Fifth-Year Master's Program
Not quite ready to leave Rice? A fifth-year master's allows students to stay enrolled for one more year and graduate with an advanced degree.
There are four paths:
Master of Artificial Intelligence (MAI) for building, deploying and maintaining modern AI systems
Master of Computer Science (MCS) for depth across computing and a career in industry
Master of Data Science (MDS) for analytics and data-driven careers, open to any data science-related major
Master of Science (MS) for guided research and a thesis
The MAI, MCS and MDS programs are professional degrees built for industry careers. The MS is a research degree. Start the conversation early with your major advisor.
PROFESSIONAL MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAMS
Fifth-Year Master of Artificial Intelligence (MAI)
The MCS covers depth across computing subfields and the MDS focuses on analytics. The MAI focuses only on modern AI: large language models, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), agentic systems and distributed training.
Good to know
- Transfer credit for at most 6 credit hours of graduate-level coursework earned at other institutions. This limit, however, does not apply to graduate-level coursework taken at Rice while still enrolled as an undergraduate.
- Rice undergraduates can reduce the number of semesters they need to be enrolled as graduate students to complete the MAI degree requirements. However, these graduate-level courses, taken as an undergraduate, can only be applied toward one degree.
- Admission to the MAI program is not automatic.
- Upon successful application and matriculation to the MAI program, students will designate which of their graduate-level courses should be applied toward their MCS degree versus their Bachelor's degree.
- Regardless of the number of graduate-level courses taken as an undergraduate, students must spend at least one semester at Rice enrolled as a part-time or full-time graduate student in the MAI program.
- Interested students should meet with their CS Major Advisor to carefully plan their junior and senior years
Additional questions? Contact mai@rice.edu
Fifth-Year Master of Computer Science (MCS)
Build specialized expertise in the area of computing that excites you most. You’ll choose from five specialization tracks: Artificial Intelligence, Systems and Security, Data Science and Machine Learning, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology or Management and Leadership.
Good to know
- Transfer credit for at most 6 credit hours of graduate-level coursework earned at other institutions. This limit, however, does not apply to graduate-level coursework taken at Rice while still enrolled as an undergraduate.
- Rice undergraduates can reduce the number of semesters they need to be enrolled as graduate students to complete the MCS degree requirements. However, these graduate-level courses, taken as an undergraduate, can only be applied toward one degree.
- Admission to the MCS program is not automatic.
- Upon successful application and matriculation to the MCS program, students will designate which of their graduate-level courses should be applied toward their MCS degree versus their Bachelor's degree.
- Regardless of the number of graduate-level courses taken as an undergraduate, students must spend at least one semester at Rice enrolled as a part-time or full-time graduate student in the MCS program.
- Interested students should meet with their CS Major Advisor to carefully plan their junior and senior years.
Additional questions? Contact mcs@rice.edu
Fifth-Year Master of Data Science (MDS)
The Fifth-Year MDS program is open to undergraduate students from any data science-related major.
Good to know
- Transfer credit for at most 6 credit hours of graduate-level coursework earned at other institutions. This limit, however, does not apply to graduate-level coursework taken at Rice while still enrolled as an undergraduate.
- Rice undergraduates can reduce the number of semesters they need to be enrolled as graduate students to complete the MCS degree requirements. However, these graduate-level courses, taken as an undergraduate, can only be applied toward one degree.
- Admission to the MDS program is not automatic.
- Upon successful application and matriculation to the MDS program, students will designate which of their graduate-level courses should be applied toward their MDS degree versus their Bachelor's degree.
- Regardless of the number of graduate-level courses taken as an undergraduate, students must spend at least one semester at Rice enrolled as a part-time or full-time graduate student in the MDS program.
- Interested students should meet with their CS Major Advisor to carefully plan their junior and senior years.
Additional questions? Contact mds@rice.edu
Fifth-Year Professional Master Application Process
MAI, MCS and MDS applicants must use their @rice.edu email address to apply.
Apply here http://gradapply.rice.edu with the following application materials:
- Undergraduate transcripts
- 3.0+ GPA
- CV or resume
- Statement of purpose
- Three letters of recommendation
- $85 application fee (if required by the program)
Note: GRE scores may be submitted at the discretion of the applicant.
THESIS MASTER'S DEGREE
Fifth-Year Master of Science (MS)
Love research? Each year, the Department of Computer Science offers Graduate Research Fellowships that are awarded competitively to a select group of Rice undergraduate students who show a dedication to research.
Upon admission to the program in their junior year, fellows will receive monetary support for their research activities as well as tuition support for two semesters in the Master of Science program. This program offers exposure to graduate-level research prior to graduation and guaranteed support during the MS program.
Fifth-Year Master of Science (MS) Application Process
MS applicants must use their @rice.edu email address to apply.
Apply here http://gradapply.rice.edu with the following application materials:
- A transcript
- Three letters of recommendation from Rice faculty, with one letter from the applicant's proposed research adviser
- A one-page research statement
Note: GRE scores may be submitted at the discretion of the applicant.
Deadline: Rice undergraduates apply for the fellowship by February 1st of their junior year.
Additional Notes on the MS Application Process:
- By February 24th, recipients will be notified of the fellowship award and guaranteed admission in the Department of Computer Science Master's of Science program upon completion of their undergraduate degree.
- Fellows receive full-time support for research during the two summers between their junior year and the start of the graduate program. Fellows may also receive part-time support for research conducted during their senior year.
- Fellows receive full tuition and research stipend for two semesters of study while they complete their Master's of Science thesis.
- Students completing the program will benefit from an accelerated graduation schedule and will receive preferential consideration for admission to the RICE CS PHD PROGRAM
Additional questions? Contact comp@rice.edu
For MS advising, faculty advisors must have their primary appointment in Rice's Department of Computer Science.
For questions regarding advising, please contact T.S. Eugene Ng at eugeneng@rice.edu