Graduation

Graduation is the culmination of a degree-seeking student's career at Rice University. Information regarding how to prepare during your final year for this important event can be found on the Preparing for Graduation page, while information regarding the fall and spring Commencement Ceremonies is available via the Rice Commencement page. Instructions for obtaining your diploma (or ordering a replacement diploma) can be found on the Diploma Information page.

Please see the Official Rice Commencement website for more information. Undergraduate and Graduate students can email commencement@rice.edu with general questions about the Commencement Ceremonies.

Important information and dates regarding graduation:

  • Degrees are conferred three times per academic year, at the end of each semester, in December, May, and August.
  • Commencement Ceremonies occur twice per academic year: in December and in May.
  • The Spring Commencement Ceremonies will be held May 9-10, 2025 with the following events:
    • Friday, May 9, 2025
      • Jones School (MBA) Commencement Ceremony, held in the afternoon at Tudor Fieldhouse
    • Saturday, May 10, 2025
      • Doctoral Commencement Ceremony, held in the morning at Tudor Fieldhouse
      • Advanced Degree Commencement Ceremony, held in the afternoon at Tudor Fieldhouse
      • Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony held in the evening at Rice Stadium
  • The Fall 2024 Commencement Ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at Tudor Fieldhouse.
  • For Summer and Fall degree recipients, participants can choose to attend the Fall 2024 Commencement Ceremony, scheduled for Tuesday, December 10, 2024 or wait until the following Spring (2025).

Requests to Walk in Commencement

In certain circumstances, some students may request to participate (or "walk") in Commencement the May before they fully complete degree requirements in the following summer semester. To do so, undergraduate students must petition to the Dean of Undergraduates and meet specific guidelines using the Undergraduate Request to Participate in Commencement form, found here. Graduate students in Professional and Non-Thesis Master’s Degree Programs can email questions to gradcommencement@rice.edu regarding this possibility.

More Graduation FAQS can be found here.

Studying Abroad During Your Senior Year (Undergraduate Students)

The Office of Study Abroad, along with the Office of the Registrar, strongly discourage students from completing degree requirements while participating in a study abroad program during the final semester of their senior year.

However, should students choose to complete degree requirements while abroad in their final semester, it should be noted that their degree will not be conferred until the official transcripts have been received, which will likely delay graduation until the subsequent semester. (For May degree candidates, studying abroad in the spring semester may delay graduation until the following August or December. Likewise, for August or December degree candidates, studying abroad in the summer or fall semesters may delay graduation until the following December or May, respectively.)

For more information about the graduation certification process, please see this page.