variety of programs. History courses at universities abroad are plentiful and it’s fascinating to take them in the place that the course discusses. You can use up to four courses taken abroad or in other departments towards your history major. Talk to the Director of Undergraduate Studies about the type of classes likely to qualify.

Degree Requirements

For the History major requirements and lists of courses that count as electives in various required areas, see the GA entry.

For the honors option, see here.

Sample Four-Year Plan

Notes:

The plan below does not include an honors thesis. However, that could be added in the senior year with the addition of HIST 403 and HIST 404. It doesn’t include the International Concentration or Study Abroad options either; students frequently undertake study abroad in their sophomore or junior year.
Fulfilling the major requirement “field” areas is not difficult. Check which classes satisfy the “fields” here and speak to the Director of Undergraduate Studies for history if you’re unsure about a field description.
Take advantage of courses that interest you when they are offered. You can’t be sure when a specific course will be offered next. Ask the Director of Undergraduate Studies for history or other faculty if there is a course in the catalog that catches your eye.
400-level seminars are primarily for juniors and seniors. Sophomores do take them, but they are not recommended for students who do not have prior experience in 200-or 300-level history classes. Other than that, the program and ordering of your courses is pretty much up to you.
If you are interested in research funding, note that having taken or being currently enrolled in a 400-level seminar is one prerequisite. That means that, all other things being equal, you should take your first 400-levelseminar in the first semester of your junior year.

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
HIST field A	HIST field B	HIST field C	HIST field D
D2	HIST elective	D2	D3
FWIS/ Open	D3	Open	Open
Open	FWIS/ Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
HIST seminar	HIST seminar	HIST elective	HIST elective
HIST field E or elective	D3	LPAP	Open
D2	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open

*Be sure to confirm that one of your courses also fulfills the AD requirement.

Contacts

The department website is history.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: histdus@rice.edu

Peer Academic Advisors who are History majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors who are History majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Latin American and Latinx Studies

Latin American and Latinx Studies is an interdisciplinary program designed to further understanding of the cultures, histories, and politics of Latin America as well as Latinx communities in the U.S. as viewed from regional and global perspectives.

The Latin American and Latinx Studies major and minor program draws from courses and faculty from a wide range of departments and programs, including Anthropology, Architecture, Art History, English, French Studies, History, Spanish and Portuguese, Political Science, and Sociology. This program, which is housed in the the Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures Department (MCLC), provides a challenging context for students to develop core skills in interdisciplinarity, global studies, area studies, ethnic studies, communication (written and oral), theory, and research methodologies.

The program was formerly known as Latin American Studies (LASR) but transformed into Latin American and Latinx (LALX) in 2022 to account for the increasing hemispheric and transnational dimension of Latin American, Caribbean, and US Latinx lives, cultures and politics.

Major Breakdown

How many courses? 10

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 6

What’s the intro course? LALX/SPAN 158

Is there an honors option? No

What should I look out for? This is a highly flexible, interdisciplinary major so you can pursue your specific interests by picking courses from many departments in both the School of Humanities and School of Social Sciences. The LALX major no longer has a mandatory study abroad or language requirement but both are highly encouraged; courses with a SPAN, FREN or PORT code are taught in Spanish, French, or Portuguese. Only permits a maximum of 4 courses (12 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit.

Considerations

Students describe courses in the program as mind-blowing and deeply meaningful, independently of whether they have a Latin American/Latinx background or not. “Why haven’t I been taught this before?” is a common reaction of students in LALX courses. This program makes it possible to see beyond the ways students have been previously taught about culture, politics, history, especially from a narrow U.S. or Anglo-American viewpoint. Instead, students acquire a more global viewpoint as they learn about the highly diverse and complex Latin American, Caribbean and Latinx societies and cultures within the United States and south of the border—beyond stereotypes and platitudes. Topics include migration, racial constructs, social movements, imperialism, colonialism, contemporary politics and cultures, and many more.
The Initiative for the Study of LatinX America (ISLA) at Rice hosts a monthly research colloquium, social events, and a lecture series, in which undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, staff, and faculty engage in interdisciplinary research and conversations around Latin American and Latinx studies. Make sure to sign up for the ISLA listserv and be part of this vibrant and inclusive community!
Language learning (Spanish, Portuguese, French, or an indigenous language) and study abroad will make your experience even more meaningful. The spring course on Cuba (including a short study abroad trip to Cuba) is very popular!
Take advantage of the smaller course sizes to build relationships. Many of the professors in the LALX program and in ISLA are involved in the residential college system.
Many students enjoy Latin American and Latinx Studies as a particularly enriching double major

Degree Requirements

For the Latin American and Latinx Studies major requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Sample Four-Year Plan

Notes:

This program is highly flexible and will depend on your interests and language proficiency.
Make sure to take LALX 158 in the first year. Talk to the DUS about your options and to develop the best plan.
If you are proficient in Spanish, Portuguese, or French at the 300-level, you will have even more options (taking electives with a SPAN, FREN or PORT code). If you are not proficient in Spanish, we highly encourage you to build proficiency by taking SPAN courses at the 100 and 200-level in the first two years.
LALX courses will usually be taught in English (unless otherwise noted; bilingual assignment options can be discussed with the instructor).

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
LALX 158	LALX Elective	LALX Elective (D2?)	LALX Elective
SPAN 141	SPAN 142	LALX Elective	SPAN 264
D2	D3	SPAN 263	D3
FWIS/ Open	FWIS/ Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Semester 5	Semester 6 (abroad?)	Semester 7	Semester 8
LALX Elective (D2?)	LALX Elective	LALX 491	LALX Elective
LALX Elective	LALX Elective	D3	Open
D3	Open	LPAP	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open

*Be sure to confirm that one of your courses also fulfills the AD requirement.

Contacts

The department website is: cultures.rice.edu.

Program Director/ Director of Undergraduate Studies: Dr. Sophie Esch

Peer Academic Advisors who are Latin American and Latinx Studies majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Latin American and Latinx Studies majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Philosophy

Philosophers think clearly and deeply about the fundamental questions that arise for us as human beings. What is the nature of knowledge and truth (epistemology)? How can we distinguish between what really is and what only seems to be (metaphysics)? What is consciousness (philosophy of mind)? What is the right thing to do (ethics)? How should we live with others in society (political philosophy)? Philosophy is the rigorous study of such fundamental questions, and such philosophy focuses on the foundations of morality and politics, of science, logic, and the mind, of culture and the arts. Every field of knowledge will eventually lead to philosophical questions.

Philosophers work by constructing careful and detailed arguments, with enough creativity and precision that we can make progress on problems that from the outside look too abstract to ever address. One result is that philosophy students are highly trained in critical and abstract thought, they have precision in thinking and writing, and they creatively generate rigorous arguments for new ideas. These skills serve them very well in whatever else they go on to do. Philosophy students have some of the highest scores on admission tests for graduate schools (GRE, LSAT, MCAT, etc).

Rice’s Department of Philosophy has two particular strengths. In the field of ethics, the department has an international reputation in areas such as blame, justice, achievement, medical ethics, the ethics of marriage, and the motive to do the right thing. In the philosophy of mind, the department has leading theorists of consciousness and the philosophical interpretation of neuroscientific findings. Faculty in the Department of Philosophy are also closely involved in a number of interdisciplinary programs, such as Politics, Law & Social Thought; Medical Humanities; the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality; Cognitive Sciences; and Neuroscience.

Major Breakdown

How many courses? 10

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 6

What’s the intro course? Any course at the 100-or 200-level will give you a good taste of philosophy, but if you already know you want to major then PHIL 210 and PHIL 281 should be some of the courses you take first.

Is there an honors option? Yes—students can choose to write a thesis their senior year.

What if I want to go to grad school? Take more 300-and 400-level philosophy courses, and fearlessly follow whatever topics inspire you! “Have the courage to know and to use your reason” is the unofficial motto of all philosophy. There is no coursework path to graduate studies in philosophy: you just need to be passionately devoted to learning everything you can. Your professors can offer more specific guidance as you progress.

What should I look out for? Not every course will be offered every semester or even once a year. Check with the DUS or the Department Chair to learn when a class you’re interested in will likely be offered again.

