Student (Anonymous)
Rice University, PhD in Earth and Planetary Sciences
Reviewed on Feb 3, 2026(Enrolled 2025)What Students Say
Likes
- Excellent research environment
- Great facilities and resources
- Strong PhD prgram structure, coursework, etc.
Dislikes
- Overall population is less, as the university wanted to maintain that, however sometimes you might feel the lack of number of human beings around.
Course Curriculum
10
- The coursework for a graduate degree is very robust, hands-on, and up to date, of course, but again, depending on what the departmental requirements are, that varies.
- In most of the PhD programs, exposure to industry or additional research facilities depends on the research one is doing.
Admission Experience
- I wanted to pursue my research in experimental petrology and high-pressure-temperature geochemistry, which involves studying how deep planetary interiors have evolved.
- These interests got perfectly aligned with the research my PI does, the excellent resources and facilities available, and the department's areas of focus. Additionally, the department has a strong faculty group in overall petrology and geochemistry.
Faculty
10
- The faculty and staff are excellent and very approachable.
Campus Life
10
- There are many campus clubs run by both graduate and undergraduate students, spanning ethnic groups, music, dance, sports, and more. Just like any other university, all the departments have their own library space, as well as a central library called Fondren, which is pretty remarkable and has access to almost all the resources one would generally require.
- Rice has several open fields, a stadium, training facilities, a gym/recreation center, and several indoor and outdoor game courts.
Part Time Jobs
- For PhD students, a few semesters of teaching is a requirement; however masters students can secure TA duties as well. Part-time jobs on campus are doable.
Accommodation
Off Campus
8
- I currently live in one of Rice's graduate housing facilities. While students can live in one of these residences for the first year, most are required to move to off-campus housing afterwards.
Exams
- For a PhD application: IELTS/TOEFL, GRE (optional/varies department-wise), transcripts, SOP, LOR, CV, etc.
