Students entering with previous graduate work follow a hybrid program. In exceptional circumstances, students entering with the BSc degree may petition to bypass the MS degree and proceed directly on to the PhD.

First Year Student
In the first year at Rice, the student typically takes 6 courses, completes a First Year Project, find and MS Thesis Advisor, begins research, and formulates a PhD Course Plan.

MS Candidate
The decision on admission into MS Candidacy is made by the Graduate Committee in May of the student's first year, based on:

    - performance on the First Year Project
    - performance on the course work to date
    - a statement from the prospective MS Thesis Advisor
       indicating willingness to support the student during the MS thesis work.

There are three possible outcomes of the Graduate Committee's evaluation: satisfactory progress, satisfactory progress with remedial work required, and unsatisfactory progress. In the second case, students will be advised in writing of the required remedial work and the time period allowed to complete the work.  In the case of unsatisfactory progress, the student will not be allowed to continue toward the MS/PhD degrees. All students must advance to MS candidacy in their first year at Rice. (Transfers to other degree programs (MEE, for example) require special permission of the ECE Graduate Committee and the Office of Research and Graduate Studies.

Over the course of the second year at Rice, the MS candidate completes the course requirements for the MS degree (typically two more courses), performs research, forms an MS Thesis Committee, and writes and defends an MS Thesis.

PhD Qualified Student
The Graduate Committee reviews students completing all of the MS degree requirements for an advancement to PhD candidacy. This decision is based on:

    - quality of the MS thesis, as judged by the MS Thesis Committee
    - successful completion of the Course Plan to date
    - statement from the prospective PhD advisor indicating
        willingness to support the student during the doctoral work.

There are three possible outcomes of the Graduate Committee's evaluation: satisfactory progress, satisfactory progress with remedial work required, and unsatisfactory progress. In the second case, students will be advised in writing of the required remedial work and the time period allowed to complete the work.  In the case of unsatisfactory progress, the student will not be allowed to continue toward the PhD degree.

Over the course of the next year, the PhD student takes additional courses required for the PhD degree, chooses and begins researching a PhD Thesis topic, forms a PhD Thesis Committee, and presents a PhD proposal.

PhD Candidate
The decision on admission into PhD Candidacy is made by the Graduate Committee upon completion of the PhD Thesis Proposal. This decision is based on:

    - performance on the PhD proposal, as judged by the PhD Thesis Committee
    - successful completion of the Course Plan to date.

In the subsequent years, the PhD candidate completes the PhD Course Plan, performs research, and writes and defends a PhD Dissertation.
Students entering with previous graduate work follow different programs depending on the nature of this study. Their program will be developed in conjunction with the Graduate Committee and are faculty, but at a minimum will consist of a First Year Project, formulation of a Course Plan, and identification of a Thesis Advisor for the following year.  The First Year Project will encourage timely completion of the PhD degree (in most cases, the project will lay the groundwork for the PhD research). Requirements for PhD qualification and candidacy are the same as for other students.