Considerations

Take advantage of your electives, free space, and relationships with professors to develop the particular interests you may have, especially if you are interested in graduate school.
300-and 400-level courses engage students with denser texts and require students to come up with arguments that engage philosophical problems at a deep level. In 100-and 200-level courses, there is a greater focus on getting a survey of the ideas that are out there, and exploring how philosophical arguments are made.

Students can begin doing research in philosophy, which can take the form of a paper in a regular course or work in their own independent study course, as soon as they feel ready. Interested students can reach out to professors who have similar research interests and may be willing to act as mentors.
A student’s work for the thesis comprises 2 courses that are done in addition to the 10 courses required for the major. You apply to do a thesis in the spring of your junior year, and the thesis is done over the senior year. Honors can be earned when a student meets a slightly earlier deadline for completion of the thesis, applies to the honors program, and completes work at the required level. You should talk well in advance of your senior year with a potential faculty mentor to figure out what will work for you.

Degree Requirements

For the Philosophy major requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

For the honors option, see this part of the GA entry.

Sample Four-Year Plan

Notes:

The arrangement and distribution of this schedule is just a sample; electives and core major requirements can be arranged as desired. For instance, a student could choose to take PHIL 210 and PHIL 283 at the same time.
Students interested in Philosophy may take the introductory survey course, PHIL 100, but it is not compulsory and students should feel comfortable starting with any of the 100-or 200-level courses, as philosophy is a broad field that is hard to capture in a single course.
Note that the logic courses PHIL 210 and PHIL 310, of which you will take one, are D3 credit—so you will have one less D3 course to take.
Taking PHIL 281 and PHIL 283 in sequence is recommended. It is also recommended that a student take PHIL 283 before taking other history courses covering more recent time periods, or before taking history courses at higher levels.
Overall, it is better to get PHIL 210 (or 310) and the history sequence (281-283) completed early, since logic is a foundational skill and the history of philosophy is a constant touchstone in modern philosophy.

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
PHIL 281	PHIL 283	PHIL 210 (D3)	PHIL Group 1 or 2 requirement
D2	PHIL Group 1 or 2 requirement	D2	D3
FWIS/ Open	FWIS/ Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
PHIL elective	PHIL elective	PHIL elective	PHIL elective
PHIL elective	D3	LPAP	Open
D2	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open

*Be sure to confirm that one of your courses also fulfills the AD requirement.

Contacts

The department website is philosophy.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Charles Siewert

Peer Academic Advisors who are Philosophy majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Philosophy majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Religion

The motto of Rice University is “Unconventional Wisdom.” It describes the kind of intellectual community our department seeks to foster. To study religion here means to challenge the status quo, to investigate what is not obvious, and to reimagine what was, is, and can be when it comes to religions past and present. While the major prepares students for academic careers, it provides the kind of intellectual foundation valued across fields of medicine, law, journalism, politics, public policy and education; it also prepares students in engineering and the sciences to understand the human histories and stakes of their practical endeavors. With the opportunity to build their own concentrations of study, majors are trained in the analytical skills of close reading, argument construction, and critical dialogue necessary across academic and professional goals. Religion majors at Rice engage questions of human diversity, culture, purpose, and meaning in a diverse and complex world. It is a major that takes seriously religious pluralism, engages the modern reality of religious diversity, and assists in building understanding across the lines of religious difference and their socio-political effects.

Major Breakdown

How many courses? 10

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 6

What’s the intro course? RELI 101, Introduction to the Study of Religion

Is there an honors option? All majors do either a Senior Project in one of RELI’s 400-level seminars or a year-long Senior Project (RELI 403 in Fall semester, RELI 404 in Spring semester). These students work closely with a faculty advisor of their choosing on a year-long research project, which involves support from relevant faculty and the DUS. The department does not have an honors program, but the year-long Senior Projects are typically of a caliber that the students receive the Rice-wide Distinction in Research and Creative Works.

What if I want to go to grad school? Definitely try to write a thesis because you can work with world-class experts on original research. Depending on the type of graduate work you want to pursue, you might pursue languages (Latin, Hebrew, Arabic, Coptic, etc.) applicable to your area of interest.

What should I look out for? Like a number of other majors in the School of Humanities, the Religion major provides a great deal of flexibility—meaning you get to explore the questions and contexts that matter to you most. Students are guided by faculty mentors to forge concentrations and theses around their specific interests, and they also benefit from a community of undergraduate and graduate students with whom they can discuss interests.

All majors enroll in a 400-level course to write a senior project, either a 400-level seminar for which the final paper counts as the culminating while or the thesis courses, RELI 403 (Fall) and RELI 404 (Spring) for a year-long guided research intensive.

Considerations

The Religion major can be paired very productively with many other majors. It is great for adding awareness of cultural diversity, textual analysis, and argument formation to your capacities. Past students have gone on to medical, law, business, and divinity schools, as well as into a variety of industries with which questions of religion invariably intersect. Studying religion is very much about understanding people, in the past and present.
Study abroad is highly recommended in order to experience cultural diversity first-hand. The department recommends no specific program; talk to the Office of Study Abroad about your options. It is life-changing to attend a school abroad that includes the study of religion and your particular interests. Consider taking time to explore religious sites and historically relevant places, or travel and study abroad for linguistic acquisition and personal growth.
Students have the freedom to pursue their original research, which can take the form of a paper or their own independent study course, as soon as they feel ready. Rice’s Religion department houses three scholarly journals edited by faculty members; it may be possible to work with one of these professors.
Students interested in the senior thesis should develop a topic of interest to them in the context of the courses they have taken or plan to take. You must decide by the end of junior year what your thesis will be on and who will serve as your faculty mentor. Work on the thesis will span your senior year. Students can gain Distinction through application through the department. Department prizes—the Saba Award and the award for best paper—are awarded to exemplary graduating students as well.

Degree Requirements

For the Religion major requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

For the honors option, see this part of the GA entry.

Sample Four-Year Plan

Notes:

While the introductory and core course for all religion majors is RELI 101, this large lecture class does not provide an accurate picture of what other courses in the department are going to feel like. While it’s certainly possible to take RELI 101 first semester and enjoy it, it’s advisable to take an elective course first, as these are likely to be small seminar classes more closely aligned to what majors can expect the rest of the time.
Work closely with the DUS, or another faculty member who you want to be your advisor, once you have started in the major, to decide what courses will be best for you to pursue. As there is no set sequence of courses that students have to take, you have the flexibility to choose your own schedule. Talk to professors about how frequently courses will be offered.
Take an interesting upper-level course if you find it offered, as it may not be offered in the next few years. Even if you are an incoming student, consider taking any 300-level seminar that interests you.
As all electives will fit into one or another major requirement category, it won’t be hard to fulfill your basic requirements. Try to take courses from differing perspectives and try out seminars that interest you. There is a wide community of support—faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates—with whom you might connect.

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
RELI elective	RELI 101	RELI major req	RELI elective
D2	RELI major req	D2	D3
FWIS/ Open	FWIS/ Open	D3	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
RELI elective	RELI seminar	RELI seminar	RELI elective
RELI elective	D3	LPAP	Open
D2	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open

*Be sure to confirm that one of your courses also fulfills the AD requirement.

Contacts

The department website is reli.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. David Cook

Peer Academic Advisors who are Religion majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Religion majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Spanish & Portuguese

Rice’s Program of Spanish & Portuguese is dedicated to the research and teaching of the literatures, cultures, and languages of the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking worlds. The department offers a full range of undergraduate courses in two majors: Spanish & Portuguese (SPPO) and Latin American Studies (LASR). Faculty research and teaching interests span from the medieval period to contemporary literature and theater, from visual culture to environmental policies, and from colonial and postcolonial studies to language policies. The department offers these innovative curricular options: its own spring and summer opportunities for studying abroad (currently Cuba and Madrid), faculty-guided independent research, experiential learning opportunities, and guided creative writing.

Major Breakdown

How many courses? 11

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 11

What’s the intro course? You must first take introductory language classes in Spanish and/or Portuguese or else you must have passed the prerequisite placement test. The exception is if you are already fluent in Spanish. If in doubt, consult with the DUS.

Is there an honors option? Students may complete a 1-semester thesis for honors, in the senior year. Apply the preceding semester.

What if I want to go to grad school? If you are interested in Spanish or Portuguese studies for graduate school, it’s best to have an immersive experience in a country where that language is spoken to improve fluency. Definitely try to write a thesis—that kind of independent research is the best way to test out whether graduate school is right for you.

