MAcc Enrollment Guide

You have received an email from the Rice Business Recruiting and Admissions Team with your NetID, Student ID number, and instructions on how to set up your Rice email. If you need instructions on configuring your Rice Exchange email, click here.

If you have any questions, please contact: ricemacc@rice.edu

Whether you are a new or returning Rice University student, you will need to electronically submit a headshot photo for use on your Rice University Student ID Card. Photo requirements and the link to upload your photo can be found here: New Student ID Card Instructions. Please keep in mind that you must follow the photo instructions carefully for your photo to be approved. We recommend that you wait until after July 1 to upload your picture.

After you’ve uploaded your picture, the Rice Police Department (RUPD) will notify you whether your photo was approved. Your ID will then be available for you to pick up after mid-July from the RUPD office. Most students pick up their IDs during Launch Week.

All Rice Business students are required to have their own laptop that runs on Microsoft Windows. Because you will be running Windows-only applications on your laptop in your MAcc classes, a Mac laptop is not an acceptable substitute for a PC laptop.

Office 365 Education is free to eligible Rice University students for use on personally-owned devices. You can find information on how to obtain Office 365 here. 

Recommended Minimum Hardware:

• Intel Core i5 processor
• 4 GB of system memory
• 802.11ac wireless card
• 320 GB of hard drive capacity
• Audio output capacity

If you plan to drive a car to campus, you will need to obtain a parking pass. You can purchase your parking pass here via your imagineOne "iO" account. After signing in to your iO account, click on the "Parking" button. (Related: imagineOne Training Resources for Students)

Most MAcc students choose to park in Rice’s "West Lot," which is a surface parking lot that is a short walk to McNair Hall, the business school building. Some MAcc students opt to pay a higher rate to park in the underground Central Parking Garage. 

If you purchase a parking pass, you will be able to pick up your pass during MAcc Launch Week from the Rice Parking Office. The Rice Parking Office is located within the Central Campus Garage. The Central Campus Garage itself is the basement of McNair Hall. 

Parking passes for the Academic Year will become available starting July 1.

Contact: parking@rice.edu

Student Health Data Form: The Health Data Form is required for all full-time students of the University. You must fill out the form and in some cases contact your doctor to get your records or schedule a visit to update your immunizations. A physical exam and physician’s signature are required for new students. Please be advised that new students under the age of 22 will need to show proof of a meningitis vaccination ten days before the semester starts. You must complete and submit this form by July 1. 

Contact: hlsv@rice.edu 

Student Health Insurance/Waiver: Information about your student health insurance options and the open enrollment dates can be found here . All students are required to have health insurance coverage. If you currently have health insurance with another plan, you may waive Rice student insurance by demonstrating comparable insurance coverage. Please, review the waiver requirements. To register for or waive Rice Health Insurance during the open enrollment period, visit https://studenthealthinsurance.rice.edu/enroll-or-waive-coverage. You will need your Rice student ID number to complete the process. You must register for or waive Rice Student Health Insurance by August 26.

**IMPORTANT: If you do not take action to enroll in or waive the student insurance plan prior to the deadline, you will be automatically enrolled into the insurance plan and responsible for the full premium amount. Once enrolled, you will be unable to cancel coverage for any reason.**

You can remove registration holds using the ESTHER web application. ESTHER login instructions and your PIN were emailed to you. Before your registration can be completed, you must clear all of your student holds (Emergency Notification, Address Verification, Honor Code, Student Health Services). The business school registrar will register you for your fall courses, so you will not need to worry about enrolling yourself. Instructions on how to clear the holds can be found here. Please remove your registration holds by July 1. 

(Related: What is ESTHER?) 

