Which section(s) of GCURS should I apply to?
When evaluating the section(s) of GCURS you’ll apply to, you should not only look at the work you’ve done in the past but the work you plan to do in the future. Are you planning on applying to graduate school? If so, we’d encourage you to submit an application to a GCURS program that closely matches your intended graduate program. You’ll receive feedback from faculty who know the field inside and out. At GCURS, you’ll also connect with students who are currently living the grad school experience and can share what life at Rice - and life in grad school - is like.
Applications are now open! Students may apply to up to two sections and can rank their preferences on the application. Explore the sections we offer below!
Click on your preferred section below to learn more:
Students with academic or research interests in photonics and plasmonics, nanomaterials and nanodevices, quantum and ultracold matter, neuroengineering and biotechnology, and theory and computation are encouraged to apply to our GCURS section. Students trained in physics are in high demand across different disciplines in science and engineering, and a physicist's training adds an effective point of view to a wide variety of scientific endeavors. Students then use their knowledge in physics to address and solve cutting-edge applied research problems.
Rice Bioengineering faculty and students build interdisciplinary partnerships to identify important problems and develop and translate bioengineering solutions. Students with research or course experience in biomedical imaging and instrumentation; cellular, molecular and genome engineering, theoretical bioengineering, computational bioengineering, and biophysics are encouraged to apply to the BIOE section of GCURS.
BioSciences: Biochemistry & Cell Biology
Rice research in biochemistry and cell biology addresses key questions using a wide range of systems, approaches and techniques. The central theme that brings our diverse interests together is our fundamental interest in biochemical mechanisms of molecular and cellular function. Students with a research or academic interest in the structure and function of individual proteins and nucleic acids, the assembly of cellular membranes and organelles, and the development of tissues and organisms, as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying interactions among cells and between organisms and their environment, or other adjacent areas, are encouraged to apply to the BCB section of GCURS.
BioSciences: Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
The Ecology & Evolutionary Biology program trains and mentors graduate students to reach their full potential as scientists. Students with academic or research interests in gene and genome evolution, speciation, life-history evolution, animal behavior, population and community ecology, conservation biology, and climate change and adjacent areas are encouraged to apply to the EEB section of GCURS. Our research is characterized by a strong conceptual and quantitative focus which combines field and laboratory experiments with sophisticated statistical and mathematical models and cutting edge technologies such as stable isoptope analysis, environmental DNA, and high throughput whole genome sequencing.
Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Students with research and academic interests in biomolecular engineering, energy and sustainability, and materials and nanotechnology and adjacent areas are encouraged to apply to the CHBE section of GCURS. The recent revolutionary advances in nanoscale science and molecular biology open particularly exciting new avenues for developing new materials, biological products and medical therapeutics. Rice chemical and biomolecular engineers are uniquely qualified to play leading roles in these revolutions.
Chemistry — the science of matter — is central to the modern intellectual world view. Understanding matter so that we can manipulate it also forms the basis of our economic life, enabling the provision of energy, the construction of electronic devices, the preservation of the environment and the improvement of human health. Students with academic or research interests in the areas of Chemistry of Life, Materials by Chemical Design, and Chemistry for Energy and Sustainability, as well as adjacent areas, are encouraged to apply to the CHEM section of GCURS.
Computational Applied Mathematics and Operations Research
The Computational Applied Mathematics and Operations Research section of GCURS accepts students whose research or academic interests tackle large-scale problems and their applications to science and engineering, compressed sensing, deep learning, and machine learning, addressing problems in porous media and fluid mechanics, and geophysical modeling. Research in Rice CMOR includes cutting-edge work that is highly interdisciplinary, involving interaction with all departments within the School of Engineering. We apply this research to a wide variety of fields, including business and finance, oil and gas, energy and healthcare.
The Department of Economics is committed to advancing knowledge in all areas of theoretical, empirical, and applied economics. Our program fosters a better understanding of the importance of economic research in the formulation and assessment of public policy. We encourage students with academic or research interests in macroeconomics, microeconomics, econometrics, development economics, energy economics, health economics, industrial organization, labor economics, and public economics to apply to the Economics section of GCURS.
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Rice ECE faculty and students advance a broad set of disciplines, spanning and redefining the limits of electrical and computer engineering. The ECE section welcomes applications from students with research or course experience in the following (or adjacent) areas: Computer Engineering; Data Science; Optics & Photonics; NeuroEngineering; Health, Wearables and Analytics; Wireless Networking, Sensing and Security; and Quantum Engineering.
Materials Science and NanoEngineering
Excellence in education and research is the guiding principle for the Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering at Rice University. From quantum materials to additive manufacturing, our MSNE research areas of focus are wide-ranging with applications in sensors, nanoelectronics, battery technology, and more. Students with research or academic interests in Energy Generation and Storage, Diamond Materials, Theory, Modeling & Computation, Composites & Polymers, Quantum Materials, Additive Manufacturing and Catalysis are encouraged to apply to our GCURS section. The Ph.D. program offers students a collaborative atmosphere and an environment that values independence, innovation and scholarship.
Rice Mechanical Engineering encourages GCURS applicants with research or academic interest in Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Systems, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Energy & the Environment, Fluid-Structure Interaction, Mechanics, Dynamics, & Controls, Mechanical Design & Robotics, Thermo-fluid Sciences, or Tribology. Students with interests in adjacent fields are also welcome. Rice Mechanical Engineering is a collaborative atmosphere and our department provides an environment that values independence, innovation, and scholarship.
The Rice Neuroengineering Initiative, a pillar of the Rice Brain Institute, comprises a multidisciplinary faculty that applies engineering principles to better understand brain function and to develop treatments for various neurological disorders. This unique section of GCURS connects applicants whose engineering or science is focused on the brain and/or the central nervous system. Research areas for this section may include, but are not limited to: neuromodulation, brain-computer interfaces, NeuroAI, drug-delivery systems, organoid/brain-on-a-chip, bioelectronics, and systems or computational neuroscience.
Physics and Astronomy are disciplines that examine the fundamental laws and organizing principles underlying the structure of the natural world. This pursuit plays out across all length and energy scales — from elementary particles to the size of the universe, and from nano Kelvin temperatures of ultracold atomic gases to the fireball of the Big Bang. Students interested in participating in this section could have research or academic experience in astronomy and astrophysics, atomic, molecular and optical physics, biophysics, condensed matter physics, nuclear and particle physics, or space plasma and solar physics.
Systems, Synthetic & Physical Biology
Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology (SSPB) is emerging as one of the most important areas of life sciences of the 21st century. Students pursuing research or who have academic interests in the following areas are encouraged to apply to the SSPB section of GCURS: Biological Networks, Evolution, Systems Approaches, Bioelectronics, Sustainability & Biomanufacturing, DNA Editing, Microbiome Engineering, Molecular Biophysics, Macromolecular Complexes, Physical Biology of Cells, Protein-DNA interactions, Computational Biology, Microfluidics, and other adjacent areas.