What should I look out for? It is difficult but possible to jump into the major without prior language knowledge, as most coursework for the major is in the target language. CLIC’s Rice-in-Spain summer immersion course focuses on advanced Spanish in a medical setting. CLIC offers Portuguese instruction every year. If you are interested in the Portuguese option, definitely talk to the Department Chair or DUS.

Considerations

SPPO majors often pair this major with another major. Consider your various pursuits in tandem. Spanish & Portuguese can be complementary to many other majors in ways that will give you a boost in the working world.
Studying abroad is particularly important for this major. There is a wide variety of programs to choose from. Most credits will transfer back to Rice fairly easily. Talk to an advisor in the Office of Study Abroad and to the SPPO DUS soon after arriving at Rice to get a sense of your options, and definitely before paying any money. Note that Spanish & Portuguese offers 2 courses in Madrid, Spain, for Rice (not transfer) credit: SPPO 392 and SPPO 492 (an internship). Students must take them concurrently, during summer session. They are taught by Prof. Luis Duno-Gottberg and sometimes additional Rice faculty. Another opportunity to study abroad for Rice credit is SPPO 375, which is taught at Rice in spring semester and includes a week-long trip to Cuba over spring break. The trip does require a program fee, but the cost is subsidized, especially for financial aid recipients. It is also taught by Prof. Luis Duno-Gottberg.
Spanish & Portuguese majors can do independent research under the supervision of a faculty mentor, or can assist with faculty or other projects. Recent notable projects in the department have included literary criticism and historical analysis. Of course, the 1-semester thesis is also an important option. Students should consider the purpose behind a thesis—it can bring closure to your major, bring you closer to your goal of graduate education, or just be a way to answer a question that has been on your mind.
A high percentage of professors in this department are involved in the residential college system and are available to help you prepare for your time at Rice and beyond it.

Degree Requirements

For the Spanish & Portuguese major requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

For the honors option, see this part of the GA entry.

Sample Four-Year Plan

Notes:

It is possible to start without previous language knowledge, but that will require at least 6 additional courses. If you need to start from first-year Spanish or Portuguese, plan to move English-taught electives into early elective slots, and take language courses in the open spaces. Granted, this would require you to take most of your core classes in your final semesters. If you’re interested in this option, talk to the DUS to find the best way to handle the language requirements. For example, CLIC’s Rice-in-Country courses, such as Rice-in-Spain (note medical focus) would help you move more quickly to fluency so that you can succeed in the higher-level classes that are the core of this major.
Since the major offers a great deal of flexibility in terms of which order you take the courses, focus on setting up a healthy, workable schedule. Seminars require lots of attention in and out of class, for example. Internships and other opportunities to use your language off campus are good to consider, and they do take extra time. Focus on the best way to arrange your schedule rather than worrying about the exact ordering of courses.
The subject matter and teaching styles in this department vary widely. Talk to upper-class students and the DUS to help you decide about courses and professors.

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
SPPO 330/331	SPPO 332	SPPO Linguistics	SPPO Survey
D2	D3	D2	SPPO Advanced
FWIS/ Open	FWIS/ Open	Open	D3
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
SPPO Advanced	SPPO Seminar	SPPO Seminar	SPPO Elective
SPPO Survey	D3	LPAP	Open
D2	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open

*Be sure to confirm that one of your courses also fulfills the AD requirement.

Contacts

The department website is cultures.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies (Program Advisor in Spanish):

Prof. Rafael. Salaberry

Peer Academic Advisors who are Spanish & Portuguese majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Spanish & Portuguese majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Center- and Program-Based Majors

Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations

The Program in Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations offers you a challenging interdisciplinary major that explores the worlds of the ancient Greeks, Romans, Jews, Christians, and Muslims in their formative periods. You will immerse yourself in more than two millennia of cultural change and cross-cultural interaction, studying the histories, religions, arts, philosophies, economies, literatures, languages, and political systems of these civilizations, and evaluating their impacts on the modern world. You will acquire a broad perspective on this influential region—and you will discover that antiquity is much closer than you think!

Major Breakdown

How many courses? 10

How many courses must be upper-level? 5

What’s the intro course? None–students complete classes as electives.

Is there an honors option? Yes—students can complete an honors thesis under supervision of a faculty member.

What if I want to go to grad school? AMC students go to grad school in various fields, including Classics, law, medicine, and more. The DUS can help you plan for the specifics of graduate study in Classics, History, Art History, Religious Studies, or Archaeology. Such specifics may include foreign language study, study abroad, or the acquisition of technical expertise.

What should I look out for? Even more so than other majors, courses may change semester by semester. This is because all of them (except the honors course) are listed under their respective departments (AMC is a BA granting program, not a department). Many AMC majors study abroad or participate in archaeological excavations in the summer.

Considerations

Many courses potentially count for the major; the ones currently approved for the major are listed in the GA. There may be brand-new courses not yet listed there. You should talk to the DUS to figure out which ones best suit your interests and needs.
Majors pursue many kinds of careers after graduation, from law and medicine to industry and high school and university teaching.
Study abroad is highly recommended for this major. A particularly suitable opportunity is the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome, where students can stay for a semester to study on-site ancient history, archaeology, Greek and Latin literature, and ancient art. Most courses there can be counted towards the major. Students also attend other programs, in Greece, Italy, Israel, and England, and as noted they often go on archaeological excavations in the summer.
Most undergraduate research in the major occurs within courses, where students will probably write research papers involving ancient texts in translation and/or ancient artifacts. Some students have worked in local museums. With advance planning, independent study courses can be arranged. Most often, that takes the form of an honors thesis during senior year. Some students assist professors with their research.
Language study is not required for the major, but students are strongly encouraged to do it, especially if considering graduate school. Rice offers courses in Greek and Latin (through Classical Studies), Hebrew (through Jewish Studies), and classical Arabic (through Religion), as well as 10 modern languages. Knowing ancient and modern languages can help students with their research.

Degree Requirements

For the Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations major requirements, see the GA entry.

For the honors option, see this part of the GA entry.

Sample Four-Year Plan

Notes:

The major requirements can be moved around and changed depending on your preferences and the availability of courses. All electives fill at least one requirement. Therefore, by the junior year, a student will probably have accomplished most core and area requirements, and the remaining courses will be open electives.

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
AMC Elective	AMC Elective	AMC Elective	AMC Elective
D2	D3	D2	D3
FWIS/ Open	FWIS/ Open	Open	AMC Elective
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
AMC Elective	AMC Elective	AMC Elective	AMC Elective
AMC Elective	D3	LPAP	Open
D2	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open

*Be sure to confirm that one of your courses also fulfills the AD requirement.

Contacts

The program website is amc.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies:

Fall 2023: Prof. Sophie Crawford-Brown

Spring 2024: Contact department for interim DUS contact

Peer Academic Advisors who are Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Medieval & Early Modern Studies

Medieval & Early Modern Studies majors study a range of medieval civilizations that are often interrelated with each other: European, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, African, and Asian, from the 4th to the 18th centuries CE. This global and interdisciplinary program draws on Anthropology, Art History, Asian Studies, Classical Studies, English, European Studies, French Studies, German Studies, History, Latin American Studies, Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Jewish Studies, Music, Philosophy, Religion, and Spanish and Portuguese. Students have the opportunity to experience medieval materials first-hand by examining the illuminated manuscripts and medieval art at Rice University and in libraries and museums in Houston. Students often double major, since a program as interdisciplinary as Medieval & Early Modern Studies brings different fields of thinking together and unusual connections emerge. Majors in recent years have pursued careers in law, medicine, curatorial work, library science, and business. Students interested in graduate school enter into number of fields, from music to history to art history.

Major Breakdown

How many courses? 10

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 5

What’s the intro course? None—students complete classes as electives.

Is there an honors option? Students can complete an honors thesis with a faculty supervisor. Talk to the DUS if you are interested; early planning can open up great opportunities regarding subject matter and, if needed, research funding.

What if I want to go to grad school? Depending on the program, students should have a reading knowledge of Latin or another classical language, as well as some modern languages (French or German in particular).

