In most research degree programs, students must undertake a limited amount of teaching or perform other services as part of their training. Assigned duties should not entail more than 10 hours per week, averaged over the semester, or extend over more than 8 semesters. Continuous Enrollment Students must maintain continuous program involvement and enrollment unless granted an official leave of absence. See Leaves or Withdrawals . Candidacy, Oral Examinations, and the Thesis Approval of Candidacy.
Candidacy marks a midpoint in the course of graduate education.
Students enrolled in research degree programs submit their petitions for candidacy for a master's or doctoral degree through the department chair to the vice provost for esearch and graduate studies. In the petition sent to the vice provost, the department chair identifies the student's thesis director, recommends a thesis committee, certifies that the applicant has fulfilled the departmental requirements, and provides a transcript as evidence that work completed within the department is of high quality. Students may take the final oral examination in defense of their thesis only after the vice provost for research and graduate studies approves their candidacy. Ph.D. students must be approved for candidacy before the beginning of the ninth semester of their residency at Rice. Master's students must be approved for candidacy before the beginning of the fifth semester of their residency at Rice.