Mar 28, 2024  
Graduate Record 2022-2023 
    
Graduate Record 2022-2023 [ARCHIVED RECORD]

School of Data Science: Academic Information


About   Academic Information Courses & Programs  

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Academic Regulations


Attendance

Students are expected to attend all classes throughout the academic session as defined by the University Registrar’s academic calendar, which gives dates from start and end of session, exam week, and breaks and holidays. Grounds for excusable absences are to be arranged between the student and the instructor of the course in question; policies are typically provided by the instructor in the course syllabus. As a matter of policy, the Department of Student Health and Wellness does not furnish excuses (for example, doctor’s notes) for illness, either to the student or to the instructor. At the request of the program director, the Department of Student Health and Wellness will evaluate the effect of any illness upon a student’s attendance and academic performance. Failure to attend lectures and other prescribed exercises in the courses for which they are registered may subject them to penalties.

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.

Academic Probation

At the end of each term, a student’s academic performance will be evaluated.  A student with a course grade lower than a B-, a semester G.P.A. lower than a 3.00, or a cumulative G.P.A. lower than a 3.00 will be placed on Academic Probation.  In the case that a student fails a course, they 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 notation of Academic Probation will be placed on the student’s academic record until such time as the academic issue is resolved. 

Degree Conferral

A graduate student who wishes to receive their degree must apply for graduation via the Student Information System. Deadlines for degree applications are determined by the University Registrar.

If a candidate does not complete the degree requirements in the term for which their degree application was approved, the candidate must meet with the program director to determine a course of action for degree completion and notify the School of Data Science of the revised expected date for graduation. The candidate must then submit a new graduation application at the beginning of the subsequent term in which candidacy for the degree is again proposed. Any term in which a degree is conferred requires registration and payment of fees, including the summer term.

Enforced Withdrawal

A student may be required to withdraw from the program if the program director, faculty, and Dean determine that the student is making unsatisfactory progress toward the degree or is in violation of the University’s standards of conduct, or has not abided by the obligations of the Honor System.  Students who are forced to withdraw during a given term will have the notation “Withdrawal Date: MM/DD/YYYY” entered on their permanent academic record following the semester in which the action occurred.  A grade of W (withdrawal) will be entered for each course in which the student was registered.  Students who have been forced to withdraw must apply for readmission to their dean’s office in the same manner as suspended students.  A grade of W cannot be changed.

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 come from the graded core and elective courses for the program during that term. Under special circumstances, courses may comprise of a combination of courses and Non-Topical Research. Students must register for courses on the standard lettered scale (A through F). Audited courses and Credit/No Credit do not count toward the full course enrollment requirement. Students are limited to the credit hours as determined by the program requirements, unless they have permission under special circumstance from the program director to enroll part-time or enroll over the course limits. Part-time enrollment in the fall and spring semesters is a maximum of 8 credits. 

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. 

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 a 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.  A student must request and receive approval from the instructor of each course in which they wish to receive an Incomplete (IN).

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 Program Director immediately. Errors noted outside of these time limits will not be revised.

Repeated Courses

If a course is failed (as defined by the program requirements) and repeated, both courses and grades appear on the transcript. The repeated course with a passing grade (as defined by the program requirements) will count toward the credits needed for the degree. Both the failed and the repeated course grades are computed in the cumulative grade point average (GPA), but only the repeated course grade with a passing grade (as defined by the program requirements) will be computed into the degree GPA. A student may repeat a course (or its equivalent) once.

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 their expected date of graduation. Depending on the circumstances of the leave, a student may be required by the program director to meet with the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs as part of the approval process. Leave is 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 their 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 their intent to return from leave at least eight weeks before the end of the leave.

A leave of absence involving medical circumstances may be approved at any point before or during a 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 Assistant Dean of Student Affairs as part of the approval process and obtain clearance from the Department of Student Health and Wellness in order to resume enrollment.

Petitions, Appeals and Grievances

Students must petition the program director and Dean for exceptions to the School of Data Science program policy.

The School of Data Science does not entertain grade appeals or grievances. 

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

  • Preventing and Addressing Discrimination and Harassment
  • Preventing and Addressing Retaliation
  • Standards of Conduct
  • Student Rights and Responsibilities
  • Student Sexual Misconduct

For situations not otherwise directly addressed in University policy, 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 Dean.

Posthumous Degrees

Eligibility for posthumous degrees extends only to students enrolled in undergraduate 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 that program’s standard admission process. 

Transfer Credit

The M.S. in Data Science normally requires students to complete all requirements of the program during their period of enrollment in the program at the University of Virginia. Transfer credit requests will be reviewed by the M.S. in Data Science program director prior to a student enrolling in the course.

Students who enter the University of Virginia specifically as non-degree seeking School of Data Science students may apply up to 6 credit hours to the M.S. in Data Science program. The 6 credit hours are limited to courses within the M.S. in Data Science curriculum and offered through the School of Data Science.

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. To request a withdrawal, submit the Leaving the University eForm via the Student Information System (SIS). 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 manager. For more detail, see “University Regulations—Academic Regulations—Voluntary Withdrawal.”

General Enrollment Requirements for the Ph.D. in Data Science

Full-Time Enrollment Enrollment in a Ph.D. program requires full-time registration each semester. Full-time enrollment in the Fall and Spring semesters is a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 15 credit hours per term. Optional full-time enrollment for Summer semester is at least 6 credit hours. Full time enrollment is required if receiving financial aid.