What should I look out for? It is highly recommended that students take at least 2 semesters of a recommended language (French, German, Latin, Arabic, etc.). Study abroad is important for this major, to learn on site. An impressive year-end research conference with a distinguished guest scholar as respondent showcases the research that majors and other students have done in MDEM courses.

Considerations

To get a sense of what the courses are like, try taking a 300-level course in your first year. Upper-level courses give you a better sense of what the major will really be like.
The easiest way to find your interests in the many disciplines represented in this major is to focus on a course’s time period and material more than the course code that a course happens to carry. Once you take a few courses, you will get to know faculty members and can build for yourself a program that will allow you to make the most of what interests you. Look at different modes of approaching the same topic. If you find yourself interested in medieval English literature, for instance, you can focus much of your work on English, but do also examine the Middle Ages from other disciplinary perspectives.
Many courses that count as upper-level credit in Medieval & Early Modern Studies will not be offered more than once in your time at Rice, especially if, say, a visiting curator in Art History is teaching it. Therefore, if there’s a class that interests you, go ahead and take it—there is no guarantee it will be offered again! Feel free to ask the individual faculty members what their course offerings will be in future semesters, but don’t take what they say as absolutely confirmed, as their plans may have to change.
Students interested in doing research should talk to faculty members whom they would like as research mentors. Faculty will often lead an independent study course in addition to the regular course offerings. Majors can also pursue an honors thesis with a faculty supervisor in their senior year. When doing independent research, it’s important to keep in mind the feasibility of the project. A practical limitation is the availability of medieval manuscripts, which are sometimes difficult to obtain in original or even in readable reproduced form. A student may need material in Latin or a medieval vernacular language (Middle English and Middle French being examples).
Each spring, MDEM hosts its undergraduate conference, which provides great practice at presenting your research and fielding questions. A cash prize is awarded for the best student paper presented at the conference.
MDEM also sponsors an annual lecture/workshop series, with Rice faculty and internationally renowned scholars from other institutions lecturing on their most recent research and leading informal workshops for students over lunch.

Degree Requirements

For the Medieval & Early Modern Studies major requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

For the honors option, see this part of the GA entry.

Sample Four-Year Plan

Notes:

The program draws upon other departments’ courses, so changes outside of MDEM’s control are inevitable. It is wise to meet with the DUS to plan out completion of the major requirement areas in addition to electives. Majors should take courses in at least 3 different disciplines, such as Art History, Classical Studies, English, History, Music, Philosophy, and Religion.
Latin language courses do count as electives in the major. To get the most out of the material, it is important to take some coursework in Latin, or in another classical language, especially early in the program. German, French, and Spanish may also come in handy; these languages can be important for being able to use primary and secondary source materials.

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
MDEM Elective	MDEM Elective	MDEM Elective	MDEM Elective
D2	D3	D2	MDEM Elective
FWIS/ Open	FWIS/ Open	Open	D3
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
MDEM Elective	MDEM Elective	MDEM Elective	MDEM Elective
MDEM Elective	D3	LPAP	Open
D2	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open

*Be sure to confirm that one of your courses also fulfills the AD requirement.

Contacts

The program website is medieval.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Claire Fanger

Peer Academic Advisors who are Medieval & Early Modern Studies majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Medieval & Early Modern Studies majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Study of Women, Gender & Sexuality

The undergraduate major in the Study of Women, Gender & Sexuality is housed in the Center for the Study of Women, Gender & Sexuality (CSWGS). It takes an interdisciplinary approach to women, gender minorities, sexual minorities, masculinities, and the roles that ideas about racial and sexual difference have played in societies present and past. Examples of additional areas of inquiry include women’s participation in social and cultural production; the construction of gender roles and sexuality; the relationships among feminism and other social justice projects, from immigration reform to environmental justice; and the implications of feminist theory for philosophical and epistemological traditions.

Students acquire an understanding of how gender as a primary category of analysis challenges existing disciplines. They also gain proficiency in studying cultural constructions of gender and sexuality, and they become familiar with the ongoing fundamental debates in women’s and gender studies. The Center also offers a minor in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality.

Major Breakdown

How many courses? 10 or 11, depending on course selection

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 5

What’s the intro course? SWGS 101 or SWGS 201

Is there an honors option? Yes—the Senior Thesis and Seminar and Practicum are both eligible for honors.

What if I want to go to grad school? There are excellent interdisciplinary PhD programs in women’s, gender and sexuality studies. Graduate students may also pursue feminist studies interests within other disciplines (e.g. English, Art History, History, Philosophy, Religion, etc.), and certain departments are known for being particularly outstanding for feminist work in that discipline, such as Rutgers University for history. If you are planning a disciplinary PhD, be sure to take plenty of courses or double major in that discipline. Definitely try to write a thesis—it is the best way to see if graduate-level research is for you. This major or minor is excellent preparation for medical school or law school. It is directly relevant to many pressing public policy issues of our moment.

What should I look out for? You will see a number of SWGS courses that are crosslisted. Please be aware that yet more courses that are not officially crosslisted, also count. Some of these non-crosslisted courses are listed in the GA as SWGS electives, but also please be aware that each year new courses are created that we don’t always catch in time. So—talk to the DUS and definitely ask if you think a course is suitable for credit toward the major. Note that if you want to do the Seminar and Practicum in Engaged Research, you should meet with the Center’s Staff Associate Director in the spring, before preregistration for the Pre-Seminar in the fall. You’ll take the Seminar and Practicum courses concurrently in the following spring.

Considerations

The major draws upon both the humanities and the social sciences (especially Anthropology and Sociology), so you may be able to complete some D2 as well as D1 requirements as you complete the major.
SWGS majors must choose one of 2 ways to complete the major’s capstone: either write a year-long thesis or conduct community-based engaged research through the Seminar and Practicum in Engaged Research. If they choose the latter, they take an 11^th course—a 2-credit Pre-Seminar—in the fall, then the concurrent 2-credit Seminar and 3-credit Practicum in the spring. The practicum is the academic course within which a student does the research with the community partner. All courses outside the Seminar and Practicum sequence are the standard 3 credit hours. Some students do both the thesis and the community-based research project, but this is not required. The engaged research projects and theses are presented publicly at year-end events.
The Seminar and Practicum in Engaged Research sequence is open to non-majors, and you do not have to be a senior. However, permission is required, so do contact the DUS and Staff Associate Director well before preregistration.
Students writing a thesis will work individually with their own individual faculty mentor. Typically a thesis seminar taught by a different faculty member is also offered, to help structure the students’ progress over the year. Past theses have ranged in area from ethnographic study, to literature or film critique, to political analysis.
Apart from the independent research projects that all SWGS majors do, there are plenty of other ways that students can get involved in research, including in that being done by CSWGS faculty members. Also, the scholarly journal Feminist Economics is housed in CSWGS.
It is also often the case that feminist, gender, and sexuality research can be done in another discipline/major that the student is pursuing. The Center’s faculty affiliates are located in a wide range of departments.

Degree Requirements

For the Study of Women, Gender & Sexuality major requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

For the honors option, see this part of the GA entry.

Sample Four-Year Plan

Notes:

It can be helpful to take SWGS 101 or 201 early, so you can think about which aspects of theoretical and historical work appeal to you. Many students take both, and doing so is highly recommended for majors, though not required.
The main scheduling constraint in the sample plan is the three course Seminar and Practicum sequence, which is always taken during junior or senior year.
The Theory requirement can be met with SWGS 345/HIST 340 or another course; if the latter, verify your choice with the DUS. Currently, choices are limited. In the plan below, courses listed as “SWGS Major Req” fulfill certain category requirements, whereas courses listed as “SWGS Elective” are free electives.
This plan includes the Seminar and Practicum in engaged research, not the thesis option. To do the latter, a student would enroll in SWGS 498 in the fall of the senior year, and in SWGS 499 in the spring, instead of in SWGS 494, 496, and 497.

Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
SWGS 101/201	SWGS 345 (Theory)	SWGS Major Req	SWGS Major Req
D2	SWGS Elective	D2	D3
FWIS/ Open	D3	Open	Open
Open	FWIS/ Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Semester 5	Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8
SWGS Elective	SWGS Elective	SWGS 494	SWGS 496
SWGS Elective	SWGS Elective	SWGS Elective	SWGS 497
D2	D3	LPAP	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open
Open	Open	Open	Open

*Be sure to confirm that one of your courses also fulfills the AD requirement.

