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ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
ADMISSION
Please visit https://engineering.virginia.edu/future-grads/graduate-admissions for more information about UVA Engineering graduate admissions.
Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree from a recognized college or university. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is optional. Official transcripts are not required for review purposes but are required when an admitted student matriculates. Applicants who provide self-reported GRE scores in their application are required to provide official scores upon matriculation.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ADMISSION
Students should consult “International Student Admission” in the University Regulations—Academic section of the Record for policies that govern English language requirements for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. In addition to exemptions described in the University Regulations section of the Record, UVA Engineering exempts applicants from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement if they are a Permanent Resident of the U.S. or for applicants who have earned a bachelor’s degree entirely at an institution where English is the primary language of instruction.[CAM(3] Applicants who provide self-reported TOEFL/IELTS scores in their application are required to provide official scores upon matriculation.
RESCINDING ADMISSION
It is expected that all admitted students uphold the intellectual, ethical, and professional standards of the School of Engineering and UVA. All applicants offered admission to UVA Engineering agree to abide by the principles laid out in theUVA Honor Codeand theStandards of Conduct. UVA Engineering may rescind an offer of admission up until the date of matriculation for, but not limited to, the following reasons:
- An admitted applicant is found to have presented misleading or fraudulent information during the application process.
- An admitted applicant fails to uphold the principles of the Honor Code and the Standards of Conduct mentioned above.
ACADEMIC ADVISING
Students are appointed an advisor for consultation and academic planning, and for degrees that require a thesis or dissertation for research advising. Advisors must be UVA faculty.
A student may be co-advised by two advisors. It is expected that these two advisors will be UVA faculty. If, however, a student wishes to be co-advised by a non-UVA faculty, the non-UVA co-advisor must have a courtesy appointment as a visiting professor. Only faculty will receive such courtesy appointments.
ACADEMIC STANDING
Good academic standing is defined as a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and Satisfactory grade(s) in research and in teaching, when applicable. Unsatisfactory work during any semester, a cumulative grade point average of less than 3.0, and/or failure of a milestone may be considered a sufficient reason for withdrawal of financial assistance or for enforced withdrawal from the graduate program. Non-degree and visiting graduate students are also expected to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0to remain in good academic standing.
ACADEMIC WARNING
Graduate students may incur academic warning (formerly known as academic probation)any fall or springsemester in which they fail to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. Students on academic warning have one semester to increase their cumulative grade point average to 3.0 or above, or they will be placed on academic suspension. Non-degree and VEO students have two semesters of enrollment to increase their cumulative grade point average.
ACADEMIC SUSPENSION
Students who do not raise their GPA to 3.0 during their academic warning will incur academic suspension. Without an approved academic suspension appeal, students are permanently academically suspended from the School of Engineering and are not eligible for readmission.
ACADEMIC SUSPENSION APPEALS
Students should consult PROV-019: Student Academic Suspension Grievance for the policy and procedure through which students can raise concerns about academic suspension decisions. Academic suspensions may be appealed within 30 days of notification of the suspension. Engineering graduate students who wish to appeal an academic suspension should submit a written grievance as outlined in PROV-019 by email to gradengineering@virginia.edu, where it will be received and adjudicated by the School Designated Official, the Associate Dean for Graduate Education.
CHANGING PROGRAMS WITHIN ENGINEERING
A student may not transfer to a new program within UVA Engineering until they have spent at least one semester in their current program. Any student wishing to transfer after this minimal time period must complete the Request Program Plan Change Form.
COMMITTEE REQUIREMENTS
Students should consult the programpage of the School of Engineering and Applied Science Recordfor any program-specific committee requirements beyond the school-level requirements described below.
All Committee members must have qualifications commensurate or above that of a research faculty or its equivalent rank. To avoid conflicts of interest, no committee member can be employed by or receive compensation from another committee member.
Committee chairs must hold a faculty appointment in the School of Engineering and cannot be the student’s Advisor. Faculty with courtesy or visiting appointments may not chair a committee.
Committee members from outside the student’s home department are defined as current UVA faculty members whoseprimary appointment is outside the student’s home department. Committee members from outside UVA who have a courtesy appointment in the student’s home department cannot count as the member outside the student’s home department. Students who matriculated before fall 2024 may be grandfathered into this definition of committee members outside the student’s home department. For students in Computer Engineering, the student’s advisor’s department of primary appointment is considered the home department.