Affiliated Status Limits 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 may be on Affiliated Status for Doctoral Completion for up to 4 semesters. Once approved for Affiliated Status, students may not return to full-time study in their degree program.

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.

Residency Graduate degree programs require a period of residency to fully engage in the UVA academic community and to actively contribute to intellectual discourse within the School of Data Science. For students coming into a Ph.D. program with a master’s degree, at least six regular semesters must be in full residence at UVA in Charlottesville. For students coming into a Ph.D. program with a bachelor’s degree, at least eight regular semesters in full residence at UVA are required.

Consecutive Enrollment Ph.D. students must enroll in courses or research for all terms (fall and spring) from the matriculation term until degree conferral, including the term in which the dissertation/thesis is submitted. The only exception occurs when the student is granted an official leave of absence. 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.

Time Limit for Degree All requirements for the Ph.D. degree must be completed within seven years after matriculation to the program. A student may petition to extend their time-to-degree beyond the allotted timeframe to the Ph.D. Program Director with prior approval by the student’s Advisor. Such a petition must be filed before the end of the allotted time frame.

The time to degree limit can be extended beyond the normative time limitation for Data Science graduate students for 1) parental leave or 2) serious personal or family illness upon notification to and approval of the Ph.D. Program Director. The time extension will be for a period of up to one year. Use of this policy should be invoked as soon as the need for additional time becomes known.

Expiration of Credits Credits used to fulfill the requirement for the Ph.D. degree 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 and the Ph.D. Program Director to count toward the student’s degree requirements.


Admission


Policies

Apply and pay the nonrefundable application fee through the online application system by the stated deadlines. Applications for admission are term and program specific. A non-refundable admission tuition deposit (amount as determined by the School) is payable upon matriculation.

Students admitted to the School of Data Science may request a deferral of their enrollment to the next cohort start date if facing extreme hardship or mitigating circumstances. To request a deferral, students must accept their offer of admission, pay the non-refundable $400 tuition deposit (applied toward future tuition), and submit the deferral request form located in the Application Status Portal. The Admissions team will review deferrals within 72 business hours. If granted, students must accept a revised offer of admission for the next cohort date within two weeks of the date of offer. Deferrals are not guaranteed and are granted at the discretion of the School of Data Science. Students admitted from the wait list may not request a deferral. Students who are not granted a deferral can reapply to the program in the future.

Master of Science Requirements

An applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree conferred by an accredited college or university. Proof of degree conferral issued by the undergraduate institution is required before an admitted applicant may start the MSDS program. Degree conferral is defined as official certification and confirmation of the date of degree completion from the undergraduate institution’s Student Records or Registrar office and is typically signified by receipt of a diploma or degree certificate and/or an official final transcript. 

Regardless of the applicant’s undergraduate degree or major, completion of the following prerequisite courses are required:

  • Single variable calculus (equivalent to UVA MATH 1210-1220 or MATH 1310-1320 or APMA 1090-1110)
  • Linear algebra or matrix algebra (equivalent to UVA MATH 3350 or MATH 3351 or APMA 3080)
  • An introductory statistics course (equivalent to UVA STAT 2020 or STAT 2120 or APMA 3110 or APMA 3120)
  • An introductory programming course (equivalent to UVA CS 1110 or CS 1111 or CS 1112 or CS 1113)

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 Office of Admission.

Answers to essay and short-answer prompts, English Language Test, a résumé or curriculum vitae, and letters of recommendation (preferably from faculty who have taught in the field of the major subject) are required in support of the application. Upon matriculation to the graduate program, the applicant must provide official transcripts of their baccalaureate record and any graduate-level work conducted at the University or elsewhere, and all official reports for test scores on their application.

Applicants whose first 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 entirely from a college or university in which English is the primary language of instruction. 

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Requirements 

Submit an online application by the stated deadlines on the Ph.D. program website. A non-refundable application fee of $85 is payable at the time of application.

The online application requires answering an essay and several short answer questions; submitting transcripts of all academic work; three letters of recommendation (preferably from faculty or other individuals with meaningful knowledge of the applicant’s potential to succeed in graduate school), and a CV or resume. Official transcripts are not required for review purposes but are required upon matriculation. The Ph.D. in Data Science does not review standardized test scores (i.e., GRE, GMAT, MCAT) in its holistic evaluation of applicants.

Students must have an excellent command of the English language in order to enroll at the University. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required of all applicants if the language first learned and spoken in the home is not English. The minimum TOEFL (iBT) score requirement is 100 (including minimum section scores of 22 in speaking, 22 in writing, 23 in reading and 23 in listening). The minimum IELTS score requirement is 7.0 (including minimum section scores of 6.5). 

Rescinding an Offer of Admission

It is expected that all admitted students uphold the intellectual, ethical, and professional standards of the School of Data Science and UVA. All applicants offered admission to the School of Data Science agree to abide by the principles laid out in the UVA Honor Code and the Standards of Conduct. The School of Data Science 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.

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.

The requirements of the master’s degree must be completed in the location and/or method of study as determined by the School of Data Science. Students are not permitted to deviate from the required method of study, unless for extenuating circumstances approved by the program director.

A student’s elective courses are selected 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.

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 in the full-time residential MSDS Program 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 the student is present at the University on an international visa. If the director of graduate studies endorses the request, they 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.