Contacts

The Center for the Study of Women, Gender & Sexuality website is cswgs.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Emily Houlik-Ritchey

Peer Academic Advisors who are Study of Women, Gender & Sexuality majors can be found on this website: httpsw://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Study of Women, Gender & Sexuality majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Department-, Center- and Program-Based Minors

African and African American Studies

The African and African American Studies minor is an interdisciplinary course of study drawing on disciplines from the Humanities and Social Sciences. The minor allows students to focus on issues of concern in this area of study across the university, including (but not limited to) histories of race and slavery, studies of African and African American culture, religion, philosophy, and race and racialization.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6 (18 credits)

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 3

What’s the intro course? AAAS 200

What should I look out for? Stay in touch with faculty—Houston is rich in African and African-American-related events. There are many lectures and events organized by the Center for African and African American Studies you can attend, and you can also check out activities sponsored by these Rice student organizations:

Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA)

Black Student Association (BSA)

Rice African Student Organization (RASA)

Rice Black Women's Association

Rice Ethiopian and Eritrean Student Association (REESA)

Rice Middle Eastern and North African Student Association

Minor Requirements

For the African Studies minor requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The African and African American Studies website is caaas.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Daniel Domingues

Peer Academic Advisors who are African and African American Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are African and African American Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Art History

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 3

What’s the intro course? HART 101/HART 102; HART 115

What should I look out for? Students will develop an understanding of the multiple contexts of art, which might include its relationship to religion, politics, gender and sexuality, urbanism, landscape, history, culture, and/or other domains of human social experience.

Minor Requirements

For the Art History minor requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the Art History website.

Contacts

The Art History website is https://arthistory.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Lida Oudaderova

Peer Academic Advisors who are Art History minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors who are Art History minors can be found on this website:
https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Asian Studies

The Department of Transnational Asian Studies offers the minor in Asian Studies. The Asian Studies major is designed to encompass Asia and global Asia broadly, focusing on people and their movements across time and space in and around Asia. The minor emphasizes research, introducing students to research projects at an early point, beginning with ASIA 295 Introduction to Transnational Asian Studies. Students in this minor can integrate language training and cultural proficiency with their majors, and can count up to two Asian language courses toward the minor, although there is no language requirement for the minor. The minor is designed to supplement a broad range of major fields of study -- from STEM to humanities and social sciences -- and help prepare students for living and working in the dynamic work environments and diverse cultures of Asian societies and Asian communities around the world.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 3

What’s the intro course? ASIA 295 Introduction to Transnational Asian Studies. It is required for the minor.

What should I look out for? Unlike the major, there is no language requirement for the minor.

Minor Requirements

For the Asian Studies minor requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The department website is asianstudies.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Sonia Ryang

Peer Academic Advisors who are Asian Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors who are Asian Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Cinema & Media Studies

This minor develops in students the critical tools for viewing and analyzing the moving image in all its forms, from various historical periods and locations around the globe. Its faculty come from Art History, Visual & Dramatic Arts, Classical & European Studies, English, Religion, and from Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American Studies. In addition to the history and theory of cinema, courses pertaining to the minor also handle more recent forms of media such as television, advertising, the internet, video art, medical imaging, and expanded cinema. Students gain fresh insights and greater understanding of our media-saturated world.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 2

What are the intro courses? CMST 201, CMST 202, CMST 203

What should I look out for? Stay in touch with faculty to be guided to key film events in Houston, Austin, and beyond.

Minor Requirements

For the Cinema & Media Studies minor requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The Cinema & Media Studies website is housed within the Art History website: https://arthistory.rice.edu/cmst-about.

Program Co-Directors/ Directors of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Lida Oukaderova and Prof. Martin Blumenthal-Barby

Peer Academic Advisors who are Cinema & Media Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors who are Cinema & Media Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies

Classical Civilizations

This minor is an opportunity for students who are not able actually to major in Classical Studies to pursue a comparable course of study that is coherent and well-defined, even though it is less broad in scope than the major. The minor does not have a language requirement.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 3

What’s the intro course? There is no intro course.

What should I look out for? Students must take TWO of the following courses: CLAS 107 (Greek Civilization and Its Legacy), CLAS 108 (Roman Civilization and Its Legacy), CLAS 235 (Classical Mythology), or CLAS 336 (Introduction to Proto-Indo-European).

Specialization Requirements

For the Classical Civilizations specialization requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The department website is https://cultures.rice.edu/.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Hilary Mackie

Peer Academic Advisors who’ve chosen the Classical Civilizations specialization can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors who’ve chosen the Classical Civilizations specialization can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Creative Writing

The Department of English offers a Creative Writing minor as well as the English major and English minor described elsewhere in this booklet. The Creative Writing minor is a 6-class/18-credit course of study that allows students to focus on creative writing craft, genre-training, editorial technique, close reading, and creative process. All minors will be expected to produce original creative works – including but not limited to: fictional prose, literary essays, cultural criticism, poetry, plays, translation, screenplays, and other media.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 3

What’s the intro course? One of the following:

ENGL 201 Introduction to Creative Writing
ENGL 205 Writers on Writing
ENGL 113 Introduction to Literary Editing and Publishing
ENGL 114 Introduction to Literary Editing and Publishing
ENGL 301 Introduction to Fiction Writing
ENGL 304 Introduction to Poetry Writing
ENGL 305 Introduction to Creative Nonfiction Writing

What should I look out for?

The Creative Writing minor is open to any undergraduate student regardless of their intended major(s) or post-degree plans. All students who have declared the Creative Writing minor are eligible to register for reserved seating in Creative Writing classes. Please contact the English Department’s Director of Creative Writing with questions or to begin the declaration process.

No more than 2 courses (6 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards the minor. Any requests for such transfer credits will be considered on a case by case basis by the Creative Writing advisor.

Minor Requirements

For the Creative Writing minor requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry. (link pending)

Contacts

The English website is https://english.rice.edu/

Chair of Creative Writing: Ian Schimmel

Peer Academic Advisors who are Creative Writing minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Creative Writing minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

English

The Department of English offers a “within-discipline” minor as well as the major described elsewhere in this booklet. The minor is ideal for students who want to enrich their major with this subject matter, which applies to many academic and professional goals.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 3

What’s the intro course? ENGL 200

What should I look out for?

The English minor is open to any undergraduate student regardless of their intended major(s). Students are allowed to transfer up to two courses from another institution for credit toward the minor. These courses, including online courses, must be roughly equivalent in requirements and subject matter to a Rice English course. Courses taken at community colleges, for-profit colleges, two-year colleges, and entirely-online institutions are not eligible for Rice equivalency credit. Requests for credit will be considered by the Department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Minor Requirements

For the English minor requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry. (link pending)

Contacts

The English website is https://english.rice.edu/

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Lacy Johnson

Peer Academic Advisors who are English minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are English minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Environmental Studies

Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary field that explores the interconnection between humans and the natural environment. Modern environmental issues reflect the interactions of natural and social systems at global and local scales. The resulting impacts on the earth have led many to ask whether humankind has entered into a new epoch in the planet’s history, one in which humans are now a driver in the change of earth systems.

The Environmental Studies program fosters the critical, integrative thinking required to better understand the complexities of this human-nature relationship and its scales of impact, and to assess and develop solutions that meet intergenerational human needs without compromising the natural systems upon which humans depend.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? A minimum of 6 (18 credits)

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? A minimum of 3 (9 credits)

What’s the intro course? ENST 100/ARCH 105

What should I look out for? Internships are especially valuable for this minor.

Minor Requirements

For the Environmental Studies minor requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The Environmental Studies website is https://enst.rice.edu/environmental-studies-minor

Directors of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Joseph Campana and Prof. Richard Johnson

Peer Academic Advisors who are Environmental Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Environmental Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

French Studies

French Studies offers a within-discipline minor as well as the major described elsewhere in this booklet. The minor is ideal for students who want to enrich their major with this subject matter, which applies to many academic and professional goals.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 6 including two of the following 4 courses: 311, 312, 313, or 321; and 302. No 400-level courses are required; however, any minor is welcome to take 400-level courses should they choose.

What should I look out for? No courses in English may be taken for a minor.