Contact: jgsbregistrar@rice.edu

Official Transcripts

We require official transcripts from your previous institutions. Most U.S. institutions are able to send us official transcripts electronically via an official electronic delivery service. This means that we are unable to accept transcripts that you personally send to us over email; even if they are certified as "official" PDFs, we will still need them to be sent to us directly from your school. When requesting electronic delivery, please have your transcripts sent to ricemacc@rice.edu. If your institution is not able to send electronic transcripts, your official transcript can be mailed to:

MAcc Program Admissions
6100 Main St., MS-531
Houston, TX 77005

Test Scores

If you provided a standardized test score (GMAT or GRE) as part of the admissions process, we require that you have your official scores sent to us using the codes below:

The GMAT code is 3WS-WD-35.
The GRE code is 7502.

Please send all Official Transcripts and Test Scores by Monday, August 1.

Complete the Preventing Sexual Harassment required online training by October 1. It is recommended that this training be completed prior to arrival, if possible.

To help prepare those of you who will be seeking a full-time job offer this fall, we have collaborated with Rice’s Center for Career Development (CCD) to create an online "MAcc Job and Internship Hunt Primer" course. Each of you will receive an invitation to access and take the CCD Career Course on Canvas. You will need to log on to Canvas using your Rice Net ID and password.

If you are not interning this summer or if you do not expect to earn a full-time job offer from your current summer internship, you are required to complete this online course by Monday, August 1. If, on the other hand, you expect to begin the MAcc program having already accepted a full-time job offer, the course is optional for you. The entire course should take fewer than 3 hours to complete.

Note that the course’s resume module, which is the second module following the course overview module, must be completed by Tuesday, July 5. That resume module culminates in you uploading an updated version of your resume. We will collect all job-seeking students' resumes and share them with recruiters from the "Big Four" public accounting firms in July.

You will be using Excel regularly in your MAcc courses and in your subsequent career. In the first half of the fall semester, you will take MACC 563-Data Analytics I, which is primarily devoted to advanced Excel features. To ensure everyone has the basics of Excel mastered before MACC 563 begins, we require you to complete a self-paced, online Excel tutorial before classes start. Below are instructions for the required tutorial.

• Access the tutorial, called "Problem Solving with Excel,” on Coursera’s platform: https://www.coursera.org/learn/excel-analysis. This tutorial is a module that is part of a specialization in data analysis and presentation skills that PwC developed.

• You will be given the option of enrolling in the module for $49/month (after free 7-day trial) or auditing it for free. We are not requiring you to pay the fee to enroll. However, if you enroll, you will then be able to complete the module's embedded quizzes and exercises, which will solidify your learning. Additionally, enrolling will enable you to earn a certificate that you can put on your resume and your LinkedIn profile.

• Whether you enroll or audit, all MAcc students must demonstrate that they’ve competed the tutorial. For those who enroll, email Chase Crook your certification of competition. For those who audit, email him a screenshot of the “Course Wrap-Up” video.

• You should budget about 12 total hours for this tutorial, so map out a schedule to complete the tutorial now. The creators of the tutorial recommend spending 3 hours per week over 4 weeks.

This course can be completed on your own schedule. However, you must submit your evidence of completion to Chase Crook by Friday, August 12.

Rice students are eligible for a free license to Microsoft Office 365, which includes the latest version of Excel. See https://kb.rice.edu/104347 for instructions on creating your free Office 365 account. Once you’ve created your Office 365 account, you can download Excel for your computer. Refer to the “Technology Requirements” section.

Rice has partnered with NameCoach to allow you to record your name inside of ESTHER, and that recording can be used to assist your instructors and others at Rice (e.g., during class and at commencement) in how to pronounce your name. Please record your name by Monday, August 8. 
 
To record your name in ESTHER:

• From your web browser, go to ESTHER at https://esther.rice.edu.
• Log in using your Net ID credentials
• Authenticate using DUO authentication.
• From the ESTHER Main Menu, click Personal Information.
• From the list of Personal Information options, click Update Name Pronunciation (NameCoach).
• Click the NameCoach button.
• Enter/update your full name or your name as you would like it to be said/announced.
• Enter/update the phonetic spelling of your name.
• Select an option to record your name.
• Web Recorder will allow you to press Record and record your name when you follow the on-screen prompts.
• Phone will allow you to enter a phone number. You will receive an automated call that will allow you to speak your name for recording. Please be sure to follow the prompts, and please be sure to wait until it indicates "Call is completed" before proceeding to the next step.
• Click on Save all the changes to save the submitted changes.
• Click Close to close the window

Reviews and advice from current Rice Business Students: Housing Guide 2023

*The housing application deadline for campus housing has passed, but the complexes may still have units available. Please reach out to the complex you're interested in directly to inquire. 