Academic general faculty may serve as regular committee members. Adjunct faculty may serve as committee members from outside UVA.
Committee members from outside UVA are allowed to serve as a voting member additional to the minimum number of committee members required.Members from outside UVA must have qualifications commensurate with that of a research faculty or equivalent rank. Emeritus faculty are considered outside UVA for the purpose of Committees. A CV or biography is required for all committee members who are not UVA faculty and should be submitted to the Engineering Graduate Registrar with the form appointing the committee. The CV or biography should include the highest degree attained, the year and institution, and any relevant experience or research which would enable that member to provide expertise to the student and committee.
Committee members from outside the School of Engineering are allowed to serve as a voting member additional to the minimum number of committee members required.
M.S. THESIS DEFENSE COMMITTEE
The M.S. thesis defense committee must include a minimum of three UVA faculty, at least two of whom must be School of Engineering faculty.
The “M.S. Thesis Defense Committee”form must be completed and submitted to the Engineering Graduate Registrar’s Office at least two weeks prior to the examination/defense date.
PH.D. ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Ph.D. Advisory Committee must include a minimum of three School of Engineering faculty, one additional UVA faculty member from outside the student’s home department, and a minimum of four total members. Students are allowed to have additional committee members beyond the previously mentioned four.
The Doctoral Advisory Committee Form must be completed and submitted to the Engineering Graduate Registrar’s Office as early as possible in the student’s Ph.D. program. The form must be approved by the Graduate Office at least two weeks prior to any event for whichthe Advisory Committee Form is required.
PH.D. DISSERTATION DEFENSE COMMITTEE
The Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Committee must include the student’s Ph.D. Advisory Committee. The Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Committee must include a minimum of three School of Engineering faculty, a minimum of four UVA faculty, and a minimum of five total members. One of the UVA faculty members must be from outside the student’s home department. Students are allowed to have additional committee members beyond the previously mentioned five.
The Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Committee form must be completed and submitted to the Engineering Graduate Registrar’s Office at least two weeks prior to the examination/defense date.
COURSE RULES
COURSE LOAD
Full Time
Full-time enrollment in the fall or spring terms is a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 15 credit hours per term. Full-time enrollment in summer term is 6 credit hours. Full-time enrollment for Accelerated Master’s Program students is a minimum of 9 credits. Full time enrollment is required in all semesters a student is receiving funding or financial aid.
Students are permitted to enroll in 16 credits inthe fall or spring semester if enrolling in a departmentally required 1 credit seminar or lab puts them over the 15-credit limit, and all other enrolled courses are departmentally required. Students who wish to enroll in more than 15 credits in a fall or spring term must contact the UVA Engineering Graduate Registrar for assistance.
Part Time
Part-time enrollment in the fall or spring term is 11 or fewer credits, or 5 or fewer credits in summer. Permission for enrolling part-time must be requested through a “Change of Enrollment”form. Ph.D. students must also have the approval of the Associate Dean of Graduate Education in order to enroll part-time. Once a student is approved for part-time enrollment, they will remain at part-time in future semesters unless a change of enrollment is requested to return to full-time.
Students seeking part-time enrollment are strongly encouraged to first consult their academic advisor to ensure timely graduation. Students receiving financial aid should consult Student Financial Services. International students should consult the International Studies Office prior to requesting part-time enrollment to ensure compliance with visa and immigration requirements is maintained.
COURSES OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
Students who wish to enroll in courses at UVA outside the School of Engineering must complete a UVA Engineering Graduate Course Action Form signed by their advisor and the instructor of the course. For each course, students must adhere to the add and drop deadlines for the school offering the course in which they enroll. Course drop deadlines for courses taught in schools outside Engineering may be much earlier than ours.
If a UVA course outside the School of Engineering is approved to satisfy the academic course requirements at the School level, a Request Requirement Change, Exception or Waiver form is required.
If a UVA course outside the School of Engineering is approved to satisfy the academic course requirements at the program level (above and beyond the School’s academic course requirements), that approval process is determined by the program.
If a student is enrolled in a UVA course outside the School of Engineering in the semester they graduate, the above approval form must be done as early in the semester as possible but at least two weeks prior to the degree conferral date. In addition, ensuring the final grade is posted by the deadline for degree certification processes of the Engineering Graduate Registrar is the responsibility of the student. Failure to obtain a final grade by the deadline will result in the student’s removal from the degree candidate list.
