School of Engineering and Applied Science: Academic Rules

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. The School of Engineering and Applied Science accepts the following English language tests: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, and Duolingo English Test (DET). UVA Engineering exempts applicants from the English language test requirements if they are a Permanent Resident of the U.S. have earned a bachelor’s degree entirely at an institution where English is the primary language of instruction. Applicants who provide self-reported TOEFL/IELTS/DET scores in their application are required to provide official scores upon matriculation.

Applicants who are not exempt under the policies described above must submit valid English language proficiency test scores (TOEFL, IELTS, or DET).

• TOEFL iBT (classic): Minimum overall score of 90, with 20 in each section (reading, listening, speaking, and writing)
• TOEFL iBT (new scoring model): minimum overall score of 4.5, with 4.5 in listening section and 4.0 in the remaining sections
• TOEFL PBT: Minimum score of 600
• IELTS: Minimum score of 6.5 in each section
• DET: Minimum overall score of 120

Language test scores will be considered valid for two years from the test date to the date the application is submitted.

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 the UVA Honor Code and the Standards 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

Advisors must be UVA faculty. M.E., M.C.S., and M.M.S.E. students are appointed an advisor for consultation and academic planning. M.S. and Ph.D. students must secure the agreement of a faculty member to advise them in academic planning and research. M.S. and Ph.D. students must have an advisor to enroll.

A student may be co-advised by two advisors. It is expected that the second advisor will be UVA faculty. If, however, a student wishes to be co-advised by a non-UVA faculty, the non-UVA co-advisor must be faculty at another institution and have a courtesy appointment in the student’s home department.

ACADEMIC STANDING

Students must meet all of the following to be considered in good academic standing:

• a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0
• Satisfactory (S) grade(s) in research and in teaching, when applicable
• timely completion of Milestones as defined by the student’s program
• maintain full-time enrollment as defined in “Course Load” in the School of Graduate Engineering and Applied Science—Academic Rules section unless approved for part-time status

Failure to maintain good academic standing 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 3.0 to remain in good academic standing.

ACADEMIC WARNING

Graduate students may incur academic warning (formerly known as academic probation) any fall or spring semester 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. Students who wish to appeal an academic suspension decision must submit their appeal by the deadline stated in the academic suspension notification letter. Students will be given a minimum of ten business days to submit their appeal. A grievance or appeal of academic suspension must be submitted by email to gradengineering@virginia.edu, where it will be received and adjudicated by the School Designated Official, the Associate Dean for Graduate Education.

Within five (5) calendar days after receiving the appeal decision, the student may appeal in writing to the school dean. Dissatisfaction with the outcome of the initial adjudication of the grievance will not be grounds for appeal; students may appeal on the grounds that there was a failure to follow procedure.

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 the program they matriculate into (new students) or their current program (current students). Any student wishing to transfer after this minimal time period must complete the Program Change Form.

COMMITTEE REQUIREMENTS

The School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) establishes the minimum requirements for a particular type of committee. Students can have additional voting members on their committee beyond the stated minimums. Further, departments may apply additional requirements to the committees above the SEAS minimum requirements. Students should consult the program  page in the SEAS Record for 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. For the purposes of the committee, UVA faculty are tenure/tenure-track Faculty and Academic General Faculty (Research) who hold an appointment at UVA. SEAS faculty are UVA faculty who hold a primary appointment in the SEAS. Biomedical Engineering faculty who hold a primary appointment in the School of Medicine are considered SEAS faculty for the purposes of the committee.

Committee chairs must be SEAS faculty and cannot be the student’s Advisor. Non-SEAS faculty with courtesy or visiting appointments in SEAS may not chair a committee.

Committee members from outside the student’s home department (Outside Members) are defined as UVA faculty members whose primary appointment is outside the student’s home department. Rules for courtesy appointments related to Outside Members are governed by the policy of the home department. For students in Computer Engineering, the student’s advisor’s department of primary appointment is considered the home department.

External Members are any qualified committee members who are not considered UVA or SEAS faculty as defined above. This includes UVA-based Academic General Faculty (non-Research track), professional research staff, adjunct faculty, lecturers, qualified staff, and emeritus faculty, or any qualified non-UVA personnel. External Members who have a courtesy appointment in the student’s home department cannot count as an Outside Member. A CV or bio sketch is required for all External Members and should be submitted to the Engineering Graduate Registrar with the committee form at least 2 weeks prior to a milestone event. Failure to submit sufficient documentation may disqualify the External Member from the committee and delay degree milestone timeline.

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 SEAS faculty.

The committee appointment form must be completed and submitted to the Engineering Graduate Registrar’s Office at least two weeks prior to the examination/defense date. Failure to submit the form on time may result in a delay in the milestone event and graduation timeline.

PH.D. QUALIFYING EXAM COMMITTEE

The Ph.D. Qualifying Exam Committee must include a minimum of three UVA faculty. Students are allowed to have additional committee members beyond the previously mentioned three.

The committee appointment form must be completed and submitted to the Engineering Graduate Registrar’s Office at least two weeks prior to the qualifying exam. Failure to submit the form on time may result in a delay in the qualifying exam.

