# The Virani Undergraduate School of Business

**Source**: https://business.rice.edu/undergraduate-programs/virani-undergraduate-school-business
**Parent**: https://business.rice.edu/

Our undergraduate programs empower future leaders and innovators, equipping them with the business fundamentals to drive change and shape the world.

## The Virani Undergraduate School of Business

Launched in 2021, our undergraduate business program has quickly become a hub for innovation and leadership. In 2024, it was named the Virani Undergraduate School of Business in honor of a transformative gift from Houston philanthropists Farid and Asha Virani. Their generosity is fueling new opportunities for students through enhanced curricula, expanded co-curricular experiences and a dedicated associate dean — advancing our mission to educate the next generation of business leaders.

[Learn More](https://business.rice.edu/undergraduate-programs/virani-undergraduate-school-business/about-virani-undergraduate-school-business)

## Business Major

Looking for a robust foundation in leadership and business fundamentals, including finance, economics, accounting, marketing and communications along with additional advanced courses to earn a concentration in finance, management and marketing? Then the undergraduate business major is for you.

[Learn More](https://business.rice.edu/undergraduate-business-major)

## Business Minor

By offering the opportunity to complement your major field of study, the undergraduate business minor helps you develop a critical understanding of business concepts, decision-making frameworks and practical skills in communications, teamwork and organizational effectiveness.

[Learn More](https://business.rice.edu/undergraduate-programs/business-minor)

## Entrepreneurship Minor

The Entrepreneurship minor, a joint offering with the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing, provides Rice students with a pathway to pursue rigorous and interdisciplinary study in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship. The minor is administered by the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

[Learn More](https://business.rice.edu/undergraduate-programs/entrepreneurship-minor)

## Pathways to Graduate Programs

Explore Rice Business graduate program options — and even apply — while you are still an undergraduate. Learn about Deferred Enrollment for the Full-Time MBA or the Master of Accounting program. Open to students from all majors, including international applicants.

[MBA Deferred Enrollment](https://business.rice.edu/rice-mba/full-time-mba/deferred-enrollment)   [Master of Accounting](https://business.rice.edu/graduate-programs/master-accounting)

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Rice Business Wisdom features faculty research applied in the classroom.

CEO Compensation | Accounting

### [Short-Term CEO Pay Isn’t Always a Mistake](https://business.rice.edu/wisdom/short-term-ceo-pay-isnt-always-mistake)

When companies break loan terms, boards adjust CEO pay to focus on stabilizing finances.

Discrimination | Organizational Behavior

### [Why Anti-Asian Discrimination Is Often Overlooked at Work](https://business.rice.edu/wisdom/why-anti-asian-discrimination-often-overlooked-work)

New research shows that people rely on mental prototypes when discerning racial discrimination in the workplace — and Asian Americans are less likely to fit that template.

Startups | Strategy

### [Does Gender Diversity Attract Investors? It Depends.](https://business.rice.edu/wisdom/does-gender-diversity-attract-investors-it-depends)

In startup accelerator programs, gender diversity alone doesn’t engage investors — what matters more is that founder and mentor teams align in their gender composition.

[See All](https://business.rice.edu/wisdom)