Browse objectives

Attract top-tier graduate students from around the globe by fostering an environment of academic excellence, innovation, and collaborative research.

• Recruit top PhD, post-doctoral, and terminal degree students who project to become leading faculty, especially those who have already won or are on track to win major national and international awards.
• Attract and retain globally recognized faculty across all disciplines to inspire prospective graduate students to choose Rice.
• Continually review and increase stipends and other support to be competitive with peer institutions, and to reflect our commitment to attracting and supporting top talent for students in doctoral programs.
• Establish and support a large and strong cohort of postdoctoral scholars, who bring expertise to the university and build our research portfolio.
• Increase the number and size of master’s programs to provide additional opportunities for educational career advancement.
• Expand the number and depth of global partnerships, coupled degrees, and pipeline programs.
• Enhance outreach internationally to attract students from a diversity of countries. 1.

Equip graduate students with the academic resources to bring deep knowledge, interdisciplinary approaches,and creative practice to excel in their research and academic pursuits and solve global challenges.

• Establish specific programs for first-year graduate students that enable them to acclimate to the university and develop a sense of belonging and purpose. These programs include:
  • Assigned faculty mentors for doctoral students,
  • Clear points of contact to access resources and answer questions for all students, and,
  • Establishing learning cohort programs to unify master’s students within degree programs and schools to create community and build networks.
• Incentivize faculty to support graduate student success markers and offer centralized training for their roles as advisors.
• Ensure students are well-equipped to use resources to advance their research and work utilizing AI and other technological advances.
• Strengthen and expand partnerships with global institutions that offer research collaborations, coupled-degree programs, and academic and cultural experiences for graduate students.
• Support graduate students who are developing projects for future commercialization and entrepreneurial pursuits.
• Encourage global learning and network cultivation by awarding travel grants to doctoral students to engage in research or attend conferences and the development of global experiences in master’s programs.
• Ensure support and coordination to enhance cross-disciplinary graduate degrees and certificates.
• Expand programs such as START@Rice to further sustain and grow recruitment and retention of graduate students.
• Ensure that every student has the ability and support to succeed and flourish by recruiting top students and strengthening ongoing financial and student support in programs, resulting in a decrease in the attrition rate.
• Provide robust pre- and post-award staff support for doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows.
• Develop strong structures, including career development coaching and cohort programs, to support postdoctoral scholars that promote their success.
• Offer more non-credit courses and stackable for-credit certificates to expand offerings for current and future Master’s students while they are in the program and for lifelong learning of alumni and external stakeholders.

Develop a community of scholars by fostering belonging through connected cohorts, establishing an array of personalized student support services, and developing a network through scholarly, industry, and alumni connections that prepare graduate students to be leaders in their academic and professional careers.

• Onboard all students to Rice with a cohort of students across programs and disciplines to foster belonging and continue to engage the community through ongoing experiences.
• Distinguish Rice from other institutions by offering a range of personalized services and supports to graduate students, including wellness and mental health care, affordable housing options, dedicated dining and gathering spaces on campus, and opportunities for disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Expand the START@Rice program to further sustain and grow recruitment and retention of graduate students.
• Prepare graduate students for the workforce with a suite of professional development training options (e.g., communications, diversity training, leadership skills, and others).
• Provide access to specialized career development and career coaches for industry, specific to their academic programs.
• Establish institutional pathways with Rice alumni in academia and industry to create opportunities for graduate students to make career connections.
• Provide support for and require doctoral students to teach and mentor undergraduate students to advance their personal and professional growth, enrich their skill sets, and prepare them for a wide range of career paths within and beyond academia.
• Increase the number of doctoral graduates who are appointed to top-tier academic institutions worldwide.
• Forge partnerships between master’s programs and the Glasscock School and the Doerr Institute to provide master’s students with more opportunities to amplify their career-readiness.