Program Curriculum

It is the goal of Rice's Professional Master's Program that by integrating a disciplinary course of study with shared experiences that enhance the student's awareness and key skills in management, communications policy, and ethics, the graduate will be familiar with the culture of business and industry and will see his/her future chances of success enhanced.

 Each degree track is composed of science courses (70% of course work), a set of cohort courses (30% of course work), and an internship.  Each student will have a faculty advisor to help generate a personalized course of study that will enhance the student's core of knowledge.

Science Courses

Each degree track requires a unique set of science courses that provide students with the core expertise needed by industrial and governmental organizations.  Additional skills, such as computational training, are interwoven with the advanced course work.  Students supplement these foundation courses by choosing electives in line with their areas of interest.  For a detailed list of courses, visit the coursework pages for Nanoscale Physics, Subsurface Geoscience, or Environmental Analysis and Decision Making. 

Cohort Activities

The cohort activities provide the additional skills students needed for a non-academic career.  Students can futher increase their knowledge of business and management by selecting MBA elective courses offered through the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management.

• Management for Science and Engineering
• Science Policy and Ethics
• Professional Master’s Seminar

Internship

A key feature of the Professional Master's Program, internships provide students with the learning and practical experience they seek.  For employers, internships are considered the best return-on-invest for recruiting and provide the most economical, efficient and effective means for hiring talent.  Students should find a three- to six-month position suited to their interests in an industry directly related to their area of study.     

Rice recognizes that students may have previous industrial experience in their area of study.  In lieu of an internship, the track director may allow these students to choose an appropriate project for their final report.  Part-time students who already work in their area of study may be able to fulfill the internship requirement by working on a special project with their current employer.