DROPPING OR WITHDRAWING FROM A COURSE
A student may drop registration in a course any time up to the official drop date. Students who are enrolled full-time and wish to drop below 12 credits must contact the Graduate Engineering Registrar for assistance.
After the drop deadline, a student may withdraw from a course until the “drop with W” deadline. Drop and course withdrawal deadlines can be found under the Academic Calendar on the University Registrar’s website. A student who withdraws from a course will receive a W grade for the course.International students should contact the International Studies Office before withdrawing from a course to ensure compliance with visa and immigration requirements are maintained.
In the event of an emergency and/or exigent circ*mstances, students may petition to the Associate Dean for Graduate Education to withdraw from a course beyond the “drop with a W” deadline. The request must provide the reason for the request explaining the extenuating circ*mstances and must include the support of the student’s faculty advisor.
This section applies only to withdrawal from an individual course. Students who wish to drop all their enrolled courses resulting in zero credits of enrollment must withdraw from the term. See the “Leaving the University” section for information on withdrawal.
ESL COURSES
All graduate students are required to complete ESL course recommendations made by CAELC as a result of their University of Virginia English Language Proficiency Exam (UVELPE) and/or Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) test score, and may only request a deferral of one semester for the below reasons:
- If a student is recommended for two or more ESL courses, the student’s program can approve a deferral to the following semester of those ESL courses in excess of one.
- If a student is recommended for an ESL course where all available sections of said course conflict with the student’s current academic load, the student’s program will approve a deferral request to the following semester. It is required that students verify with the CAELC staff that there are no other possible sections that work with their academic load before requesting the deferral.
- If the student will be away for part or all of the semester in question for an internship or other academic purpose, the student’s school may approve a deferral request to the following semester. This does not include a student who is enrolled as part-time.
Recommended ESL courses will not be waived, with the exception of ESL 912, which is not a course, but a one-on-one experience for students currently assigned as Teaching Assistants.
All requests for deferrals and waivers should be submitted to the student’s Graduate Coordinator as soon as possible, but no later than one week prior to the start of the ESL course(s). Failure to request a deferral or waiver on time, and subsequent failure to attend the course(s), will result in an Unsatisfactory grade on the student’s transcript. Any deferral or waiver request outside of the above reasons must be submitted by the Program Graduate Coordinator no later than one week prior to the start of the ESL course(s) for approval by the Office of Graduate Programs.
REPEATED COURSES
The School of Engineering permits students to retake courses for credit. For repeated courses, the original course grade will continue to be used in calculation of the GPA.
DEGREE INFORMATION
EXPIRATION OF CREDITS
Credits used to fulfill degree requirements must be earned within 10 years of the semester of the degree conferral. Courses taken at UVA to fulfill the degree requirements expire 10 years after the completion of the course. Courses taken outside UVA for transfer credit that have not been approved for transfer within 10 years after completion of the course are considered expired. Automatic bulk transfers are excluded from the expiration of credits.
Expired credits cannot be counted toward degree requirements without revalidation. Expired credits may be revalidated if the current instructor of the course reviews the syllabus of the expired course and affirms that the content is still relevant, and must be approved by the student’s advisor, the Graduate Director of the student’s program, the UVA Engineering Graduate Studies Committee, and the Office of Graduate Programs to count toward the student’s degree requirements.
LENGTH OF STUDY
Full-time Ph.D. students must enroll for at least six regular semesters (fall and spring) of graduate study after the baccalaureate degree, or four regular semesters after a master’s degree.
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS
For students coming into a Ph.D. program with a master’s degree, at least two fall or spring semesters beyond the master’s degree must be in full residence at UVA in Charlottesville. For students coming into a Ph.D. program with a bachelor’s degree, at least three regular semesters in full residence at UVA in Charlottesville are required. For M.S. students, at least one semester in residence at UVA in Charlottesville as a full-time student is required. Students carrying out their research at the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) are excepted from the residency requirements.
TIME LIMIT
All requirements for the Ph.D., M.E., M.C.S., and M.M.S.E. degree must be completed within seven years of matriculation to the graduate program. All requirements for the M.S. degree must be completed within five years of matriculation to the graduate program. Time limits are inclusive of semester(s) spent on Affiliated Status. A student may petition to extend their time limit beyond the allotted timeframe to the UVA Engineering Graduate Studies Committee with prior approval by the student’s Advisor and their Graduate Program Director. Such a petition must be filed before the end of the allotted time frame.