Minor Requirements

For the French Studies minor requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The department website is https://cultures.rice.edu/.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Philip Wood

Peer Academic Advisors who are French Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors who are French Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

German Studies

German Studies offers a within-discipline minor as well as the major described elsewhere in this booklet. The minor is ideal for students who want to enrich their major with this subject matter, which applies to many academic and professional goals.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 4

What should I look out for? No more than 2 courses (6 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit to count towards the minor. No courses may be taken in English to fulfill minor requirements.

Minor Requirements

For the German Studies minor requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The German Studies website is https://cultures.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Martin Blumenthal-Barby

Peer Academic Advisors who are German Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are German Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Greek Language and Literature

The minor in Greek Language and Literature offers students an exciting entry point into the classical world through the study of ancient Greek.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 2

What’s the intro course? CLAS 107 Greek Civilization and its Legacy

What should I look out for? The major requires five GREE courses in addition to CLAS 107, but CLAS 336 may be substituted for one of the GREE courses. No more than 2 courses (6 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit to count towards the minor.

Minor Requirements

For the list of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The Greek Language and Literature minor website is https://cultures.rice.edu

Program Advisor: Prof. Hilary Mackie

Peer Academic Advisors who are Greek Language and Literature minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Greek Language and Literature minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

History

The Department of History offers a “within-discipline” minor as well as the major described elsewhere in this booklet. The minor is ideal for students who want to enrich their cross-cultural knowledge, and writing and research skills. A history minor will further academic and professional goals in fields including law, technology, medicine, business, new and tradition media, foreign service and government.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 3

What’s the intro course? Several 100-level courses serve the general purpose of an introductory history course: HIST 101, 102, 108, 117, or 118 will offer surveys of European, World, or United States history. They will be very different in subject matter and approach from your AP classes. Additionally, 200 level classes are a great way to get an introduction to regional and thematic histories-- such as African, Asian, Middle Eastern, or Latin American history and the history of science and technology—that may not have been offered at your high school.

What should I look out for? Courses in the History department are small, discussion-intensive, and taught almost exclusively by professors. Many of the faculty have won international, national, and Rice-wide prizes for their research and teaching. History Minors may also apply for the Garside Prize, which offers graduating seniors the opportunity to deepen their history education through travel and reflection.

Minor Requirements

For the History minor requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The History website is https://history.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: histdus@rice.edu

Peer Academic Advisors who are History minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are History minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Jewish Studies

The minor in Jewish Studies invites students of all backgrounds on an interdisciplinary journey of discovery through the exploration of the religious practices, literature, history, and philosophy of the Jewish people. The study of Jewish cultures and communities around the world, a topic spanning more than 3,000 years of history, enriches our understanding of the human experience.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 3

What are the intro courses? JWST 201, RELI 108, RELI 341, RELI 392, or HIST 374

What should I look out for? This minor offers courses built around a trip over spring break, to destinations such as New York and Jerusalem. Not to be missed.

Minor Requirements

For the Jewish Studies minor requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The Jewish Studies website is jewishstudies.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Professor Matthias Henze.

Peer Academic Advisors who are Jewish Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Jewish Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Latin American and Latinx Studies

The Latin American and Latinx Studies Program offers a minor, in addition to the major described in this brochure. The minor an interdisciplinary program of study designed to further understanding of the cultures, histories, and politics of Latin America as well as Latinx communities in the U.S. The minors draws from courses and faculty from a wide range of departments and programs, including Anthropology, Architecture, Art History, English, French Studies, History, Spanish and Portuguese, Political Science, and Sociology. This program, which is housed in the Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures Department (MCLC), enables students to develop core skills in interdisciplinarity, global studies, area studies, ethnic studies, and communication (written and oral).

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6
How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 2
What’s the intro course? LALX/SPAN 158
What should I look out for? Only permits a maximum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit.

Minor Requirements

For the list of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The Latin American and Latinx Studies minor website is https://cultures.rice.edu/latin-american-and-latinx-studies.

Program Advisor: Prof. Sophie Esch

Peer Academic Advisors who are Latin American and Latinx Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Latin American and Latinx Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Latin Language and Literature

The minor in Latin Language and Literature offers students an exciting entry point into the classical world through the study of Latin. Few students might be aware of this, but knowledge of Latin, for instance, is an extremely helpful preparation for a career in law and medicine.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 2

What’s the intro course? CLAS 108 Roman Civilization and its Legacy

What should I look out for? The major requires five LATI courses in addition to CLAS 108, but CLAS 336 may be substituted for one of the LATI courses. No more than 2 courses (6 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit to count towards the minor.

Minor Requirements

For the list of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The Latin Language and Literature minor website is https://cultures.rice.edu.

Program Advisor: Prof. Hilary Mackie

Peer Academic Advisors who are Latin Language and Literature minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Latin Language and Literature minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Medical Humanities

Medical humanities explores how biomedical concepts of disease interact with historical, cultural, social, religious, aesthetic, and ethical aspects of human experience. Many students are pre-med, but the program welcomes all students. Scholarly learning, critical reflection, and debate about medicine and health never have been—and never should be—restricted to doctors or aspiring doctors alone. Questions of what constitutes health, why we value it, who benefits when these values are put into practice, and who is harmed by health disparities are matters of concern for everyone.

Notable research areas for Medical Humanities faculty at Rice include death and dying; biological standards of living, climate, and disease; gender, sexuality, and disability; medicalization of reproduction and obstetric technologies; biomedical ethics; racial and ethnic health disparities; medicine and media; social and ethical aspects of digital health technologies and data privacy; anatomical museums and medical display; and digital medical humanities. Faculty research and teaching aims to expand access, diversity, and inclusiveness in the health professions through a focus on health disparities and disability.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 3

What’s the intro course? MDHM 201

What should I look out for? The minor requires a practicum, that is, an upper-level research course led by Rice faculty that usually entails working with a mentor in the Texas Medical Center or other local organization related to health. Research topics and mentors vary by semester. While additional practica are occasionally offered, regular courses include SPAN 323, MDHM 403, and the year-long sequence MDHM 402 and 403. MDHM options require an application the semester before the practicum takes place. Please visit https://medicalhumanities.rice.edu/one-semester-practicum and https://medicalhumanities.rice.edu/hhass-health-practicum to view projects and apply.

Minor Requirements

For the Medical Humanities minor requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the Medical Humanities program website.

Contacts

The Medical Humanities website is https://medicalhumanities.rice.edu/.

Program Director: Prof. Kirsten Ostherr

Associate Director: Melissa Bailar

Peer Academic Advisors who are Medical Humanities minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Medical Humanities minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Medieval and Early Modern Studies

The MDEM minor is ideal for students who want to enrich their major studies at the University with an interest in interdisciplinary studies in the medieval and early modern period, and to explore how this body of knowledge might apply to their own specific academic or professional goals.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 3

What should I look out for? Requests for transfer credit will be considered by the program director (and/or the program’s official transfer credit advisor) on an individual case-by-case basis. The 6 required courses (18 credit hours) must be taken from at least 2 different fields or departments.

Minor Requirements

For the list of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The Medieval and Early Modern Europe minor website is https://medieval.rice.edu/.

Program Advisor: Prof. Claire Fanger

Peer Academic Advisors who are Medieval and Early Modern Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Medieval and Early Modern Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Museums & Cultural Heritage

What goes on behind the scenes at museums? Why do people destroy and loot cultural heritage sites and why does that affect the public so much? How and why do we preserve heritage sites like historical buildings and towns? Why are debates over the provenance and even existence of historical artifacts so heated and sometimes violent? The Museums & Cultural Heritage minor draws on Anthropology, Art History, Religion, Architecture, and History to study the identification, preservation, representation, and presentation of heritage materials. Such materials often serve as evidence in humanistic, architectural, and social science disciplines. Students learn about the preservation and use of tangible and intangible cultural heritage for study, archival purposes, and public display through the study of cultural heritage institutions, new digital analysis tools and media, and traditional methods of preservation and analysis.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 3

What’s the intro course? ANTH 341

What should I look out for? Internships in museums, historical preservation projects, or similar organizations or efforts can be especially valuable for this minor; Houston has many options. Talk to faculty to find out possibilities.

