Commencement is just around the corner, Class of 2024!

Stay in-the-know on general information for degree candidates with the resources available on this page.

Commencement Participation

Students are eligible to cross the stage only once, either in December or May. If you participated in the Tuesday, December 5, 2023 Commencement Ceremony, you are not eligible to participate in the May 3-4, 2024 Commencement Ceremonies.

Doctoral Degree Candidates
An invitation to RSVP for the Doctoral Commencement Ceremony has been sent all eligible doctoral degree candidates. August and December 2023 graduates will have received an email at their personal email address on file in ESTHER. May 2024 graduates will have received their invitation to RSVP at their Rice email. Details regarding the faculty member you wish to place your hood during the ceremony will also be collected via that brief survey. The deadline to respond with your intention to participate in the ceremony is Sunday, March 31.

Please contact commencement@rice.edu if you have any issues or questions about the RSVP process.

Advanced Degree Candidates
An invitation to RSVP for the Advanced Degrees Commencement Ceremony has been sent all eligible degree candidates. August and December 2023 graduates will have received an email at their personal email address on file in ESTHER. May 2024 graduates will have received their invitation to RSVP at their Rice email. The deadline to respond with your intention to participate in the ceremony is Sunday, March 31.

Please contact commencement@rice.edu if you have any issues or questions about the RSVP process.

Jones School (MBA) Degree Candidates
An invitation to RSVP for the Jones School (MBA) Commencement ceremony will be sent in late spring to all eligible MBA degree candidates.

Undergraduate Degree Candidates
Those receiving their bachelor's degree not planning to walk in the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony are asked to let their college coordinator know that they do not intend to participate.

Sallyport Walk Through (Undergraduate Commencement)

Upon first arriving to Rice, students participate in a decades-long tradition of walking through the Sallyport of Lovett Hall into the Academic Quadrangle to mark the beginning of their time at Rice. As the tradition goes, students are not to pass back through the archway towards Founder's Court until the day of graduation. The Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony will include the Sallyport "walk through" as part of the official processional beginning at 6 p.m. Degree candidates will be asked to start assembling in the Academic Quadrangle at 5:45 p.m.

We encourage all families and guests to claim their seats at the stadium since these are available on a first-come, first-served basis. A livestream of this student-focused tradition will be displayed on the jumbotron in Rice Stadium for all to enjoy. In order to ensure the safety of graduating students, campus roads and sidewalks will need to remain free of congestion beginning at 5 pm. We strongly discourage anyone from congregating near the Sallyport, but those who do must stay behind the barricades on Founder's Court and adhere to directions from officers on site.

Those unable to join the on-campus activities will be given the opportunity to view the livestream online.

After the Ceremony

Doctoral Degree Commencement Ceremony
Doctoral degree recipients and their guests will have the chance to congregate across the street from Tudor Fieldhouse in Alice Pratt Brown Hall foyer. Lemonade, coffee, and water will be provided.

Advanced Degree Commencement Ceremony
Advanced degree recipients and their guests will have the chance to congregate across the street from Tudor Fieldhouse in Alice Pratt Brown Hall foyer. Lemonade, coffee, and water will be provided.

Jones School (MBA) Degree Commencement Ceremony
Please stay tuned for details regarding this ceremony.

Undergraduate Degree Commencement Ceremony
Please stay tuned for details regarding this ceremony.

International Students

If your parents will need documentation from Rice University to secure a visa to attend Commencement ceremonies, a family member or friend often needs a letter for the US Consulate or Embassy in order to apply for a visitor’s visa. The Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS) has prepared an invitation letter template to assist with this process. OISS can be reached by phone at 713-348-6095 or by email at oiss@rice.edu.

Class Rings

Graduating students wishing to order a class ring may place their order through Balfour. May graduates ordering Rice rings by March 8th will receive them at the New Alumni Block Party on May 1st. Orders placed after March 8th will be shipped to the address provided at the time of the order. For more information, visit balfour.com/rice or call the Campus Store at 713-348-2039.

Photo and Video

While receiving their diplomas, all graduates will be professionally photographed on the platform. Information on availability of those images will be sent to each graduate’s email address provided with his or her permanent address on file.

Optional, complimentary Cap & Gown portrait sessions will also be available at the follow times:

May 2nd from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. - Farnsworth Pavilion, Ley Student Center
May 3rd from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. - Grand Hall lobby, Ley Student Center
May 4th from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. - Farnsworth Pavilion, Ley Student Center

To book an appointment for a complimentary Cap & Gown portrait session, please visit rice2024.youcanbook.me.

Each ceremony will also be professionally video-recorded. These recordings will be available the week following Commencement on Rice’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/RiceUniversity.

Announcements

Graduation announcements can be ordered through Balfour.

Diplomas

The Office of the Registrar will place the diploma order in early June. The processing and printing at the diploma company will take approximately four weeks. The diploma will list your name, degree, and any applicable university honors (Latin Honors and/or the Distinction in Research and Creative Work). Completed majors, minors, and certificates are not listed on the diploma.

The name displayed on your diploma and the address to which it will be mailed can be viewed and edited by logging into ESTHER and navigating to: ESTHER > Student Services > Graduation > Verify Diploma Information > Diploma Name and Address.

Rice University diplomas are large in size and generally require framing by a professional framer. The dimensions are 17 inches wide by 23 inches tall. To purchase your official Rice University diploma frame, visit the Rice Campus Store or purchase online at ShopRiceU.com. For more information on diplomas, visit the Diplomas page maintained by the Office of the Registrar.

ESTHER

Accounts in the ESTHER system remain active indefinitely after Commencement. As a graduating student, you retain the ability to login and access your account any time at your convenience. You are encouraged to login to ESTHER to update your permanent address and contact information as necessary.

Request to Participate in Commencement (to "Walk Early")

In certain situations, and within certain parameters, students not graduating in May but scheduled to complete their degree requirements one summer or fall semester after their matriculating class may petition to “walk early” to participate in the annual commencement ceremony in May preceding their degree conferral date. Graduate students in thesis degree programs (master’s or doctoral) are not permitted to “walk early” under any circumstances.

The deadline to request approval to "walk early" has passed. If you have questions, please contact the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at gradcommencement@rice.edu or the Office of the Dean of Undergraduates at ugdean@rice.edu.

Association of Rice Alumni / The Rice Portal

Welcome to the Association of Rice Alumni (ARA)! The ARA was founded in 1919 to continue the relationship between the university and its alumni. 100 years later, the ARA has over 64,000 members worldwide. There are no membership dues to join the association; as a graduate of Rice, you are immediately part of this global community.

Wherever you are in the world, you can keep in touch with the university and your fellow Rice Owls! To view a calendar of all upcoming Rice alumni events, and to learn more about Rice alumni regional and affinity groups, visit alumni.rice.edu.

Through the Rice Portal, alumni can access a suite of online services that allows you to keep in touch with other Owls and engage with the university. You can sign up for your alumni email account, search for a classmate, register for an event, update your communication preferences, or share an update about your life or career — all through the Rice Portal.

To register for your personal account, visit alumni.rice.edu/connect and click on “New user registration.” Once you've signed up, don't forget to update your contact information so you don't miss out on the latest news and events taking place in your region.

Congratulations again, and welcome to the Association of Rice Alumni!