Apr 19, 2024  
Graduate Record 2017-2018 
    
Graduate Record 2017-2018 [ARCHIVED RECORD]

Centers and Institutes: Academic Rules


About   Academic Rules Programs/Courses   

Click on a link to be taken to the entry below. 

  • Academic Regulations
    • Attendance
    • Degree Conferral
    • Enforced Withdrawal
    • Enrollment
    • Grades and GPA
    • Leave of Absence
    • Petitions, Appeals and Grievances
    • Posthumous Degrees
    • Readmission and Reinstatement
    • Transfer Credit
    • Voluntary Withdrawal

Academic Regulations


Attendance

Students are expected to attend classes throughout the session with the exception of University holidays. When necessary, excuses for absence from class are arranged between the student and the instructor of the course in question. The Department of Student Health does not furnish routine excuses for illness either to the student or to the instructor. At the request of the program director, the Department of Student Health will evaluate the effect of any illness upon a student’s attendance and academic performance. Failure by students to attend lectures and other prescribed exercises in the courses for which they are registered may subject them to penalties for non-attendance.

Absence from written examinations will not be excused except for sickness on the day of examination attested by a physician’s certificate or for other cause that the graduate faculty by special action may approve. An unexcused absence in such cases constitutes failure of the examination.

Degree Conferral

A graduate student who wishes to receive his or her degree must apply for graduation on the online system. Deadlines for degree applications are October 1st for conferral in December, February 1st for conferral in May, and July 1st for conferral in August (or the next business day in the event that a deadline falls on a weekend). A transcript of the applicant’s previous academic record confirming the substance and award date of his or her baccalaureate degree must also be on file in the DSI by the degree application deadline.

In the event that a candidate does not complete the degree requirements in the term for which his or her degree application was approved, the candidate must meet with the program director to determine a course of action for degree completion and notify the DSI of the revised expected date for graduation. The candidate must then submit a new application at the beginning of a subsequent term in which candidacy for the degree is again proposed. A candidate who requests degree conferral during the summer must register for the summer term.

Enforced Withdrawal

A student may be required to withdraw from the program if the program director, faculty and DSI Director determine that the student is making unsatisfactory progress toward a degree.

Enrollment

Students are required to register for a full course load as determined by the program requirements by the stated deadline each term unless further approval has been obtained. These credit hours should be the graded core and elective courses for the program during that term. Under special circumstances courses may be comprised of a combination of courses and Non-Topical Research. Students must register for at least nine graded credits on the standard lettered scale (A through F). Audited courses do not count toward the full course enrollment requirement. Under special circumstances, with the endorsement of the program director, a master’s student may request permission to enroll part-time in order to complete the program. Students are limited to thirteen credit hours per term unless they have approval from the program director for an overload.

The registration process is not complete until a student has paid tuition and fees or made satisfactory arrangements with Student Financial Services. Changes in a student’s registration record after the final day for dropping courses, including changing grading options, require the approval of the program director. Students are expected to enroll continuously through the completion of their degree programs.

Grades and GPA

The standing of a graduate student in each course is indicated by one of the following grades: A+, A, A-; B+, B, B-; C+, C, C-; D+, D, D-; F. B- is the lowest satisfactory grade for graduate credit. In courses where the grading option is Satisfactory(S)/Unsatisfactory (U), Unsatisfactory (U) is considered to be a failing grade, as is a grade of No Credit (NC). Students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.00 during each academic term and sustain a minimum grade point average of 3.00 cumulatively in order to maintain good academic standing. Unsatisfactory performance during a given semester may be considered sufficient reason for a student to be placed on academic probation or asked to leave a program. In the case that a student fails a course he/she will be required to meet with the program director about the possibility of retaking the course to fulfill graduation requirements, as courses are only offered once per year.

A grade of Incomplete (IN) for a graduate course must be resolved by the conclusion of the next full term. An unresolved grade of Incomplete will be converted to failing grade by the University registrar 200 days from the date on which grades for that term were originally due. Courses in which no grade was recorded are assigned a failing grade 30 days from the date on which grades for that term were originally due. Failing grades recorded in this manner have the same effect on a student’s record and standing as failing grades assigned by instructors.

Students are responsible for confirming the accuracy of their transcripts. A student must identify and seek correction of any errors by the conclusion of the term following the award of the grade in question or prior to degree conferral if they are graduating that term. Upon identifying a possible error, the student should contact the instructor and director of graduate studies immediately. Errors not noted within these time limits will not be revised.

Leave of Absence

A student who wishes to suspend full-time study temporarily may request approval from the program director to undertake a leave of absence and postpone his or her expected date of graduation. Depending on the circumstances of the leave, a student may be required by the program director to meet with the associate dean of students as part of the approval process. Leaves are approved for a full term or academic year, with a student eligible for up to two years of leave cumulatively. A student on an approved leave retains access to his or her UVA e-mail account and may under certain circumstances purchase health insurance during the first twelve months of the leave, but is otherwise ineligible for financial aid and the use of University facilities. A student must affirm his or her intent to return from leave at least eight weeks before the end of the leave.

Leaves of absence involving medical circumstances may be approved at any point before or during a particular term. In the latter case, tuition is charged according to the portion of the term elapsed before the effective date of the leave, and financial support allocated to the student for the remainder of that term is forfeited. Students whose leaves involve medical circumstances are required to meet with the associate dean of students as part of the approval process and obtain clearance from the Department of Student Health in order to resume enrollment.

