Summer Sessions

Application Information for Visiting Students

Find information on the application for visiting students here.

Rice University is pleased to offer the Summer Sessions. Consisting of seven blocks, the summer program is an opportunity for currently enrolled Rice students and visiting students from other institutions (including rising high school juniors/seniors and recent high school graduates) to take college coursework for credit.

Courses will be available online and in person.

2024 Summer Blocks

Rice's Office of the Registrar is coordinating the summer semester. The schedule of blocks can be found on the Academic Calendar for Summer 2024.

    2024 Summer Course Schedule

    The Summer 2024 course schedule is posted to Rice's Course Schedule. Any additions, changes, or cancellations to the schedule will be posted on this page as soon as we receive them. We encourage you to check the Course Schedule frequently.

    2024 Summer Tuition and Fees

    Tuition and fee rates for 2024 Summer Sessions are available on the Bursar's Office website. (Please note that Visiting Student tuition is charged at a different rate and can be found here.) Billing and payment information can be reviewed at https://cashier.rice.edu/student-accounts. (Please note that Starting in Spring 2024, the Cashier's Office will be referred to as the Bursar's Office.)

    Rice Undergraduate Summer Research or Internship Experience

    Current Rice degree-seeking students may enroll in an organized summer undergraduate research or internship course for credit and not be charged tuition for up to 3 credit hours. For eligibility criteria, please see the following:

    • Students enrolled must be continuing, degree-seeking Rice students, and be enrolled at Rice for both the book-end Spring/Fall semesters of the summer research/internship year;
    • Some courses may require instructor approval, which will prevent students from registering for the course on ESTHER. Students will need to receive the instructor's approval for the course by completing an Undergraduate Special Registration (and Request for Registration Restriction Override) Form and returning it to the Office of the Registrar to process;
    • Departments must certify and submit standard letter grade credit;
    • The undergraduate research/internship course will have the same course number as the departmental academic year research course number; and
    • Credit hours are based on current hours for research/internship course credit:
      • 3 Credit Hour Course would require a minimum of 126 hours of research/internship experience
      • 2 Credit Hour Course would require a minimum of 84 hours of research/internship experience
      • 1 Credit Hour Course would require a minimum of 42 hours of research/internship experience
    • If an internship, it must be a domestic internship. Internship courses that include international travel are not eligible for the waiver.

    Financial Aid

    Need-based financial aid will be available on a limited basis for students who receive need-based aid during academic year 2023-24. This will be limited to two summers (up to 9 credit hours per summer) of Rice courses during an undergraduate student’s time at Rice and will not count toward the 8 semesters of need-based aid allowed by Rice’s financial aid policy. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for additional information by phone (713-348-4958) or email (fina@rice.edu).

    Financial aid is not available for visiting students.

    Enrollment Process for Rice Students

    Currently enrolled Rice students should register online via ESTHER as per normal registration processes and procedures for courses they wish to register for. Please familiarize yourself with and adhere to all registration and payment deadlines as noted on the Summer 2024 Academic Calendar.

    December 8, 2023: Summer 2024 registration opens in ESTHER

    A Rice student who graduates in May 2024 is eligible to register for Summer 2024 courses as a Visiting Post Baccalaureate student only. Any credits earned for Summer 2024 are not eligible to be applied to a previously awarded degree. To register for Summer 2024 courses, these students should register themselves directly in ESTHER. If they are unable to do so due to their account being inactive, please email registrar@rice.edu.

    Enrollment Process for Incoming Fall 2024 Rice Undergraduate Students

    Details regarding registration for incoming Fall 2024 students are available here.

    Enrollment Process for Non-Rice Students

    All visiting students must follow the Enrollment Process for Non-Rice Students, as outlined below. High school students who are rising juniors and above must submit additional application materials for high school students, which is detailed below.

    Please note that visiting students may not take courses on a pass/fail basis.

    It is essential that visiting students be aware of and follow the deadlines listed on the Summer 2024 Academic Calendar. Course offerings are at the discretion of Rice and may be canceled at any time for any reason; should a class you wish to enroll in be canceled, we will assist you in finding a suitable alternative course.

    December 8, 2023: Admission and registration process for (summer 2024) visiting students officially opens (for visiting students, including visiting online and visiting high school students, to apply for Rice visiting student status). Registration is contingent on admission.

    Application Process

    To apply, students will need to submit an application to the Rice University Office of the Registrar:

    In addition to the application, students may be asked to supply the following:

    • Name and contact information from a representative at your current educational institution (e.g. Dean, counselor, etc.). Upon providing the contact information in your application, an email will be automatically generated to the recommender. The email will request that the recommender complete the Dean of Students Recommendation Form on behalf of the student.
    • Proof of Meningococcal Vaccination Record or Waiver (required if under the age of 22). Note: students enrolling in 100%-online courses are not required to provide proof of the vaccination.
    • International Student Check-In Sheet and additional international documentation (if applicable)
    • Release and Hold Harmless Agreement (required if under the age of 18)
    • Visiting Student Financial Responsibility and Parental Consent

    In addition to the application, you will be required to supply the following:

    • Application fee:
      • $75 for Visiting High School, Visiting Undergraduate, and Visiting Post Baccalaureate
      • $50 for Visiting Auditor
    • Official college transcript from all colleges or universities attended. (Please submit after completing the Visiting Student Application. Submitting transcripts first may result in a delay in processing your application.)
    • Official final high school transcript (waived if attended a college/university in Spring 2024). All transcripts must be mailed in or sent from the school directly to visitingstudents@rice.edu via email. Transcripts will not be accepted by fax or email from applicants.

    Admission to this program does not constitute admission to Rice University.

    Application Deadlines (for Non-Rice Students)

    Application deadlines for visiting students are posted on the Summer 2024 Academic Calendar.

    Where to Send Documentation (for Non-Rice Students)

    Mail ALL documents to this EXACT address:

    Rice University Office of the Registrar, MS-57
    Summer Sessions
    6100 Main Street
    Houston, TX 77005

    You may also submit documents to visitingstudents@rice.edu or upload them using the Office of the Registrar's secure upload mechanism.

    Information for Departments

    Information for departments regarding administrative processes for Summer Sessions is available on the Summer Sessions information page for schools and departments.

    Questions? Need Info? Who to contact?

    If you have additional questions, please contact the Office of the Registrar by phone (713-348-4999) or by email (visitingstudents@rice.edu).