Majors, Minors, and University Certificates

In order to receive a bachelor's degree from Rice University, undergraduate students must complete the requirements for at least one major. Within some majors, students are asked to declare either a particular major concentration (which will appear on the transcript as official curriculum) or identify an area of specialization (which is not an official academic credential and will not appear on the transcript). Students may also choose to fulfill the requirements for more than one major or more than one degree; such majors or degree combinations do not necessarily need to be in related fields. A list of degrees majors, minors, and university certificates can be found in the General Announcements.

Declaring a Major (and Major Concentration, Area of Specialization), Minor, and/or University Certificate

Undergraduate students must declare a major during or before the spring semester of their second year. Second-year students will not be permitted to register for the fall semester of their third year if they have not yet declared a major. The major declaration deadline is listed in the Academic Calendar each year. Undergraduates may declare a major at any time before this deadline, and may also change their major by completing and submitting the appropriate form. Degree candidates will not be permitted to declare any additional majors, minors, or university certificates during their final semester after the deadline listed in the Academic Calendar.

In addition to the requirements for at least one major, some majors may require that the student also declares a major concentration or identifies an area of specialization (not an official academic credential) to fulfill requirements.

In addition to a major, students may also choose to declare:

  • An interdisciplinary or departmental minor
  • A university certificate

Please Note: Students must first declare a primary major before declaring a minor or university certificate.

To declare a major (and major concentration or, area of specialization), minor, and/or university certificate:

  1. Login to ESTHER.
  2. Print an unofficial transcript.
  3. Go to Students - General > Degrees, Majors, Minors, and Certificates Declared > UG Declaration and Change of Major (or Minor or University Certificate) Form.
  4. Complete sections I-IV of the form. Note: A separate form must be submitted for EACH major (or minor or university certificate) a student is adding. See below for information on either dropping (or changing) a declared major, minor, or university certificate or a dropping (or changing) a major concentration (or area of specialization).
  5. Take (or email) the completed form and transcript to the appropriate academic advisor for approval. To find the correct advisor, please visit the Office of Academic Advising's website. In the Helpful Links section at the bottom of the page click either Major Advisors or Minor/Certificate Advisors. Students must have the major/minor/certificate advisor or the department chair sign the UG Declaration and Change of Major (or Minor/Certificate) form.
    Please Note:
    1. A student’s matriculation term is the default term for the requirements of a major, minor, or certificate – be sure to discuss with the advisor the most advantageous path to pursue and indicate the appropriate catalog year on the form. Students may follow the requirements in effect for any academic year between their matriculation and graduation. Students may not declare a catalog year in the future, but may change their catalog year (after declaring) as needed by emailing the Office of the Registrar.
    2. Students are discouraged from leaving their forms with the department to be forwarded to our office, especially during the deadline period. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to submit the form(s) to the Office of the Registrar by the stated deadline.
  6. Return the completed form in person to the Office of the Registrar or email as an attachment to registrar@rice.edu from your official Rice email address.

Catalog (or GA) Year

Students enrolled in bachelor’s programs may choose to follow the graduation general and program requirements in effect for any academic year between their matriculation and graduation. This is known as the GA Year, or Catalog Year in the university's degree audit system, Degree Works.

To change the Catalog (or GA) year for a major/minor/certificate, please email registrar@rice.edu. Please note: students should not make this request without first discussing this option with a major (or minor or university certificate) advisor. The What-If Analysis in Degree Works can assist with this decision.

Dual Degrees and Double Majors

Enrolled undergraduates may declare more than one degree and major. To earn a second four-year bachelor’s degree, also known as a dual degree, currently enrolled undergraduates must complete at least 30 additional semester hours at Rice University beyond the hours required for their first bachelor’s degree for a minimum of at least 150 credit hours (some dual degree combinations may require more credit hours). For information on Dual Degree graduation requirements, click here.

After declaring one major, Rice students may choose to fulfill the requirements for an additional major (whether that major is related or unrelated to their first). When both of those majors are connected to the same degree, that is known as a double major. A student pursuing a BA degree with a major in History who chooses to declare an additional major in English, also attached to the BA degree, is a double major and not a dual degree candidate.

As an academic credential, majors are attached to degrees, and it's important to note which degree to which a major is attached. Most of the majors in the Humanities and Social Sciences are awarded as part of a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree program. Major offerings in Engineering and Natural Sciences are most commonly awarded as part of a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree program, although many of those departments also have a major offering attached to a BA degree.

At Rice, under certain conditions, students have the option to declare majors offered in different degree programs without pursuing the dual degree option. For example, a student may pursue a BS degree with a major in Physics, and choose to double major in Religion. (Rice does not award a BS with a major in Religion, only a BA.) In this scenario, the student selects the BS degree and the Physics major to be identified as their primary program. As part of completing their graduation requirements, they then complete not only the degree and major requirements of their primary program, but the major requirements for their declared double major, in this example, Religion. Upon conferral of the BS degree with a major in Physics, the final academic transcript will include not only the BS degree and Physics major, but the sentence notation, “Student has additionally met the requirements for a major in Religion, normally associated with a Bachelor of Arts degree.” This option, sometimes referred to as the “No-Degree Option”, is a long-standing tradition at Rice University, and allows students to pursue an additional major tied to a different undergraduate degree, without having to complete the extra hour requirements of a Dual Degree. This is allowed only in instances where the second major is not offered as part of the student's primary degree program. (In this example, as noted above, the Religion major is not offered, or attached, to a BS degree, only the BA). With questions regarding this option, please contact the Office of the Registrar.

Dropping (or changing) a Major (and Major Concentration, Area of Specialization), Major Concentration, Minor, and/or University Certificate

Undergraduate students may choose to drop a declared major (and its associated major concentration or area of specialization), minor, and/or university certificate after initially declaring their course of study.

Students may also choose to drop (or change):

  • A major concentration (if required for completion of the associated major being dropped)
  • An optional major concentration (if not required for the completion of an associated major, which will not be dropped)
  • An area of specialization (if required for completion of the associated major being dropped; not an official academic credential)
  • An interdisciplinary or departmental minor
  • A university certificate

Please Note: Students in the fall semester of their third year and beyond must have at least one declared major on their student record.

To drop a major, minor, and/or university certificate:

  1. Login to ESTHER.
  2. Go to Students – General > Degrees, Majors, Minors, and Certificates Declared > UG Declaration and Change of Major (or Minor or University Certificate) Form.
  3. Complete sections I-IV of the form. Note: A separate form must be submitted for EACH major (or minor or university certificate) a student is dropping.
  4. Return the completed form either in person to the Office of the Registrar or email it as an attachment to registrar@rice.edu from the Student's official Rice email address.

Please Note: Approval from the department (i.e., the signature of the advisor and/or department chair) is not required to drop a major, minor, or university certificate.

Dropping (or Changing) a Major Concentration (or Area of Specialization)

To drop or change a major concentration (or an area of specialization) associated with a major already declared on your record, please email registrar@rice.edu. Because of the common core requirements, it is possible for students to change their major concentration (or area of specialization) at any time, even after initially declaring the major.

Please Note: Approval from the department (i.e., the signature of the advisor and/or department chair) is not required to drop or change a major concentration (or an area of specialization). However, it is advised that students discuss this option with a major advisor before making the request. The What-If Analysis in Degree Works can assist with this decision.