Graduate Student Handbook
The information in this handbook is meant to provide consolidated information only. The Graduate Record represents the official repository for academic program requirements.
Academic Progress
As a graduate student, you are expected to maintain timely and sufficient progress towards your degree. The Graduate Record houses official academic rules and requirements. Below are select links you may find helpful.
- Academic Calendar provides important dates throughout the academic year.
- MSE Course Catalog provides a list of MSE courses and descriptions.
- Time Limit to Degree
- All requirements for the Ph.D., M.E., M.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.
- 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.
Student Status and 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.
Transfer of Credit is typically allowed provided certain requirements are met. Please consult with your advisor, graduate coordinator, and graduate director during your first semester at UVA to avoid delays in transferring credit. Transfer credit eligibility is based on an analysis of the content, level, and comparability of the courses taken, the applicability of the courses to the student’s intended major and degree program, and the quality of the student’s performance in the courses. Students must submit a request for transfer of credit form prior to enrolling in courses for transfer. Grades do not transfer and do not affect the student’s cumulative grade point average at the University of Virginia. For more information, see the Transfer Credit section of the University Regulations or contact the UVA Engineering Undergraduate Programs Office.
Grade Appeals, Changes, and Incomplete
- 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 and convert to 'F' 200 days after the end of the semester they receive the IN grade.
- 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.
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.
Our research environment promotes the department's core values: respect, collaboration, student experience, innovation and impact. This environment fosters breakthrough research conducted in facilities that put our department at the forefront of the materials field.
The department’s primary research thrusts are corrosion and electrochemistry; structural materials; electronic, magnetic and optical properties of materials; and soft materials. Core strengths in materials synthesis, characterization, and computation and materials informatics underpin and integrate these research areas.
Whether conducting research in small groups or large, dispersed teams, you will have the satisfaction of working toward a common goal in a setting similar to what you will encounter in government and industry laboratories. Our goal is to provide an immersive laboratory experience in which you can achieve technical excellence and meet your professional development needs by asking questions, learning from mentors and demonstrating leadership.
Take Virtual Guided Tours through our Labs
We are home to several major research centers of excellence and operate sophisticated laboratory instrumentation and computer modeling facilities in two connected, state-of-the-art buildings, Wilsdorf and Jesser Halls.
- 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 student enrollment.
- M.S. students should sign up for MSE 8999 credits. Ph.D. students should sign up for MSE 9999 credits under their advisor's supervision. Students who are performing TA duties will sign up for 1 credit of MSE 8900.
- 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 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.
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. UVA's GPA calculator can be found here: Academic Record Information | University Registrar (virginia.edu)
Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering
M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering
Master's Of Materials Science and Engineering
- A doctoral student may request approval to earn a master’s degree (thesis or non-thesis) within their home department. The departmentally approved request must be submitted to the Graduate Registrar’s Office by the dates for applying to graduate (February 1 for May; June 1 for August; October 1 for December). En route master’s candidates should NOT apply for graduation in SIS. The registrar will add them to the degree list once their master's plan has been created. Before requesting the en route master’s, students must verify that the master’s academic requirements will be completed by the semester they intend to earn the master’s degree. Credits used to satisfy the en route master’s degree cannot have been used to satisfy requirements toward a previous degree. A student may not earn a Ph.D. and en route masters in the same semester.
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 petition their dean’s office for Affiliated Status. Students on Affiliated Status remain affiliated with the University but are not enrolled and do not have an active student I.D. card. They do not have access to student services, including Student Health or student health insurance. They retain their NetBadge computer system privileges. Graduate students on Affiliated Status are not eligible for graduate assistantships and do not have access to University labs or facilities. Students with outstanding federal student loans will no longer be in deferment and will begin repayment once the grace period has ended. Students should contact Student Financial Services before petitioning for Affiliated Status if they have questions related to their particular loans. Students on Affiliated Status pay an associated fee rather than tuition or comprehensive fees.