UVA Engineering M.S. and Ph.D. students whowere enrolled full- or part-time in Spring 2020 received a one-year (12 month) extension to the normative time limitations associated with their current graduate degree program. For M.S. students, this extends the time limit to 6 years, and for Ph.D. students this extends the time limit to 8 years. The one-year extension is in addition to any existing extension (as of Spring 2020) that was previously granted.
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
To obtain a graduate degree in the School of Engineering, a student must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on all graded graduate course work taken while a graduate student, and all graduate courses taken as an undergraduate at the University of Virginia if the courses are part of a program of study and are used to satisfy program degree requirements. No grade lower than a C is acceptable toward meeting degree requirements.
Undergraduate courses and courses taken on a Credit/No Credit basis may not be used to meet degree requirements and are not used in computing the grade point average. Students who earned a grade of Credit (CR) under the UVA COVID-19 Credit/General Credit/No Credit grading option in Spring 2020, Fall 2020, J-Term 2021, and Spring 2021, or who earned a grade of Credit (CR) under the Fall 2022 special grading option, that would have otherwise counted toward curricular, major, and graduation requirements will continue to do so, but such grades are not factored into a student’s GPA.
Classes at the 4000-level or below do not count toward the graduate degree requirements.
Credits used to satisfy the requirements for a degree may not be used to satisfy the requirements of any other degree.
CREDIT HOUR REQUIREMENTS
M.E., M.C.S., and M.M.S.E. students must complete a minimum of 30 credits of graded graduate level coursework credits (excluding research and teaching credits) beyond the baccalaureate, a minimum of 18 of which must be in the area of major study. For the M.E.-M.B.A. dual degree program, a minimum of 24 credits are required.
M.S. students must complete a minimum of 24 hours of graduate level credits beyond the baccalaureate, a minimum of 12 of which must be formal graded graduate level coursework in the area of major study.
Ph.D. students must complete a combined minimum of 72 credits of research and coursework beyond the baccalaureate, a minimum of 24 of which must be formal graded graduate level coursework.
Each program has its own program requirements above and beyond those listed here as school requirements. See the “Programs” page of the School of Engineering and Applied Science Recordfor specific program requirements.
M.E., M.C.S., AND M.M.S.E. MILESTONES
M.E., M.C.S., AND M.M.S.E. ASSESSMENT FORMS
M.E., M.C.S., and M.M.S.E. students must submit completed program assessment forms as required by their program. Each program requires at least three of these forms. The forms must be submitted to the Engineering Graduate Registrar’s Office.
M.E., M.C.S., AND M.M.S.E. ASSESSMENT FORMS
After successful completion of the program assessment forms, allM.E., M.C.S., and M.M.S.E.students must complete theFirst Destination surveyinforming the schoolwhether employed, continuing education, military service, volunteering, or still seeking employment.
M.S. MILESTONES
M.S. THESIS DEFENSE
Each M.S. student must satisfactorily write a research thesis based on independent research and orally defend it to the M.S. Thesis Defense Committee. The M.S. Thesis Defense Committee must be approved by thestudent’s program and the Engineering Graduate Registrar’s Office before the M.S. thesis defense takes place. A public announcement of the oral presentation of the defense must be sent out by the student’s program at least one week prior to the presentation. Students should consult their program for the announcement template and procedure.
A student who does not perform satisfactorily in the defense may, with the recommendation of two-thirds majority of the M.S. Thesis Defense Committee, be granted a future thesis defense after being given adequate time to prepare.
Upon completion of the M.S. thesis defense, the M.S. Thesis Defense Form and the M.S. Thesis and Ph.D. Dissertation Assessment Form must be completed and submitted to the Engineering Graduate Registrar’s Office.
M.S. THESIS UPLOAD TO LIBRA
After successful completion of the M.S. thesis defense and submission of the associated forms, the student must submit the approved final thesis along with the Thesis/Dissertation Cover and Approval Pages Form to Libra, the online archive of UVA by the date specified in the academic calendar.
M.S. FIRST DESTINATIONS SURVEY
After successful completion of the M.S. thesis defense upload to Libra, all M.S. students must complete theFirst Destination surveyinforming the schoolwhether employed, continuing education, military service, volunteering, or still seeking employment.