PH.D. DOCTORAL COMMITTEES

The two main functions of the Ph.D. Doctoral Committee are to approve the student’s dissertation proposal and evaluate the student’s dissertation defense. The same committee members are expected to be involved in both proposal and dissertation defense milestone events. A minimum of three committee members in the proposal must also be on the student’s dissertation defense committee.

At the time of the proposal, the Ph.D. Doctoral Committee must include a minimum of three SEAS faculty, and a minimum of four total members. One committee member must be an Outside Member. Students are allowed to have additional committee members beyond the previously mentioned four.

At the time of the dissertation defense, the Ph.D. Doctoral Committee must include a minimum of three SEAS faculty, a minimum of four UVA faculty, and a minimum of five total members. One committee member must be an Outside Member. Students are allowed to have additional committee members beyond the previously mentioned five.

The committee appointment form must be completed and submitted to the Engineering Graduate Registrar’s Office at least two weeks prior to any milestone event. Failure to submit the form on time may result in a delay in the milestone event.

COURSE RULES

COURSE LOAD

Full-Time Enrollment

Full-time enrollment for most Engineering graduate students is an enrollment of at least 12 credit hours per term in the fall or spring semester, and 6 credit hours in the summer term. Full-time enrollment for Accelerated Master’s Program students is an enrollment of at least 9 credits in the fall, spring, and summer term. Full-time enrollment is required for a student to receive graduate assistantships and some fellowships. Students should check with their fellowship provider for the enrollment requirements related to the fellowship.

Engineering graduate students may enroll in a maximum of 15 credit hours in a fall or spring semester, and a maximum of 6 credits in a summer term or a maximum of 9 credits in summer term for Accelerated Master’s program students. Students who wish to enroll in more than the maximum number of allowable credit hours must contact the UVA Engineering Graduate Registrar for assistance.

Part Time Enrollment

Part-time enrollment in the fall or spring semester is 11 or fewer credits, or 5 or fewer credits in summer term for engineering graduate students. Permission for part-time status must be requested through a Change Course Load form. Ph.D. students requesting part-time enrollment must also have the approval of the Associate Dean for Graduate Education. Once a student is approved for part-time enrollment, they will remain in part-time status in future semesters. A student can return to full-time status by completing the Change Course Load form.

Students seeking part-time enrollment are strongly encouraged to consult their academic advisor before requesting the change. 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 Requirement 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 in a full-time enrollment status as defined in “Course Load” in the School of Graduate Engineering and Applied Science—Academic Rules section 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 circumstances, 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 be submitted by the last day of classes in the semester for which the course withdrawal is being requested and must provide the reason for the request explaining the extenuating circumstances 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:

1. 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.
2. If a student is recommended for an ESL course where all available sections of said course conflict with the student’s current academic course schedule, 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 course schedule before requesting the deferral.
3. 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 full-time enrollment in 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 student in full-time enrollment as defined in “Course Load” in the School of Graduate Engineering and Applied Science—Academic Rules section 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 who were 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. M.S. students must also complete a minimum of 6 credits of master’s research. 

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 Record for 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. POST GRADUATION OUTCOME SURVEY

After successful completion of the program assessment forms, all M.E., M.C.S., and M.M.S.E. students must complete the Post Graduation Outcome survey informing the school whether they will be 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 the student’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 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. POST GRADUATION OUTCOME SURVEY

After successful completion of the M.S. thesis defense upload to Libra, all M.S. students must complete the Post Graduation Outcome survey informing the school whether they will be 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 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. Doctoral 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 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 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. 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.

PH.D. POST GRADUATION OUTCOME SURVEY

After successful completion of the Ph.D. dissertation defense and upload to Libra, all Ph.D. students must complete the Post Graduation Outcome survey informing the school whether they will be employed, continuing education, military service, volunteering, or still seeking employment.

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 - Doctoral Completion. 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 courses and must register each semester for enough additional credits of research to maintain full-time enrollment as defined in “Course Load” in the School of Graduate Engineering and Applied Science—Academic Rules section.

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 enrollment as defined in “Course Load” in the School of Graduate Engineering and Applied Science—Academic Rules section. 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 to determine 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 with a full-time enrollment as defined in “Course Load” in the School of Graduate Engineering and Applied Science—Academic Rules section 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’s students 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 maintain a full-time enrollment as defined in “Course Load” in the School of Graduate Engineering and Applied Science—Academic Rules section 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 and who did not complete four years at an accredited U.S. college or university 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 English 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. Engineering graduate students follow the University Incomplete Deadline outlined in the University Regulations.

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 SIS Student 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 by April 1 to reenroll for a summer term, July 1 to renroll for a fall semester, or December 1 to reenroll for a spring semester so their SIS account can be reactivated. In extenuating circumstances where students cannot make their return decision before the above deadlines, the student may petition the Associate Dean for Graduate Education for an extension. 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’s state authorization web pages to 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 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 internal Transfer Credit 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. UVA VEO students may transfer a maximum of 15 graduate course credits into their program of study. Graduate courses must have been completed with a grade of B or better to be transferred.

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.