- Doctoral Completion (Doctoral Students Only):
Advanced doctoral students who have fulfilled all residency and credit requirements for their degree, do not require access to University resources (including labs) or student services, and are completing or defending their dissertation may petition their dean’s office for Doctoral Completion. Once approved for Doctoral Completion, students may not return to full-time study in their degree program. Students should consult school-specific policies regarding time limits and other requirements governing the use of Doctoral Completion in each school. - External Internship/Study:
Students who are participating in an approved professional internship or educational program outside the University may petition their dean’s office for External Internship/Study. - Degree Conferral in Absentia:
Students who are not taking new courses or pursuing research, but who need to be affiliated with the University for certain administrative reasons before receiving their degree, including finishing incompletes, paying an outstanding University financial obligation, or receiving official transcripts of approved transfer credit, may petition their dean’s office for Degree Conferral in Absentia. Degree in Absentia may be used by a student for one term only.
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. 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. Department Chair Elizabeth Opila has provided this document for further guidance: PhD proposal guidance 081922.pdf
- 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 which the Advisory Committee Form is required.
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.
- 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.
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 the First Destination survey informing the school whether 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.
All forms associated with this process can be found here: Important Forms for Graduate Students. Your Graduate Coordinator can assist you with finding the correct form.
Starting in Fall, 2024, DMSE Ph.D. stipends will be increased by 4% above the current base stipends. This increase is on top of the 2% increase that was implemented in January 2024, representing a total increase from Fall, 2023 of 6%.
New stipends:
Starting: $31,905
Olsen Fellow Starting: $33,905
After Passing Qualifier Exam (+$2,000): $33,905 ($35,905 for Olsen)
After Passing PhD Proposal (+$1,000): $34,905 ($36,905 for Olsen)
Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is an increase to account for increases in the cost of living. These increases are assessed annually by the department.
Stipends vs. Wages
Stipends (Typically paid to students on Fellowships) - Paid Monthly
Fellowships or scholarships awarded as direct aid are usually in the form of a stipend. Stipends are an amount given directly to a student to support the pursuit of study or training. Stipend awards can be a one-time only award, but are usually provided monthly over a period of time.
- Students who are receiving stipends from their departments can see the amount and disbursement dates of the stipends in the Student Information System (SIS). Detailed instructions are below.
- Signing up for direct deposit is a safe and easy way to receive your refunds more quickly!
- International students not claiming Treaty Benefits will have 14% deducted for taxes prior to refund generation.
- Withholding for tax purposes is not done for U.S. students and green card holders
Wages (Typically paid to students on Graduate Assistantships and Teaching Assistantships) - Paid Biweekly
Students earn wages in exchange for instructional, administrative, or research services in a graduate assistantship. Wages are not a form of stipend.
Assistantship wages for GTAs and GRAs are paid on a bi-weekly schedule using the University’s payroll system. Of the twenty-six bi-weekly pay periods, ten occur during the fall term, ten occur during the spring term, and six occur during the summer. Federal Work Study employees are also paid on a bi-weekly schedule.
The wage payment schedule for students receiving wages as a Federal Work Study employee or as a Graduate Assistant can be found at https://payroll.vpfinance.virginia.edu/academic-payroll-and-leave-calendar under the payroll calendar for the appropriate year. The ‘payroll payment date’ listed in the bi-weekly payroll table is the date by which you should see your paycheck in your bank account.
Academic Division Monthly and Biweekly Payroll Calendars provide dates for pay, period start and end dates.
GradBridge Funding
- The GradBridge loan provides support to graduate students transitioning from fellowship stipends to wage assistantships or other related employment statuses. To request a GradBridge loan, contact sfs@virginia.edu or (434) 982-6000 to speak with one of the staff. They'll help you understand how the process works and get your loan started.