Minor Requirements

For the Museums & Cultural Heritage minor requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The Museums & Cultural Heritage website is hrc.rice.edu/culturalheritage/minor

Program Co-Director/ Directors: Prof. Leo Costello and Prof. Molly Morgan

Peer Academic Advisors who are Museums & Cultural Heritage minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Museums & Cultural Heritage minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Philosophy

The minor in philosophy is intended to provide you with a solid overview of philosophy. Since the fundamental questions raised in any discipline are ultimately philosophical questions, the minor is an excellent addition to any major in the humanities, social sciences, engineering, or the natural sciences. The minor allows you to develop your ability to read philosophical texts critically and with an understanding of the problems and contexts, and it also will teach you how to communicate clearly and logically your own views on a range of philosophical topics, such as knowledge and truth, existence and being, consciousness and the mind, morality and ethics.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 3

What’s the intro course? Any course at the 100-or 200-level will give you a good taste of philosophy.

Minor Requirements

For the Philosophy minor requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The department website is philosophy.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Charles Siewert

Peer Academic Advisors who are Philosophy majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Philosophy majors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Politics, Law & Social Thought

Politics, Law & Social Thought enables students to engage with the big political questions relevant to contemporary society in a global setting. Political theory is the backbone of our understanding of modern democracy and law. Political theory models the way democracies (and other regime types) work. Understanding the foundations of politics and law requires understanding their historical and social contexts. This minor connects the theory and the history of political thought and law in order to study why polities succeed or fail. This contextual approach to political theory shows how the values and possibilities of the present, and the way in which we think about the latter, are a direct result of political choices made at different times between different possible worlds. Politics, Law & Social Thought is a joint program of Rice’s School of Humanities and School of Social Sciences.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 4

What’s the intro course? There is no one intro course; several courses can serve as the required core course.

What should I look out for? Students in this minor are often invited to special events where they can talk directly to visiting scholars and political figures.

Minor Requirements

For the Politics, Law & Social Thought minor requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The Politics, Law & Social Thought website is politics.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Peter Caldwell (general advising, minor certification, transfer credit approval)

Assistant Director: Prof Joey Cozza (general advising)

Peer Academic Advisors who are Politics, Law & Social Thought minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Politics, Law & Social Thought minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Poverty, Justice & Human Capabilities

The minor in Poverty, Justice and Human Capabilities (PJHC) provides students with a multifaceted understanding of human well-being, and enriches their understandings of poverty and inequality in the US and globally. The program emphasizes a “capabilities approach,” which considers what people are able to do and to be — for example, live to old age and engage in social, economic, and political activities — rather than focusing strictly on their access to basic necessities. Students explore deeper understandings of the structural factors underlying poverty and human well-being, including the wide variety of influences on well-being beyond income, such as gender, racial and ethnic disparities, health status, education, human rights, political freedoms, and material necessities like food and shelter. The minor includes a service-learning component that places students with organizations in disadvantaged communities around the world. Students work directly with clients and gain experiential knowledge that broadens their perspectives on human lives and capabilities. Active mentorship throughout the internship process prepares students for their internship placements, and provides critical support during their service-learning experiences. In the minor’s capstone course, students explore what it means to represent and advocate for those most marginalized in societies. The minor encourages students to develop a lifelong commitment to enhancing the well-being of all people and to become leaders in solving local and global problems.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6-8, depending on course selection

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? No restriction stated, but most relevant courses are upper-level.

What’s the intro course? The introductory core course is PJHC 371 (taught in the fall). Students must be enrolled in or have completed PJHC 371 to apply for PJHC-sponsored internships.

What should I look out for? This minor requires 3 units of an approved service-learning experience. Students complete these units locally, nationally, or abroad. Talk to the Program Mentor or a Co-Director of Undergraduate Studies early to figure out how to plan that into a semester or summer—there are many options, including self-designed ones.

Minor Requirements

For the Poverty, Justice & Human Capabilities minor requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The Poverty, Justice & Human Capabilities website is pjhc.rice.edu.

Director: Prof. Diana Strassmann

Co-Directors of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. Kerry Ward and Prof. Moramay López-Alonso

Program Mentor: Prof. Lindsay Graham

Peer Academic Advisors who are Poverty, Justice & Human Capabilities minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Poverty, Justice & Human Capabilities minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Religion

The Department of Religion offers a minor, in addition to the major described in this brochure. This minor enables students to engage the department’s theoretical and cultural frameworks in the academic study of religion with maximal freedom for exploration. The minor is ideal for students who want to enrich their major(s) with attention to the historical, linguistic, social, artistic, and philosophical dimensions of being human. Without the need to forge their own concentration, minors get trained in the analytical skills of close reading, argument construction, and critical dialogue necessary across academic and professional goals.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 3

What’s the intro course? RELI 101, Introduction to the Study of Religion

What should I look out for? No study abroad or transfer credit accepted for the minor. However, it is possible that a Rice course not listed in the GA as part of the minor could be counted; talk to the DUS.

Minor Requirements

For the Religion minor requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The Religion website is reli.rice.edu.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Prof. David Cook

Peer Academic Advisors who are Religion minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Religion minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Science and Technology Studies

The undergraduate minor in Science and Technology Studies is an interdisciplinary approach to the analysis of the social, cultural, and political contexts of science and technology. Students will learn about: the history and philosophy of science, changes to science and technology over time, and how science works in contemporary contexts; media, design and communication and their relationship with science, including media representations of science; social studies of science and technology, focusing on the use of diverse methods to examine the practice and impact of science and technology. Students will gain an understanding of how science and technology are shaped by social, cultural, and political conditions, both historically and in the present. They will also analyze how science and technology affect our social, cultural, and political contexts.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? Minimum of 6 courses (18 credit hours).

How many courses at the upper (300+) level? Of the 6 required courses, a minimum of 3 courses (9 credit hours) must be at 300-level or above.

What are the introductory courses? Students will select 2 courses from a list of 7 core courses that will count toward the minimum 6 upper level (300+) courses.

What should I look out for? Be sure to prioritize core courses when you begin the minor so that you will get them completed in a timely manner.

Minor Requirements

For the Science and Technology Studies minor requirements and lists of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry

Contacts

The Program in Science and Technology Studies website is sts.rice.edu

Co-Directors of STS Minor Studies: Prof. Elizabeth Petrick and Prof. Cymene Howe

Spanish and Portuguese Studies

Rice’s program in Spanish and Portuguese is part of the Department of Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures, one of the most research-active departments in the School of Humanities. We offer a full range of undergraduate courses from the medieval period to contemporary literature, from visual culture to environmental policies, and from colonial to postcolonial studies to language policies. Linguistic diversity, the development of heritage languages, bilingualism and multilingualism are a valuable cultural capital.

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6
How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 6
What should I look out for? A maximum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit.

Minor Requirements

For the list of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The Spanish and Portuguese Studies minor website is https://cultures.rice.edu/spanish-portuguese-studies

Program Advisor: Prof. Rafael Salaberry

Peer Academic Advisors who are Spanish and Portuguese Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Spanish and Portuguese Studies minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality

Minor Breakdown

How many courses? 6
How many courses at the upper (300+) level? 3
What should I look out for? A maximum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit. A capstone requirement, SWGS 493 "Feminist Research Workshop." A minimum of 4 elective courses (12 credit hours) in one area of specialization. Students may also pursue a customized program if constructed in advance with the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality minor offers four areas of specialization (the General Announcements contain full lists of approved courses for each area):

Critical Race Studies, or
Feminist Theory, or
Global South, or
Sexuality Studies.

Minor Requirements

For the list of courses that count as electives, see the GA entry.

Contacts

The Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality minor website is https://cswgs.rice.edu/cswgs-minor

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Dr. Emily Houlik-Ritchey

Peer Academic Advisors who are Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/advising-network/peer-academic-advisors.

Academic Fellows/Mentors that are Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality minors can be found on this website: https://oaa.rice.edu/academic-support/academic-fellows-and-mentors-societies.

Center-Based Certificates

Center for Languages & Intercultural Communication (CLIC)

The Center for Languages and Intercultural Communication (CLIC) is housed in the School of Humanities and offers instruction to all Rice students in 9 languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. CLIC emphasizes intercultural and interpersonal communication along with study abroad and experiential learning.

Rice does not have a language requirement, but Rice students see the value of learning or further developing their knowledge of a language other than English. Although people in many parts of the world speak English, there are billions of people who don’t. Learning other languages at CLIC means gaining linguistic knowledge and sociocultural awareness, which enables you to communicate successfully with people in your shared language and to better understand your own cultural background.

