<p>This is more of a question for those who are currently or have attended Rice! (or anyone with just as much expertise!)</p>
<p>Sooo, while contemplating the advantages and disadvantages of attending Rice, I have decided to consider the credits I would receive for my AP scores. By the end of my senior year, I would have taken about 10 passing hopefully.
Rice requires, along with classes towards your degree, 12 semester hours in three different distribution groups it designates. I have matched up my scores to the credits accepted at Rice to get a total of 6 in D1, 15 in D2, 7 in D3, and 12 credits not included in the distribution groups. Does that mean I only need four classes (11 more semester hours) to move on to degree specific studies??
It seems way too little and way too good to be true. I'm sure there are more credits needed (like, I think I heard PE was required?).</p>
<p>Does Rice have any more course requirements outside of the 12 semester hours required in the 3 Distribution Groups? If so, where on their website can I find them?</p>
<p>Thank you in advance (:</p>
<p>You need about 120 hours to graduate. Keep in mind that you need 60 hours in 300- and 400- level classes (each lecture class is about 3 credits, with labs being 1 credit). You also need about 10 core courses (more if you are an engineering major) in your specific major. Check out this link:[General</a> Announcements](<a href=“http://www.rice.edu/catalog/2009_2010/]General”>http://www.rice.edu/catalog/2009_2010/).</p>
<p>Thank you for the link (V. HELPFUL) and the info! So it’s around 120 courses TOTAL correct? Including the basic and the major/degree courses? So if each is around 3 semester hours, and I already have 25 hours done for the distribution, that leaves me to fill around 95 hours? Which are essentially 32 courses?? I’m not a math person (ironic) so correct me if I am wrong :S</p>
<p>120 hours is the minimum amount needed to graduate. Depending on your major, you may need more. I will (hopefully) be graduating this May, at which point I will have earned 162 hours. This is definitely more than is required by my major, and some of it comes from AP credit. Really, though, there’s no use in trying to plan how many classes you’re going to take yet. If you do choose to come to Rice, you’ll receive a huge amount of academic advice from both faculty and other students in August.</p>
<p>Yeah, I really wouldn’t stress too much about figuring this out now. You’ll get probably more academic advising than you know what to do with during O-Week =]</p>
<p>Also, keep in mind that:
- Not all AP credits count towards distribution credit. For instance, my AP credit in English Lang/Lit, and in French, only counted towards my total graduation hours, not D1 or anything.
- Different courses are weighted differently in terms of number of credits. My Chem class is 3, my Chem lab is 1, my Spanish class (intro) is 5. There’s really no predicting how things will work out–I can barely do that and I’m already a student heading into my third semester.
- Most people take 15-17 hours per semester, but I’d recommend going lighter your first semester while you get adjusted.</p>
<p>Just relax and have fun looking through the courses to see what looks interesting…I promise you that during O-Week, you’ll get a ton of advice, from Peer Academic Advisors specifically trained and selected to help you!</p>
<p>You can take degree-specific classes regardless of whether or not you have your distribution credit done.</p>
<p>Also, while the topic is up, might I advise everyone to take AP Chemistry.</p>
<p>Seriously, if you pass it, you’ll get 8 credits AND you won’t have to take gen chem, which, according to my friends, is one of the most time consuming classes ever.</p>
<p>Unless you’re premed. Then you’ll probably have to take it anyway.</p>
<p>Actually I think if you’re premed you can either take all those hours of gen chem, or you can take a year of more advanced chemistry, like biochem.</p>