- They'll send you a DocuSign form for you to complete, and you can borrow up to $2,500 per term. Once you have completed the form, you should generally expect to receive your funds within 7 days. If you have set up direct deposit, you will likely receive your funds sooner than that. If you do not set up direct deposit, they will send a paper check to your current mailing address in SIS. They highly recommend you set up direct deposit!
- You'll have until the end of the term to pay off the loan completely, and you can make partial payments along the way on your balance due.
Fellowships and Scholarships
Many MSE students receive fellowships that support part of their graduate studies. Below are fellowships/scholarships MSE students have been awarded.
- Olsen
- In October 2019, distinguished alumnus Greg Olsen (MSE ’71) pledged $25 million to the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science to recruit and retain star faculty, support strategic initiatives and attract outstanding Ph.D. students. The Department of Materials Science and Engineering has dedicated $10.5 million from this historic gift for Olsen graduate fellowships.
- These fellowships are determined by MSE faculty.
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
- The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) helps ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science and engineering in the United States and reinforces its diversity. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions.
- VSGC
- The Virginia Space Grant Consortium Graduate Research STEM Fellowship Program provides fellowships of $6,000 in add-on support to graduate students to supplement and enhance basic research support. Applicants must be enrolled full-time in a program of study STEM and have a specific faculty-mentored research project that has NASA or aerospace relevance. Allied Health Sciences majors are not eligible for this program.
- SMART
- The Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for-Service Program is an opportunity for students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines to receive a full scholarship and guaranteed civilian employment with the Department of Defense (DoD) upon degree completion.
Taxes
NOTE: This information is NOT meant to represent tax advice, MSE cannot offer tax advice, and the information should not be assumed to be error free. When in doubt, contact the IRS, a tax accountant, or an income tax service.
It is important to note tax implications if you are receiving scholarships and fellowships. Please visit Student Financial Services for more information.
Taxes will not be withheld from scholarship or fellowship payments made to U.S. citizens or individuals classified as resident aliens for U.S. tax purposes. It is important for the student to keep records and save the information needed in order to prepare the personal tax return. The student should consult his/her personal tax adviser to discuss making estimated tax payments for the taxable portion of your fellowship income.
The Internal Revenue Service does not require the disbursing agent (UVA) to withhold any Federal Income Tax from fellowship payments. However, because non–qualified fellowship money is taxable, the individual may make estimated tax payments directed to the IRS and possibly to their state of tax residence.
It is entirely the responsibility of the student to report any taxable fellowship income on the tax return and pay any applicable taxes. Fellowships are not handled through the payroll system, therefore are not subjected to taxation.
Stipends or living allowances paid as part of a scholarship or fellowship are considered taxable income subject to federal and state income taxes. The University is required to withhold federal taxes on such payments only to Non-Resident Alien recipients not claiming treaty benefits. However, all recipients are required to report their scholarships and fellowships to the IRS by filing a yearly tax return, and to pay the requisite taxes.
Additional information on the income taxability of non-qualified fellowships, and how to report these payments on your personal tax return, please see IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education (pdf).
Students can find information about their fellowship stipend pay in SIS including the payment schedule (disbursement dates) and payment amount. Please note, if you are looking for wage pay information it can be found in Workday; it will not show up in SIS. Please see the SFS website for instructions on how to access fellowship stipend pay information in SIS.
Fellowship recipients may need to set aside tax money
Fellowship stipends may be taxable. Withholding for tax purposes is not done for fellowship recipients who are U.S. citizens and green card holders. International students will have 14% deducted for taxes prior to refund generation. The University will not issue any tax documents related to stipends paid to students. For all questions, refer to IRS Publication 970. Please note, the University is also not in a position to provide students with tax advice. You may want to consult the IRS or tax counsel as appropriate in the preparation of your income tax returns. Please see the SFS website for more information about taxation of Fellowships and Stipends.
W-2s are now available in Workday for GTA/GRA students. Click the "MY PAY" icon and choose "My Tax Documents."