The Center for Languages and Intercultural Communication also offers a Certificate in Language and Intercultural Communication in each of its languages. This Certificate confirms proficiency using an internationally recognized scale and requires coursework, experiential learning, and an outcomes assessment. A Certificate of proficiency in a language can be valuable evidence of the socio-cultural knowledge needed to communicate successfully in the language in interpersonal and presentational modes. Students who complete the Certificate are able to speak with minimal obstacles for self and for their conversation partner, even in spontaneous situations; write in a clear and context-appropriate manner; and understand key socio-cultural issues associated with the target language. Requirements for each Language Certificate are here.

CLIC also offers Rice in Country, a six-week, six-credit, Rice faculty-led summer study abroad program. The program offers intensive instruction combined with varied extracurricular and experiential activities. The programs vary each year according to demand. Destinations may include Brazil, Egypt, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, Peru, Spain, and Taiwan. Rice in Spain has a medical professions focus. In addition to Rice in Country, CLIC offers a faculty-led Spring Break trip to Berlin.

The Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures (MCLC) offers literature and culture courses in Spanish, French, and German and different majors and minors, while the Department of Transnational Asian Studies (TAS) offers multidisciplinary courses and a major and a minor in Asian Studies. You can check the MCLC website and the TAS website for more information.

Contacts for Humanities Students

There are plenty of different kinds of contacts for you in the School of Humanities and at Rice. Here are just the main ones, organized by academics; internships and career planning; and governance:

Before you declare your major:

Your Divisional Advisor at your college is your main academic advising contact until you declare your major.

For your university requirements as well as major requirements, the Office of Academic Advising always remains a resource for you. The friendly people in this office will not come hunt you down. You need to approach them with your questions and concerns and they will meet with you one-on-one.

Websites you will use again and again are:

The Office of the Registrar—here you can find special registration forms, lists of distribution courses, and the General Announcements edition that applies to your entering year, for example.

The course schedule for a given semester and the course catalog containing all active courses at Rice are both at courses.rice.edu.

Esther is where you register for classes. You can also find forms there for the declaration of your major, minor, or certificate; you can read course and instructor evaluations by students; you can check your grades and current academic standing; and you can keep track of the requirements you have fulfilled, via Degree Works. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to track your completion of major and university requirements, and Degree Works is your tool. Please ASK if it is showing something you don’t understand.

Regarding your major:

The Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), sometimes also called “major advisor,” is the person to talk to about declaring the major and is the one who will sign your major declaration form. In the School of Humanities, a DUS is also the one who approves transfer credit. Finally, it is the DUS who will “certify” your major when you are ready to graduate—so make sure that the two of you are on the same page about your 4-year plan!

The DUS, as well as the Department Chair or Center Director or Program Director, have the most up-to-date information about your major. They will know if faculty hires are planned, curricular change are in the works, etc.

The DUS may serve throughout your time at Rice as your major advisor—or you may choose another faculty member for that role of giving you advice about courses, academic summer plans, postgraduate plans, etc. However, be aware that the non-DUS faculty member who gives you advice is not the one who is going to sign off on your major! Don’t make plans that could affect your ability to graduate without consulting the DUS.

Your fellow students also take on advising roles, and are college-based:

Peer Academic Advisors (PAAs)
Academic Fellows, in some colleges also called Mentor

The perspectives of more experienced students are vital for you as you plan your major. It can be a problem for Humanities students that many PAAs and Fellows in each college are not humanities students. Just because non-Humanities PAAs and Fellows have completed D1’s does not mean they are familiar with the whole humanities curriculum, which tends to contain more courses that change more frequently than the curricula of other Schools. However, there are humanities students among each of kinds of advisors, and there are links to these advisors in this booklet under each major and minor. You might have to go outside your college to talk to a PAA or Fellow who is directly in your major or minor.

Regarding planning for internships, practica, graduate and professional school, or career:

Review the relevant pages on the School of Humanities website, where you will find everything from tables of prizes and fellowships for students to profiles of faculty research and creative works.

The Lead Academic Administrator in the School of Humanities, Andrew Stefl, administers School-level internships. He can also guide you to internships at the department, center, or program level.

Here is some information regarding two especially popular School-level practica; follow the links for contact information:

the Health, Humanism & Society Scholars year-long practicum, HHASS, which is associated with Medical Humanities but is for all students who have taken some humanities coursework, not just for MDHM minors.
the Law, Justice & Society Scholars legal and judicial semester-long practica, LJSS, which is associated with Politics, Law & Social Thought but is for all students who have taken some humanities coursework, not just for PLST minors.

The Baker Institute is a great resource. Its strongest links to Humanities are via faculty in Asian Studies and History. The Baker Institute houses the Jesse Jones Leadership Center Summer in D.C. Policy Research Internship Program, which numerous Humanities students have benefited from; it is administered by Prof. Steve Lewis of Asian Studies/ Baker Institute. The Baker Institute Student Forum is also of interest for Humanities students.

The Center for Civic Leadership (CCL) is a great Rice-wide resource for internships, research support, and more. Get to know their diverse offerings.

The Center for Career Development (CCD) holds information sessions for Humanities students and can help with job searches and preparation. They have numerous humanities-specific resume models and are eager to talk to you. Graduate and professional school applications overlap with job searches in some respects. Please note: The CCD administers funding for unpaid or underpaid summer internships! Watch for spring deadlines to apply.

Make sure to complete your Handshake profile at the CCD to receive notices of internships and jobs appropriate to your interests as a humanities student. Employers and internship hosts post their opportunities there continuously. If you aren’t receiving notices or checking frequently, you have no reliable way of knowing about these opportunities for humanities students. You may hear that the CCD does not have much to offer humanities students, but again and again a closer examination has shown that these students are actually not aware of all of the CCD’s offerings.

Your fellow students, including humanities students, serve as Peer Career Advisors (PCAs) at the Center for Career Development.

The Office of Academic Advising is a good source for specialized information on pre-law, pre-med, pre-graduate school, and pre-business options.

The Doerr Institute for New Leaders is eager to assist humanities students in reaching their goals. Their programs promote self-knowledge and growth as a leader, where leading is defined as empowering others and honing teamwork skills.

Regarding School of Humanities governance:

The Dean of Humanities Undergraduate Advisory Committee (DHUAC) is the voice of humanities students in the office of the Dean of Humanities. It was created at the request of the Student Association in Fall 2018. It raises all kinds of issues, from event planning to curricular suggestions to faculty diversity. The faculty liaison is the Associate Dean of Humanities for Undergraduates, Prof. Fay Yarbrough.

Appendix: Who wants to hire a humanities major?

Listen to what employers tell us: The top skills they are looking for are emphasized in humanities courses, majors, and minors. Rice’s Center for Career Development (CCD) surveyed employers who came to Rice in Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 seeking to hire Rice students. The employers rated the following qualifications of a job candidate on a scale of 1-5, with 5 denoting the greatest importance in their view, for any student from any major, interviewing for any job.

The top skills here can’t be picked up overnight and can’t be automated. Develop them through the humanities, which offer intensive reading, writing, discussion, and analysis.

[1] Note: This booklet will use “Director of Undergraduate Studies” or DUS as the title used for the faculty member whom the department, center, or program has designated as academic advisor for students in that major or minor. You may hear that person called the Major Advisor, or Program Advisor, or Transfer Credit Advisor, and you may even have chosen your own personal advisor from among the faculty in your major or minor. However, be aware that each major and minor does have one and only one designated DUS. That person is the one who certifies completion of the major or minor—so the two of you need to be on the same page!

6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005-1827 |

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251-1892 |

713-348-4810 | Privacy Policy | Campus Carry

Undergraduate Handbook

Undergraduate Advising Booklet

FALL 2023

Contents

What Is This Booklet?

Why the Humanities?

Finding Your Focus

Four-Year Planning

Humanities Research

Internships and Practica

After Graduation

Overview of Departments, Programs, and Centers

Centers and Programs with Majors

Department-Based Majors

Center- and Program-Based Majors

Center-Based Certificates

Center for Languages & Intercultural Communication (CLIC)

Contacts for Humanities Students

Before you declare your major:

Regarding your major:

Regarding planning for internships, practica, graduate and professional school, or career:

Regarding School of Humanities governance: