Admission Information
Before starting this application, applicants are required to contact the Education Program (education@rice.edu) for a preliminary review of transcripts to verify credit hours in the content area and GPA.  (This program is for current Rice undergraduate students only.)

  1. Optional: Satisfactory results on preliminary criminal background and fingerprint checks.  A school may deny placement of a participant with a criminal background.  Candidates may go through fingerprinting process before admission and may petition the TEA for reconsideration if the results are unsatisfactory.  For more information go to https://tea.texa.gov/Texas_Educators/Investigations/Preliminary_Criminal_History_Evaluation-FAQs/.
  2. Applications will be received and processed during the spring semester of the sophomore year for students wishing to complete the teacher certification requirements during their year of graduation.  Completion of at least 12 credit hours, 15 for math and science, in the content area are required at the time of application.  Applicants will be considered for admission in the junior year.
  3. Official transcripts of all Rice and non-Rice post-secondary course work must be included with the application.  Official records must be sent directly to the Education Office by the institution(s) attended to: Rice University, Education Department MS-146, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251-1892.  Official electronic transcripts may be sent to the attention of Education Program at education@rice.edu.  (Unofficial transcripts/student issued transcripts may be uploaded with the application, but cannot be used for application review.)
  4. Minimum 2.75 or higher GPA and grades of B- or better in all content area courses are required.
  5. Three letters of recommendation.  Recommendations should be requested from three persons (preferably professors in the applicant's major field) who know the personal and scholastic qualities of the applicant.    No action on an application will be taken until all recommendations are received.
  6. Proof of SAT or ACT scores must be included with the application.
  7. Statement of Intent.
  8. Admission interview with the Education Admissions Committee will be scheduled after all the application documents have been received and reviewed.

There is no application fee.

Rice University is committed to equal opportunity in education and employment.  It is the policy of Rice University to attract qualified individuals of diverse backgrounds to its faculty, staff, and student body.  Rice University does not discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status in its admissions, educational programs, or employment.  In employment, the university seeks to recruit, hire, and advance qualified candidates, including women, members of underrepresented minority groups, individuals with disabilities, and protected classes of military veterans specified by law.