PH.D. MILESTONES
PH.D. QUALIFYING EXAM
Each program designs and conducts its Ph.D. Qualifying Exam. All students must perform satisfactorily on this Exam, as determined by the standards of the program. Upon completion of the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam, the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam Report, as well as the program-specific Qualifying Exam Assessment Form must be submitted to the Engineering Graduate Registrar’s Office.
Ph.D. students who move their study to UVA from another institution in concurrence with their faculty research advisor moving to UVA and who have passed a Ph.D. qualifying exam or its equivalent at the previous institution may, at the discretion of the UVA program, have their Ph.D. qualifying exam milestone satisfied. Formal documentation from the previous institution is required to demonstrate the successful completion of the Ph.D. qualifying exam or its equivalent.
PH.D. PROPOSAL AND ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY
All Ph.D. students must prepare and defend a written dissertation proposal, in preparation for conducting research and writing the resulting dissertation. The student must make a public, oral presentation of the proposal to their Ph.D. Advisory Committee. A public announcement of the oral presentation of the proposal must be sent out by the student’s program at least one week prior to the presentation. Students should consult their program for the announcement template and procedure.
Upon completion of the Ph.D. proposal, the Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal Form and the Dissertation Proposal Assessment Form must be completed and submitted to the Engineering Graduate Registrar’s Office. The proposal must be successfully completed at least one semester before the Ph.D. dissertation defense. Students are admitted to Ph.D. candidacy upon successful completion of the Ph.D. proposal.
Ph.D. students who move their study to UVA from another institution in concurrence with their faculty research advisor moving to UVA may not use a successful Ph.D. proposal for the previous institution to satisfy this requirement.
PH.D. DISSERTATION DEFENSE
Each Ph.D. student must satisfactorily write, present, and defend a dissertation based on independent original research that makes a significant contribution to the student’s field of study. The dissertation defense is conducted orally and publicly by the Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Committee, which must be approved by the Engineering Graduate Registrar’s Office before the Ph.D. dissertation defense takes place. A public announcement of the oral presentation of the defense must be sent out by the student’s program at least one week prior to the presentation. Students should consult their program for the announcement template and procedure.
A student who does not perform satisfactorily in the defense may, with the recommendation of two-thirds majority of the Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Committee, be granted a future dissertation defense after being given adequate time to prepare.
Upon completion of the Ph.D. dissertation defense, the Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Form and the M.S. Thesis and Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Assessment Form must be completed and submitted to the Engineering Graduate Registrar’s Office.
PH.D. DISSERTATION UPLOAD TO LIBRA
After successful completion of the Ph.D. dissertation defense and submission of the associated forms, the student must submit the approved final dissertation along with the Thesis/Dissertation Cover and Approval Pages Form to Libra, the online archive of UVA by the date specified in the academic calendar.
PH.D. FIRST DESTINATIONS SURVEY
After successful completion of the Ph.D. dissertation defense and upload to Libra, all Ph.D. students must complete theFirst Destination surveyinforming the schoolwhether employed, continuing education, military service, volunteering, or still seeking employment.
PH.D. SURVEY OF EARNED DOCTORATES
After successful completion of the Ph.D. dissertation defense, all Ph.D. students must complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates and submit a copy of the Certificate of Completion via email to the Engineering Graduate Registrar’s Office.
ENROLLMENT
AFFILIATED STATUS
Students who are not required to be enrolled in a term but who need to retain a minimal affiliation with the University on a temporary basis may apply to be on Affiliated Status. Ph.D. students must have successfully completed their dissertation proposal to be approved for Affiliated Status. [CAM(2]Once approved for Affiliated Status, students may not return to full- or part-time study in their degree program. See Provost Policy 011: Student Enrollment for additional terms and conditions for enrollment at the University, including Affiliated Status.
CONSECUTIVE ENROLLMENT
Students must enroll for all fall and spring terms from the matriculation term until degree conferral. VEO students are excepted from this requirement. Students granted a Leave of Absence are also excepted from this requirement during the approved Leave. Failure to enroll in courses for a term without taking an approved leave of absence results in denial of further enrollment unless and until readmission to the degree program is granted.
RESEARCH ENROLLMENT
All Ph.D. and M.S. students must register for research credits in their advisor’s research section. Credits are assigned to this course in such a way that the total number of credits for which the student is registered reflects the fraction of time devoted to progress toward a degree. Full-time graduate research assistants (GRAs) may not carry a load of more than 9 credits of lecture-laboratory coursesand must register each semester for enough additional credits of research to maintain full-time student enrollment.