Rice University is pleased to offer housing to incoming first-year graduate students at two university-managed properties - both located within a mile of campus.

• Rent includes internet, basic cable at RGA and internet cable or online streaming TV at RVA and utilities (electricity not included)
• Furnished apartments with full size beds, chair/desk and chest of drawers
• Shuttles to campus every 15 - 20 minutes during weekdays
• Shopping shuttle on weekends
• Planned social events and activities

Please keep in mind the following important information:

• March 1, 2022: Housing application opens
• Completed applications received through April 20, 2022 receive priority
• The priority deadline for graduate housing has passed, but there may still be housing available. Check with grad housing for more information.

For more information, please visit the Graduate Student Housing website.

Resources for off-campus housing can be found on the Graduate and Postdoctoral housing page. A Google Map of rental data was compiled by graduate students. This was compiled to provide an estimation of cost of housing available. To view the map in a new window, click here. 

Rice Village Apartments

Rice Village Apartments (2410 Shakespeare St, Houston, TX 77030) is a four-story complex featuring a modern design and just opened in the spring of 2009. It is conveniently located on Shakespeare Street adjacent to the ever so popular Rice Village. The location can provide extra benefits to the residents without a car because the Rice Village showcases over 300 shops, boutiques, and restaurants. This distinctive community protects important green space and trees in this attractive neighborhood. There is a resident herb garden and fruit trees throughout. Each unit offers appliances certified by Energy Star to conserve energy and protect the environment, giving residents lower electricity bills. The laundry machines alert you via email when your laundry is done. Disability accommodations are also provided. You will find the value of making the Rice Village Apartments your home, by offering affordable and unique floor plans within a prestigious area of Houston.

Rice Graduate Apartments

Rice Graduate Apartments (1515 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX 77005) is a garden style complex located on Bissonnet in the Houston Museum District only seconds away from Rice Campus. With ease you can visit the Museum of Fine Arts, Contemporary Arts Museum, Museum of Natural Science, Children’s Museum, Health Museum, and the Holocaust Museum. The Houston Zoo is also conveniently located in close proximity to the Graduate Apartments. This community was designed with you, the Rice University graduate student, in mind. We offer you the space you need to have success in your academic pursuits. Besides the large room you have in your apartment you will also find; a computer room, two study rooms, a television lounge, clubhouse, and two courtyards. When you make Rice Graduate Apartments your home, besides the obvious advantages: quick and easy access to campus and access to community resources, studies show that students living near campus actually have a better opportunity for growth and success.

You can find off-campus housing options through the Rice University Off-Campus Housing Website.

A Google Map of rental data was compiled by graduate students. This was compiled to provide an estimation of cost of housing available. To view the map in a new window, click here. The Graduate Student Association (GSA) has compiled a comprehensive guide to housing - everything from Houston neighborhoods to tips on setting up utilities. You can view the GSA housing guide here. 

We have also compiled a list of realtors and apartment locator services who can help students find housing in the Houston area. Please feel free to reach out to any of the real estate professionals listed below:

Name: Brandi Downey (Rice MBA '11)
Company: DiverseCity Realty
Phone: 281-727-0919
Email: Brandi@diversecity.us

Name: Amanda Boos
Company: Apartment Living Locators
Office: 713-703-6734
Email: aboos0731@aol.com

Name: Sachin Chowdhry
Company: Roger Martin Properties
Phone: 832-646-0250
Email: sachin@rogermartin.com

Name: Deja Land
Company: Deja Land Realty
Phone: 713-585-5017
Email: deja@deja.land