Graduate Programs

The Department of Computer Science offers rigorous doctoral and professional master degree programs that balance theory and practice. Graduate students in our programs come from the best universities in the world and engage in hands-on research with the field's top scientists.

Rice CS Professor

PhD Program

The Department of Computer Science offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Computer Science. Ph.D. students work closely with one or more faculty members who serve as research directors and mentors. Our government and industry supported research programs continue to grow and provide numerous opportunities for our current and future students, while our past students occupy positions at many top universities, industrial research labs, and high-tech start-up companies.  Details on the Ph.D. degree program in Computer Science are available in our Computer Science graduate student handbook.

Professional Masters

Professional Masters Programs

The Department of Computer Science offers two terminal graduate degree options, including a Professional Master of Computer Science and a Professional Master of Data Science. These degrees are intended for students who plan to pursue a technical career in the computer industry or in data science. Each of our two programs offers an option of an on-campus program or an in-person program. 

Past graduates occupy positions at many top technology companies, including Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle, Cisco, and IBM. Professional masters students join a lively and invigorating community of scholars in the largest academic department at Rice University.

Rice Computer Science Graduate Student Event

Get Involved

A rich variety of on-campus and off-campus cultural, social, intellectual, and athletic opportunities are available for Rice graduate students. The Rice Computer Science Graduate Student Association (CS GSA) is dedicated to promoting research, collaboration, and communication among computer science graduate students. Social officers in the CS GSA regularly organize social events. You'll get to enjoy game nights, tea and coffee breaks, scavenger hunts, barbecues, ice cream socials, and other events.