1. Transfer student orientation 2016
Office of Academic Advising

2. Mission Statement of O-Week
“Introduce and incorporate new students into their residential colleges and to provide academic advising…every program in O-Week should be organized with these goals in mind.”
50% Academic Advising

3. Mission Statement of Academic Advising
The mission of advising at Rice University is to promote an unparalleled environment for undergraduates to explore opportunities, identify goals, and implement plans to reach those goals.

4. General Graduation Requirements
Be registered at Rice full-time for at least four full fall/spring semesters
Complete at least 60 semester hours at Rice University
Complete the requirements of at least one major degree program
Complete at least 120 hours (some degree programs require more)

5. Distribution Requirement
Allows for breadth of knowledge, in addition to the depth received through major coursework.
Each student is required to complete at least 12 semester hours of designated distribution courses in each of Groups I, II, and III.
Group I Humanities Group II Social Sciences Group III Natural Sciences and Engineering

6. Distribution Requirement
Example
Must include courses in at least 2 departments in that group
Not all courses in a certain subject or department will be distribution. Consult the Registrar’s web site for distribution master lists.
Courses must be designated as distribution at the time of course registration for that specific semester.
Transfer credits can count toward distribution, but only if the Rice equivalent course is designated as distribution credit in the term and year in which the Registrar’s office awards the transfer credit.
Group II:
PSYC hours
PSYC hours
PSYC hours
ANTH hours
Some possible combinations:
9 in PSYC ; 3 in ANTH
11 in SOCI; 1 in PSYC
6 in ECON; 6 in LING

7. Upper Level Requirements
Example
Upper-Level courses are those with a course number of 300 or higher
Complete at least 48 hours of all degree work in upper-level courses
Complete more than half of the upper-level courses in degree work at Rice (at least 25 hours)
Complete more than half of the upper-level courses in their major work at Rice
Certain departments may require a larger percentage
History requires at least 18 hours at the 300 level or higher.
½ x 18 = 9
At least 10 (> than 9) of these upper-level major hours must be taken at Rice.

8. Writing and Communication Requirement
Satisfy the Composition Requirement
ALL new students must do ALL of the following:
Take the composition exam
Students who fail the exam will have to complete FWIS 100, Fundamentals of Academic Communication, before taking their required FWIS course for graduation
Successfully complete a FWIS (First Year Writing Intensive Seminar), a 1-semester course carrying 3 hours degree credit
These courses will be capped at 15 students & carry distribution credit.
FWIS Courses: CANNOT be taken Pass/Fail &
CANNOT be dropped after the second week.
Petitions for FWIS transfer credit must be submitted by the end of O-Week. Details at pwc.rice.edu.

9. LPAP Requirement Satisfy the LPAP Requirement
Students must complete one 1-credit LPAP Course
Students with disabilities may make special arrangements to satisfy this requirement
Athletes must take an LPAP

10. Adding and Dropping Courses
Courses can be added during the first two weeks of classes by using Esther.
First-Year Students
(including new transfer students):
In your first semester at Rice, courses can be dropped until the last day of classes.
In the Spring semester of your first year at Rice, courses can be dropped though the tenth week of classes.
Mid-semester grades are reported in the seventh week, allowing you time to consider dropping a class.
For continuing students, courses can be dropped through the seventh week.

11. Pass/Fail Rules
General Information
Restrictions
You can designate a class as “pass/fail” up until the end of the tenth week of classes.
You may convert a pass/fail to a letter grade up until the end of the second week of the following semester.
You cannot take more than one pass/fail course in a semester.
You are permitted to take one pass/fail course for each full- year of residence, up to a maximum of 4.
You may not take more than a total of 14 semester hours as pass/fail.
You cannot take a course pass/fail that is required for your major (or minor).

12. Transfer Credit Rice University Transfer Credit Policy
Full policy is stated in the General Announcements
Courses taken at another college or university that are appropriate to the Rice curriculum may be approved for transfer credit.
Course must be taken at a regionally-accredited institution
Student must have earned a grade of at least a C-

13. Forms of Transfer Credit
Evaluation by the Office of the Registrar in conjunction with the faculty, transfer credit is awarded either as “TRAN” or “Rice Equivalent” credit
TRAN
TRAN 100 or 300 hours count toward general hours required for graduation
TRAN 300 hours count toward the upper-level hours required for graduation
Rice Equivalent Credit
Satisfies the same university, major or distribution requirements as if the course was taken at Rice
Usually requires approval of departmental Transfer Credit Advisor

14. Obtaining Rice Equivalent Credit
Reasons to obtain Rice Equivalent Credit
Major
Distribution
LPAP
FWIS – Must petition before the end of O-Week
Procedure
Complete “Undergraduate Request for Transfer Credit” form
Obtain signature of departmental Transfer Credit Advisor
Return completed form to Registrar

15. AP and IB credit
Rice awards transfer credits for AP and IB examinations for students who have met the following criteria: AP
Student received a score of 4 or 5
Scores must be sent directly to Rice from the College Board IB
Student completed and was awarded IB Diploma
Student obtained a score of 6 or 7 on higher level exams
Student must have official IB score report to be sent to Rice
Lists of credit awarded at registrar.rice.edu.

16. http://oaa.rice.edu Questions?
2016 Transfer Student Orientation
Monday, August 15
1:00 p.m.
Farnsworth Pavilion in Ley Student Center
Questions?
Brad Blunt Christopher R. Jones
Assistant Director of Academic Advising Transfer Credit Specialist
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