TEACHING ENROLLMENT
Students who are appointed to Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) may not carry a load of more than 9 credits of lecture-laboratory courses and must register each semester for enough teaching credit to maintain full-time student status. GTAs should determine the number of teaching credits to enroll in by using their appointment hours in accordance with Provost Policy 022: Determination and Assignation of Academic Credit todetermine the maximum hours of teaching credit. GTA assignments that are a full graduate assistantship (20 hours per week) cannot enroll in excess of 6 teaching credits per semester, and GTA assignments that are half of a full graduate assistantship (10 hours per week) cannot enroll in excess of 3 teaching credits per semester.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Students receiving financial assistance from UVA Engineering must be registered as full-time students in the semester in which they are receiving financial assistance, and must also maintain good academic standing.
ASSISTANTSHIPS
Students should consult PROV-001: Graduate Assistantships for policies and procedures governing Qualified Graduate Assistantships, including graduate research assistantships and graduate teaching assistantships. Hourly-wage master’s teaching assistant assignments are not considered Qualified Graduate Assistantships.
EMPLOYMENT RESTRICTIONS FOR FUNDED STUDENTS
Students receiving School or graduate program funding through graduate assistantships or fellowships are not permitted to have other employment without approval of the Office of Graduate Programs. Students are awarded financial assistance to enable them to devote maximum effort to graduate studies.
FELLOWSHIPS
Fellowships offered by UVA Engineering are intended to allow graduate students to devote their time to learning opportunities in the classroom and in research. Satisfactory academic progress, including research for the thesis or dissertation, is essential. Some programs may require students with fellowship support to include research and teaching duties as part of the usual academic requirements for the degree.
HOURLY WAGE MASTER’S TEACHING ASSISTANTS
Master’sstudents may be employed as a Master’s Teaching Assistant (MTA) for an hourly wage. MTA positions are student wage employment positions and do not qualify the student to receive tuition remission, health insurance subsidy, or tuition adjustment. All MTAs must be registered full-time and maintain a 3.0 GPA.
MTAs must have a master’s degree or at least 18 credits of graduate work in the discipline for which they will be an MTA and cannot TA a course carrying graduate credit without an exception from the Office of Graduate Programs.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS WHO TEACH
All prospective GTAs and MTAs whose first language is not English are required to take the oral portion of the University of Virginia English Language Proficiency Exam (UVELPE). The SPEAK test satisfies this requirement for students who matriculated prior to summer 2020. Prospective GTAs and MTAs must score at least 55 to begin a GTA or MTA appointment without completion of CAELC language training. Three exceptions exist, for which a documented exception form is required:
- A student may be appointed as a TA with an oral UVELPE/SPEAK score of at least 40 if duties are limited to lab set-up, grading, problem-set generation, test generation, solution sets, website maintenance, etc.
- A student may be appointed as a TA with an oral UVELPE/SPEAK score of at least 45 if duties are limited to a lab section (but not as the “main” lab TA) or as a GTA who will be holding office hours (including APMA workshop TAs).
- A student with at least a 50 oral UVELPE/SPEAK score may serve as the main/primary TA for a supervised lab, may conduct review sessions and problem sessions, so long as they are not providing substantive content as would be anticipated in class lecture.
Students who have scored at least 55 on the oral UVELPE/SPEAK may perform TA duties with no further oral English training. Those who scored below 55 must complete all recommended oral English training resulting in a Released to Teach designation by the Center for American English Language and Culture (CAELC) may perform all TA duties with no further oral Engish Training.
GRADES
GRADE APPEALS
Students who wish to appeal a grade should first attempt to resolve the matter with the Instructor. If the grading dispute cannot be resolved with the Instructor, the student may petition the UVA Engineering Graduate Studies Committee within 30 days of the grade posting in SIS.
GRADING BASIS CHANGES
The grading basis for a course cannot be changed after the semester add deadline.
GRADE CHANGES
Students should consult “Grading System – Grade Changes” in the University Regulations—Academic section of the Record for policies that govern requests for changes to a grade after it has been submitted to UREG. Requests for grade changes should be made to the Associate Dean for Graduate Education.