Petitions, Appeals and Grievances

Students must petition the program director and DSI Director for exceptions to DSI program policy.

The DSI does not entertain appeals or grievances of the faculty’s academic evaluation of students.

Students are expected to follow complaint or grievance processes set forth in applicable University policies, including but not limited to those regarding:

For situations not otherwise directly addressed in University policy, graduate students should attempt to resolve concerns or conflicts by working directly with a faculty member or the program director. Conflicts or concerns that cannot be resolved to the student’s satisfaction should be discussed with the DSI Director.

Posthumous Degrees

Eligibility for posthumous degrees extends only to students enrolled in B.A. and B.S. programs.

Readmission and Reinstatement

A student who voluntarily withdraws from the program or otherwise ceases to enroll for a period of up to two academic years and wishes to resume enrollment must petition the program director for reinstatement at least 60 days in advance of the next registration period. A student who has been absent for longer than two years must reapply through the standard process to his or her program of study.

Transfer Credit

The M.S. in Data Science does not accept transfer credit from other institutions of higher education. 

Voluntary Withdrawal

A student who wishes to withdraw voluntarily from the program during an academic term must discuss the circumstances with the program director and submit a formal notice of withdrawal. Forms for this purpose may be obtained from the DSI. Students withdrawing during an academic term must do so at least one week prior to the examination period in order to receive notations of “W” on the transcript. A student withdrawing after the conclusion of an academic term and before enrolling for a subsequent term need only provide formal notice to the program director. For more detail, see “University Regulations—Academic Regulations—Voluntary Withdrawal.”


Admission


Policies

Application for admission must be made online by the stated deadlines. A non-refundable application fee is payable at the time of application. Official decisions regarding the application for admission are communicated through the central admissions office, who manages the application system for the Institute.

With the approval of the Director, applicants who hold master’s degrees are eligible for admission to a terminal master’s degree program in the same field in cases where the faculty recognizes a significant curricular distinction between the previous and proposed programs of study.

Requirements

An applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree issued by a collegiate institution of recognized rank. Other baccalaureate degrees from such institutions may be acceptable upon approval of the program director.

Regardless of the applicant’s degree or major in his or her undergraduate career, prerequisite knowledge is required for matriculation in the MSDS program. This knowledge includes:

  • Single variable calculus (similar to UVA MATH 1210-1220 or MATH 1310-1320 or APMA 1090-1110)
  • Linear algebra or matrix algebra (similar to UVA MATH 3350 or MATH 3351 or APMA 3080)
  • An introductory statistics course (similar to UVA STAT 2020 or STAT 2120)
  • An introductory programming course (similar to UVA CS 1110 or CS 1111 or CS 1112)

Prerequisite knowledge may be obtained through summer session courses at UVA, courses at another institution, online, or other forms of instruction as approved by the program director.

An applicant should have achieved, at minimum, a B average in their undergraduate program or the equivalent as estimated by the program director.

Academic credits, undergraduate or graduate, earned more than ten years before the date of application for admission will normally not be considered as a valid basis for admission. At the discretion of the faculty in the proposed program of study, such credits may be validated by an examination or examinations given at the University of Virginia.

Official results of the Graduate Record Examination general test (or the General Management Admission Test or Medical College Admission Test as approved) and two letters of recommendation (preferably from faculty who have taught in the field of the major subject) are required in support of the application. Upon acceptance to the graduate program, the applicant must provide official transcripts of his or her baccalaureate record and any graduate-level work conducted at the University or elsewhere.

Applicants whose native language is not English must complete the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), which is administered by ETS, or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). This requirement is typically waived for applicants who will have received a baccalaureate degree or its international equivalent from a college or university in which English is the primary language of instruction.


Degree Requirements


Master’s Degree

The degree of Master of Science will be conferred upon the holder of an approved baccalaureate degree who has fulfilled within the designated time limit all requirements set forth in the Graduate Record and any discipline-specific requirements stated by the department or program.

Academic Requirements Students must complete the minimum credit hours required by their program of enrollment. For the MSDS program a minimum of 32 graded credits, which include 26 graded credits in core MSDS courses and 6 graded graduate-level elective credits are required for completion of the program.

A student’s particular elective courses are arranged in consultation with faculty advisors and the program director. Additional discipline-specific requirements for the master’s degree are noted in the entries for the specific program.

Residency Requirement Master’s students must be enrolled in a minimum of two semesters of full-time study.

Time Limitation All requirements for the master’s degree must be completed within five years from the first term of enrollment.


Financial Assistance


Loans and Part-Time Employment

Graduate students enrolled full-time are expected to limit their employment, including assistantships and other wage appointments through the University, to twenty hours per week. A student who wishes to work beyond twenty hours per week must petition the program director, indicating the type of work to be undertaken, the weekly effort involved, the potential effects of this additional work on the student’s academic progress, and whether or not the student is present at the University on an international visa. If the director of graduate studies endorses the request, he or she will forward it to the Director for review.

Graduate students may apply for financial assistance through Student Financial Services. All awards from federal loan or employment funds are based on need. Students must submit a University financial aid application and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to Student Financial Services. For further information or to obtain a copy of the requisite forms, please contact Student Financial Services.