Since the beginning, Rice University has offered both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Rice University (or The Rice Institute back then) opened its arches in 1912 to students seeking higher education. Rice’s first commencement ceremony in 1916 awarded 35 bachelor’s degrees and one master’s degree. In 1916, the first doctoral degree was awarded. Here is a fun fact: typically, schools that have “college” in the name only have undergraduate degrees, while those with “university” in the name have both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Rice continues to be an exceptional university with competitive acceptance rates similar to those in the Ivy League.
All of the history and numbers are good to know, yet they do not describe the Rice “Experience.” In this blog, I will discuss a few differences I have noticed between my undergraduate and graduate experience at Rice. To provide a short backstory of my academic career, I began my time at Rice in 2016 at Baker College (Hell Yeah!) and graduated with my bachelor’s degree in 2020 (COVID time). I double majored in psychology and cognitive sciences and double minored in neuroscience and engineering design. I joined a doctoral program at Old Dominion University (ODU), where I completed my master’s in psychology in 2022. I then moved with my advisor back to Rice, where I am currently completing my doctoral degree in Human Factors/Human-Computer Interaction psychology.
I know my Rice experiences are not back-to-back as others may have. Yet, when I reentered Rice in 2022, pandemic protocols were relaxing, which allowed me to better compare my two experiences. My discussion will span over multiple blog posts since there are multiple facets of the Rice Experience that I can compare. This blog is the first installment and focuses on the academic differences between undergraduate and graduate school at Rice.
Course Load, Format, and Grades
As an undergraduate student, classes were the most significant part of receiving a degree. I would pack my schedule and max out the number of credits I could take in a semester (which used to be 21; however, Rice reduced it to 18 during my time) in order to complete my majors and minors. This looked like taking six classes in a semester, each counting towards three credits. Stressing over grades was also a big part of my undergraduate experience. For many classes, I focused on memorizing definitions and numbers for tests. A failing grade was anything lower than a D-. For me, taking classes was to complete the degree checklist (which is found in Degree Works). Additionally, the courses I took typically tested our knowledge through exams or final papers and the occasional group project and presentation.
As a graduate student, one of my main goals was to finish classes so I could spend more of my time on my research. Luckily, I had completed a lot of the courses prior to returning to Rice and was able to waive them based on courses I had previously taken at Rice or ODU. At most, I took three content courses a semester (which does not count any seminar course). My graduate courses also focused more on reading and interpreting articles rather than memorizing facts. A failing grade for the Department of Psychological Sciences is anything lower than a B-. Many of the courses I took at Rice were also cross-listed and were open to both undergraduate and graduate students. For these courses, the graduate students had more requirements and were held to a higher standard than the undergraduate students. For example, graduate students usually have to take the same tests and complete the same projects; however, they must complete a more extensive project than undergraduate students. Additionally, many of the courses had the graduate students present a research article from the course readings to the class or lead a project team. The courses that were only for graduate students were much smaller (about 15 students maximum) than other undergraduate courses. These courses usually assessed our knowledge through final papers, project proposals, and presentations rather than tests. These courses also emphasized the readings and discussion of the course materials.
Research
As an undergraduate, from my courses, I learned about research by reading research articles, summarizing them, and sometimes presenting them for courses. In addition to my courses, I conducted research. I first became involved in research by joining a lab for course credit. The research I conducted typically consisted of designing the stimuli for a study and running participants for it. In addition, I conducted an honors thesis, which gave me more responsibility and required a written document as a deliverable at the end of the academic year. My research experience as an undergraduate provided professional training to become a researcher.
At least for my doctorate study area, I focus on research. My responsibilities include searching relevant scientific literature, designing the methods for the experiment, collecting data, analyzing results, and discussing the implications and conclusions based on the results. In addition to overseeing and running multiple projects, I am also responsible for writing and synthesizing the study to publish in a peer-reviewed journal. In graduate school, I have transitioned into becoming a research producer from only a research consumer. Graduate school is less like college (as an undergraduate) and more like a job (conducting and producing research).
In conclusion, as a graduate student, classes became a lower priority for me than when I was an undergraduate student. As a graduate student, I produce and manage research much more than when I was an undergraduate. I am more of an apprentice and have a more significant role in research. As an undergraduate student, I observed others conduct research; I was also able to practice research in a more supervised setting. These have been my experiences of the academic differences between life as an undergraduate and graduate student at Rice.
About the author:
Katie Garcia is from Houston, Texas and is a current Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Psychological Sciences studying Human Factors and Human-Computer Interaction. She got her B.S. in psychology and cognitive sciences at Rice University, and her M.S. in psychology from Old Dominion University. Read more.
Further Reading:
Transitioning from Rice to Rice: Undergrad to Grad Experience – Social Events
Transitioning from Rice to Rice: Undergrad to Grad Experience – Orientation
Transitioning from Rice to Rice: Undergrad to Grad Experience – Housing