Why Study the
Humanities at Rice?

Students come to Rice understanding that scholarship is central. We are a top-tier research university and scholarship matters. But at Rice, teaching also matters, and in the School of Humanities, students benefit from both small class sizes and the opportunity to engage in humanities research and inquiry with award-winning teachers, scholars, mentors and advisors.

As for the career prospects for Humanities students once they leave Rice, the critical analysis and interpretative, argumentative and oral presentation skills they develop here set them apart in an ever-changing job market. Despite dire warnings and skepticism about the relevance of the humanistic fields in addressing the urgent challenges of our times, they are more important than ever.

Today, we are at a promising crossroads as the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine call for new engagement with the humanities, as medical schools open their doors to our students, and ethics courses attract growing numbers of scientists and engineers. The particular agility, creativity, critical and collaborative capacities of Humanities graduates have gained increasing recognition, along with their nimble adaptation to changing technologies and mobile and team-based cultures of work.