Frequently Asked Questions

When is the deadline to submit applications?

January 15 for the subsequent Fall semester. Late applications for fall admission may be considered until March 15. November 15 is the deadline for the subsequent Spring semester. Please note that we admit very few students for spring semester due to faculty and space availability. These deadlines apply to international applicants as well as applicants for financial aid.

What kind of financial aid is available?

The only financial aid through the department is a graduate fellowship. It covers the cost of tuition and includes a monthly stipend for living expenses. If you feel there is additional need for financial help, contact the Office of Financial Aid of Rice University. There is more information about options available through their office for U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

Should I apply for financial aid (fellowships/assistantships) separately? Where is the application?

There is no separate application form to apply for financial aid. Please answer “yes” to the question “Do you need financial aid from Rice?” found in the online application form. Your application will then be considered for any applicable fellowships and assistantships available.

If there is a field I am interested in and I don't see it in the professors' profiles, what should I do?

When making the decision to apply to Rice, do your very best to match your interests with those of the faculty. If you find your interests are outside the faculty's research areas, you will have a very difficult time being paired up with an adviser. A good rule of thumb in applying to any graduate program is to make sure that there are at least two potential faculty members in the program with whom you could work.

What kind of housing is available?

Graduate students must make their own arrangements for housing. The department does not handle any type of housing arrangements.

The Graduate Apartments are home to many of the university's graduate students. To contact the Graduate Apartments, call 713-348-4723.

When applying, should I contact the Dean of Engineering or the Office of Graduate Studies?

No. They will forward it to our GR/UG Program Administrator. For any type of admission correspondence, contact our Graduate/Undergraduate Program Administrator.

How do I go about applying to the MSNE graduate programs?

Please refer to the step-by-step instructions for applying to the MSNE graduate programs.

How do I know my application is submitted?

Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation email.

Will writing a professor or chair of the department help?

No. In fact, it will likely delay things. Every inquiry that the professors or the chair receive is forwarded to the Graduate/Undergraduate Program Administrator. While writing a faculty member may be beneficial to find out what they are doing, it will have no impact on any decision making process.

Can I submit my application even if I haven't received my GRE or TOEFL score yet?

You may submit other application materials in advance, but your application will be on hold until your GRE scores are received. Only complete applications are reviewed by the faculty members

*Please note for 2023 admission, the GRE is not required.

It’s been more than 3 years since I took the GRE. Do I have to take it again?

We require that the GRE test have been taken within five years.

*Please note for 2023 admission, the GRE is not required.

Can you find my ETS test scores?

As long as your scores are sent to Rice University (institution code: 6609), we can find your scores in our application database. You don't need to request your scores from ETS again.

What is the average GRE score of students admitted to the graduate program?

This information is not available to the Department.

My name on the GRE/TOEFL registration is different from the one on my Rice application. Can you find my test scores?

No. Please e-mail our Graduate/Undergraduate Program Administrator to let us know your name on the test registration form so we can search for your scores.

Is there a minimum GRE score?

No. Rice University does not have an established minimum GRE score.

Do you require an official transcript with my application?

An official transcript is required for admission to Rice University but not required to complete an application. You may submit an unofficial transcript with your application.

What are the statement of purpose requirements?

The statement of purpose should be maximum of two (2) pages describing your research goals, accomplishments, and where these insights might lead to practical solutions to human and industrial problems.

When will the application review start?

When the application deadline is closed, the committee will start reviewing and continue until early April.

How will I know the result of my application?

You can log into your account and check the status of your application. If there are any changes to the status, you will be receiving an email.

Do I need to provide the TOEFL or IELTS scores if I'm an international student having earned a degree from a university in which English is the official language?

The TOEFL and IELTS are not necessary for an international student who has received a degree from a university in which English is the official language of communication.

Can I apply for more than one program in MSNE or more than one graduate program at Rice?

Yes, you have to submit separate applications for each program.

My university doesn't use a 4.0 scale, how do I enter my GPA in the application?

The application allows you to submit your GPA and the scale used at your university.

How can I verify that my recommendation letters have been received?

Please log into your application to monitor your application status as well as the status of your recommendation letters.

Application Technical Issues

If you are experiencing a technical problem with our online application, please make sure you have Javascript and cookies enabled

I received a degree from a University where English is the official language but my application doesn’t show that it’s waived, please advise.

The TOEFL and IELTS are not necessary for an international student who has received a degree from a university in which English is the official language of communication. If your application doesn’t show waived in 4 weeks from the time of submission, please request a letter from your University to confirm that English is their official language, and email it directly to msne@rice.edu

If you have a question you didn't find answered above, email us at msne@rice.edu.

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