INCOMPLETE GRADES
Students should consult “Grading System” in the University Regulations—Academic section of the record for policies that govern incomplete grades. Graduate students’ incomplete grades in graduate engineering courses automatically lapse 200 days after the end of the semester they receive the IN grade.
LEAVING AND RETURNING TO THE UNIVERSITY
LEAVING THE UNIVERSITY
Students should consult “Leaves of Absence and Withdrawals” in the University Regulations—Academic section of the record for policies that govern their absence from the university. The University withdrawal form is located on the SISStudent Self Service page menu under eForms. The form is titled Leaving the University (Leaves, Withdrawals, and Transfers). Students receiving departmental or school funding are not guaranteed funding upon return through readmission or reenrollment.
- Leave of Absence is an action students can take after the completion of a semester, indicating that the student plans to be away from the university for at least one semester. Students must first obtain the approval of their advisor and the Graduate Director of the student’s program.
- Withdrawal is an action students can take during the semester. All registered courses will show a W, indicating withdrawal. Students who withdraw during the last 10 class days immediately preceding the Final Examination period are not permitted to re-enter the succeeding semester except in the case of a medical withdrawal.
- A withdrawal cannot be processed after a final grade in any class has been posted on a student’s record for that term.
- Financial support allocated to the student for the remainder of that semester is forfeited at the effective date of the withdrawal.
READMISSION
Students who exceed the two-year limit of non-enrollment in the School of Engineering must reapply for admission to the School.
REENROLLMENT
Students must request to return from an approved leave of absence or withdrawal using the online Returning to the University form at least 60 days prior to the beginning of the semester in which they intend to enroll so their SIS account will be reactivated. Students must return to the degree program of their previous enrollment. If a student wishes to transfer to a different program, they must do so after the Returning to the University process is completed.
PUBLIC PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE DISCLOSURE
As a member of the State Authorizations Reciprocity Agreement, the University of Virginia (UVA) is authorized to provide curriculum in a distance learning environment to students located in all states in the United States except for California. (34 CFR 668.43(a)(6)& 34 CFR 668.72(n)).
Upon completion, graduates may be eligible for initial professional licensure in another U.S. state by applying to the licensing board or agency in that state.
Please visit the University’sstate authorization web pagesto make an informed decision regarding which states’ educational requirements for initial licensure are met by this program. (668.43(a)(5) (v)(A) - (C))
Enrolled students who change their current (or mailing) address to a state other than Virginia should update this information immediately in the Student Information System as it may impact their ability to complete internship, practicum, or clinical hours, use Title IV funds, or meet licensure or certification requirements in the new state. (34 CFR 668.402).
TRANSFER CREDIT
Transfer of credit may be considered for students who have taken graduate level coursework from other institutions of recognized standing. Credits for transfer cannot have been used to satisfy requirements toward another degree.
If a student wishes to enroll in a course for transfer of credit after matriculating at UVA Engineering, it is strongly recommended that the student gets pre-approval from their academic program for the course they wish to transfer prior to enrolling in the course. All requests for transfer of credit must be approved using the Request Approval of Transfer Credits Form. For any degree, a program may require additional courses to satisfy their specific academic requirements beyond the course credits transferred.
Students can request the transfer of a UVA Engineering graduate-level course taken while a UVA undergraduate student, given that it was not used toward the undergraduate degree, using the UVA Engineering Graduate Course Approval Form.There is no limit to the number of UVA graduate-level course credits a student may transfer into their graduate plan if the credits were taken while the student was a UVA undergraduate student and the credits were not used to satisfy the requirements toward another degree. The grade requirements for transfer credits, as stated below, still apply.
Students cannot enroll in transfer credits in their graduating semester. If a student must enroll in a course for transfer of credit to meet their final graduation requirements and it is their last planned semester of course enrollment, they will be eligible to apply to graduate in the semester following the transfer of credit. Students should consult “Affiliated Status” in the University Regulations—Academic section of the record for information about retaining the minimal affiliation with the University necessary to graduate when they are not required to be enrolled in a term.
BULK TRANSFER OF CREDIT
Ph.D. students who have earned a master’s degree in a STEM field will receive an automatic bulk transfer of 24 graduate course credits toward the School’s total graded coursework credit requirement. Ph.D. students who have earned a master’s degree in a non-STEM field will receive an automatic bulk transfer of 12 graduate course credits toward the School’s total graded coursework credit requirement. Students who receive a bulk transfer of credit may not transfer any additional credits toward the Ph.D. degree.
