Frequently Asked Questions

At Rice Business, you’ll cover the fundamentals – finance, marketing, operations, strategy and leadership, plus problem-solving and decision-making skills. But your learning goes beyond the classroom. Within student clubs and organizations, you’ll put those skills to work before you ever graduate. You’ll leave ready to take on professional roles confidently and make an impact across industries. Learn more about the career impact of our business major here.

The business major has three types of courses: foundational courses, such as calculus, statistics, and economics; core courses that mirror a typical first-year MBA curriculum; and concentration courses that allow students to develop expertise in a specific business discipline (finance, management or marketing). View the complete set of course requirements for the business major.

The business major builds on the minor. (All seven minor courses are required for the major.)  The major has a higher level mathematics and statistics requirement, additional required courses in management accounting and operations management, and students earn a concentration in finance, management or marketing by taking advanced courses. See a comparison of the business major and minor. 

The major is for students who want to focus their undergraduate studies on business while the minor is for students who want a coherent but limited business program to complement their major program of study outside the business school.

There is no cap on the number of students who can complete the business major. Come one, come all! 

Yes, students can earn a double major by satisfying the requirements for both majors. Students pursuing the finance major concentration can use two economics courses toward the business major, making it easier to double major in economics. Students also have the option of earning a dual degree (i.e., a second four-year bachelor’s degree). Learn more about double majors and dual degrees.

Students cannot earn two business major concentrations (e.g. both finance and management or finance and marketing) because they are not substantially different degree programs (i.e., as few as only three additional courses). But students are free to take as many courses in their non-major concentration as they want.

Yes, Rice offers a one-year Master of Accounting (“MAcc”) degree that students can enter after completing their bachelor’s degree in business or any other Rice major.

We’re so glad you’re interested in applying to Rice. The university does not have a separate admissions process for the business major.  Applicants interested in business should follow the general application requirements.  Please select business as your area of interest.  Any student admitted to Rice can pursue the major even if business was not selected as your area of interest in your application.  Once at Rice, students declare a major by completing a declaration form, which is normally done any time up to or during the spring semester of their second year at Rice.  Students can also change their major by completing a change of major form.

There are no specific eligibility requirements to declare the major other than the university's general requirements. There is no GPA requirement. 

Yes, transfer students admitted to Rice can declare the business major. Please view Rice’s general policies regarding transfer credits.  No more than 3 courses (9 credit hours) of transfer credit may apply toward the business major and transfer credit is granted only for courses equivalent to those currently offered in the major.

Current Rice students can contact academic advising aadv@rice.edu for advice about their academic course plans, which courses to take for the business major or minor, and pathways to majors and declaring the business major.  Current students can contact business.major@rice.edu for more specific questions about the business major or minor programs.

Prospective students can contact Rice admissions admission@rice.edu for questions about admission to Rice University (and its business programs) and for general information about the undergraduate business programs offered at Rice.  Prospective students can contact business.major@rice.edu or meet with a Student Ambassador for more specific questions about the business major or minor programs.

Learn more about the resources available for Rice parents.

The Moody Business Scholars Program is a selective, cohort-based undergraduate program in Rice University’s Virani Undergraduate School of Business. It equips high-achieving business majors for competitive careers in finance, consulting and marketing through challenging academics and immersive industry-focused training.

Scholars receive access to specialized co-curricular programming, including industry-specific company visits and networking events, access to intensive bootcamps and technical training programs, dedicated mentorship from faculty and alumni, professional development in interviewing and networking, and experiential learning through a Capstone project or behavioral lab.

The program will feature three concentration-based tracks: finance, management and marketing. The finance track will launch in March 2026, followed by the management track in Fall 2027 and the marketing track in 2028.

Finance scholars participate in technical training bootcamps, exclusive access to industry speaker series and networking receptions, company visits, and a Capstone experience where scholars manage real investment capital.

Management scholars will receive access to rigorous consulting prep programs, engage in hands-on consulting projects with national and global firms, travel to case competitions and professional conferences, and have the opportunity for faculty-mentored research and leadership roles in the Rice Business behavioral research lab.

Freshman and sophomores can apply who have declared the undergraduate business major with a finance concentration. The student must have completed or currently enrolled in BUSI 305: Financial Accounting. No GPA requirements. 

Juniors can apply who have declared the undergraduate business major with a management concentration. The student must have completed or currently enrolled in BUSI 305: Financial Accounting. Students must complete (or be enrolled in) BUSI 421: Power, Influence, and Organizational Change, BUSI 422: Negotiations and Decision Making, and BUSI 423:Emotional Intelligence by spring of junior year. No GPA requirements. 

No, students can only apply for the track that matches their declared concentration. Students who have a concentration outside of the track that they applied for will not be considered.