Letters of Recommendation
At least three letters of recommendation are required. The online application system will require you to submit letter writer names and email addresses. The system will then send to each of your letter writers an email message that includes a secure link to the online system, which will allow your letter writers to submit letters on your behalf. Visit the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Letters of Recommendation page for additional information.
Official Transcripts
Electronic copies of transcripts are required from each college or university that you have attended, use the online application system to submit all electronic transcripts. If you are offered admission to Rice, you will be required to have official copies of each transcript mailed directly to the department.
GRE
All applicants must submit scores for the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) general exam. The ETS school code for Rice is 6609. GRE subject test scores are not required.
Bachelor's (undergraduate) degree earned or will be earned before entering. In general, applicants should have at least a 3.0(B) grade point average (or the equivalent) in their undergraduate work. Some departments at Rice University require scores on the aptitude portion of the GRE (Graduate Record Exam) or the GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test) as an appropriate advanced test, these should be sent directly to the admitting department. Applicants whose native language is not English must take the TOEFL test and should score at least 90 on the iBT (internet-based) TOEFL, at least 600 on the paper-based TOEFL or score 250 on the computer-based TOEFL. For students who choose to take the IELTS in lieu of TOEFL, the minimum score is 7. Admittance to a graduate degree program in the Computer Science Department at Rice University requires a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent. Although most applicants for our graduate programs have backgrounds in computer science, the graduate admissions committee encourages highly motivated students with undergraduate degrees in related disciplines to apply for admission. Preference is given to qualified applicants who have taken computer science courses and/or gained practical computer science knowledge through research projects or industrial experience. In general, applicants should have at least a 3.0 (B) grade point average, or the equivalent, in their undergraduate work.