Rice University welcomes visiting students who have not yet completed an undergraduate degree to apply to take courses during Summer Semester 2023. Visiting undergraduates who wish to take courses during the fall/spring semesters should contact the Office of Admission.

How do I apply?

STEP 1
Find a course you want to take for credit on the Summer 2023 Courses page. You will be including the course information in your application.

STEP 2
Complete the online application and submit it with the $75 application fee. If you have already started an application, you can return to it here.

Please note that applicants are required to provide a Dean of Students Recommendation as a part of the application. You will be asked to provide relevant contact information for your recommender within the application.

Upload all of the required forms to your application:

1. Financial Responsibility
2. Proof of Meningococcal Vaccination Record or Waiver (if under 22 years old)

International students should be prepared to submit their international student documents including a copy of Passport, a copy of Visa Stamp, a copy of I-94, a copy of I-20/DS-2019 and the Office of the International Students and Scholars Check-In Sheet.

STEP 3
Send your official college and university transcripts for all educational institutions that you have attended to Rice.

You may mail the documents to:

Rice University - Visiting Student Programs
Office of the Registrar - MS 57
P.O. Box 1892
Houston, TX 77251-1892

Or, the documents may be sent to us directly from your home institution. Please have them sent to visitingstudents@rice.edu.

STEP 4
After everything has been received and your application is complete, you will be contacted regarding your acceptance.

You can always log back into your Application Portal to see if there are any updates to your application.

STEP 5
If accepted to take a course at Rice, the Office of the Registrar will contact you. You will be given instructions on how to confirm your registration for the course(s) you were approved for. Make sure to review the visiting student guidelines.

STEP 6
Attend the course and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

When do I need to apply?

The deadlines to apply vary per summer block, they are listed on the Academic Calendar. If you plan to take courses in multiples sessions, the deadline to apply would be the earliest session's deadline - you do not need to submit multiple applications.

What is the cost of attending?

For information on tuition and fees, visit the Cashier's Website.

Attending Rice University as a visiting undergraduate student is not a means of entering a degree program. Students who wish to take classes without earning credit may do so as a Visiting Auditor.

If I become a degree-seeking student at Rice after attending as a Visiting Undergraduate Student, will my credit hours apply toward the degree?

Credit hours earned as a Visiting Undergraduate student at Rice do not automatically apply toward a Rice degree program if a student becomes a degree-seeking undergraduate at Rice. In order for a degree-seeking undergraduate student at Rice to have courses taken as a Visiting Undergraduate count toward their Rice degree program, the student must petition the Committee on Examinations and Standing (EX&S).