TRANSFER CREDIT LIMITS
M.E., M.C.S., and M.M.S.E. students may transfer a maximum of 12 graduate course credits into their program of study if they are in the On-Grounds degree program, and courses for transfer must have been completed with a grade of B or better. UVA VEO students may transfer a maximum of 15 graduate course credits into their program of study. Graduate courses with grades of C or better may be transferred for UVA VEO students.
M.S. and Ph.D. students may transfer a maximum of 6 graduate course credits into their program of study. These graduate courses must have been completed with a grade of B or better.
Ph.D. students who move their study to UVA from another institution in concurrence with their faculty research advisor moving to UVA may transfer up to 24 graduate course credits toward the School’s coursework credit hour requirement if the courses have been completed with a grade of B or better. The courses being transferred will be evaluated by the student’s UVA degree program on a case-by-case basis to determine whether they may be used to satisfy any of the program’s course requirements. Ph.D. students who move their study to UVA from another institution in the absence of a concurrent faculty research advisor move to UVA are subject to the standard transfer credit limits.
VACATION AND LEAVE
UVA Engineering students who are funded through graduate assistantships and UVA Engineering graduate fellowships are required to pursue their training on a full-time basis, devoting each day of the normal work week (M-F), plus any additional time required by their research projects and academic courses.
The number of hours a week of an assistantship appointment is devoted to the duties of the research and/or teaching assistantship. All remaining academic requirements for a student’s degree, such as classes, thesis or dissertation research, and service activities are in addition to the assistantship appointment hours.
Additionally, the following guidelines for holiday and leave time have been established by the School of Engineering, and in some cases University policy. These represent the minimum leave to which a graduate student is entitled. Individual graduate programs might not have a formalized system for accounting for time off; if so, time off monitoring falls under the honor system and is the responsibility of the student. Students should consult with their advisor for approval with as much advanced notice as possible for any planned leave. Students or faculty with questions or concerns should consult with their program’s director of graduate studies.
These policies do not supersede any HR policy. In addition, these policies do not create a contractual relationship with any student and the policies may be reviewed and amended annually by the UVA Engineering Graduate Studies Committee.
Holidays
Graduate students are entitled to observe the following 12 days as holidays: Day Before New Year’s Day, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Election Day, Day Before Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day, Day After Thanksgiving, and two winter break days: December 24 and December 25. In years for which a holiday falls on a traditional weekend (Saturday or Sunday) the holiday may be observed on the closest traditional business day (Friday or Monday).
Time Off
Graduate students are allowed three weeks (15 traditional work days, counting all days Monday through Friday) of time off per year. This time off is not broken down into specific types (e.g. personal time, vacation, sick time); rather, it is combined into one flexible time off type. Students shall continue to receive pay (stipend or wage) during approved time off and holidays. The times between academic terms, the summers, and spring break are considered active parts of the training period and are not free times. Students taking courses are expected to attend all classes and take exams as scheduled. To the extent possible, time off should be arranged with the research supervisor, and teaching supervisor, where applicable. Students cannot be asked to provide documentation from a health care provider to use time off. Time off should be prorated for students who receive less than 12 months of support.
Time off can be accrued from one year to the next year only with the prior written approval of the student’s advisor and only up to a maximum of 15 traditional work days (counting all days Monday through Friday), to allow for international travel, for example.
Parental Leave
Students on Graduate Assistantships may receive up to eight consecutive weeks (counting all days Monday through Sunday) of parental accommodation per Provost Policy 028: Parental Accommodation for Graduate Students on Assistantship. Consult the Provost Policy for the specific terms of this leave type. Students should provide as much advanced notice as possible.
Leave of Absence and Unpaid Leave
Leave of absence, medical withdrawal, and voluntary student withdrawal are considered unpaid leave. At the start of the leave or withdrawal, a graduate student’s pay through UVA is terminated and the student forfeits all unused leave. Students receiving external funding (i.e. those who are not paid through UVA) should consult the funding provider about how leaves of absence, medical withdrawal, and voluntary withdrawal may impact their funding. Graduate students who are enrolled in the UVA student health insurance plan should consult the Student Health and Wellness Insurance webpage to understand how a leave of absence may impact their health insurance eligibility and coverage.
Unused Leave
Upon graduation or termination a graduate student forfeits all unused leave. A student is not entitled to receive any form of compensation for any unused leave.