The 1042-S is a year-end federal tax document given to a non-resident alien who received wages exempted from federal and state tax withholding by a tax treaty or received a non-qualified non-taxable scholarship. The 1042-S has an income code, which describes the type of income being reported. In certain cases, you may receive a W-2 in addition to a 1042-S; the two forms are usually mailed at the same time. The 1042-S will be postmarked no later than March 15. If you know that you should have received a Form 1042-S but have not received it, please contact HR Compliance and Immigration Services at immigration@virginia.edu or 434-924-1377
The following are links to more information you may find helpful:
Free tax return preparation software (Sprintax Tax Prep) for the University of Virginia international community for the tax filing year. This tax software is the easiest method to comply with this requirement
Sprintax Tax Prep is a web-based tool designed specifically for non-resident alien tax filers. This program produces the required documents to file your Federal taxes (Forms 1040NR and Form 8843).
You may also need to file a Virginia tax return. Processing of the Virginia state return is available through Sprintax for an additional fee. You will need to complete VA form 760 for your Virginia return.
If you are unsure of whether you are a non-resident or resident alien for tax purposes, the Sprintax tax software program can determine your tax status for you.
More information on international tax provided by the ISSP can be found here: ISSP Taxes
Tax Webinar and Meetings with UVA Tax Analyst
Non-resident students and scholars present in the United States during 2023 are required to file a tax return if you received US income during 2023 by the April 15, 2024 deadline. If you did not work or receive income in the US, you’re still obliged to file a Form 8843 with the IRS.
University of Virginia has arranged access to Sprintax for you. Sprintax will guide you through the tax preparation process and check if you’re due a tax refund.
Safety is important in MSE. Be familiar with how to be safe in and around the labs.
- DMSE Emergency Evacuation Site DMSE Emergency Evacuation Site.pdf
- Safety Policy UVA MSE Safety Policy_JMF 1.11.24.pdf
- Safety Manual UVA MSE Safety Manual_2.12.24.pdf
- Safety Seminar 2024 MSE Safety Seminar EHS 2024 Final.pdf
Environmental Health & Safety has more information on waste, safety data sheets, reporting accidents, and other related topics.
The University requires all students to have health insurance. Graduate students may be eligible to receive a Health Insurance Subsidy which is a payment made by a school or unit of the University to the University on behalf of a graduate student to cover the cost of the Aetna Student Health plan.
If you receive a Health Insurance Subsidy as part of your departmental aid award, you will need to enroll with the UVA Student Health Insurance plan and follow the enrollment instructions
Graduate students receiving the Health Insurance Subsidy must enroll in the University’s student health insurance plan each year. Graduate students may enroll starting in early to mid July, and are encouraged to do so as soon as possible to ensure adequate coverage.
- The MSE department pays for the health insurance of each GRA/TRA.
- Graduate students can request an insurance waiver through the online waiver process.
The MSE department does not pay for student dental insurance, however, it is available.
There is a new Vacation and Leave Policy for graduate students on assistantships that was voted into effect by the SEAS Graduate Studies Committee starting in the 2024-2025 academic year.
Being able to take time off is an important aspect of ensuring the wellbeing and success of graduate students. To that end, this policy aims to establish a clear and consistent minimum set of expectations for all SEAS graduate students who are funded through graduate assistantships (GTAs and GRAs). The amount of time listed in this policy is the minimum for eligible students, and supervising faculty have the discretion to allow for longer periods.
As a reminder, graduate students on assistantships also have access to Parental Accommodation time, and all students have access to leaves of absence.
If a student is supported via funding other than a graduate assistantship, they should consult the agency providing the funding for any vacation and leave policies that may apply.
Housing
As a graduate student, you will need to secure housing. Below are some helpful links to get you started. You should also reach out to your fellow classmates for their input.
Parking
You will need to obtain a parking pass if you are parking on Grounds. Please contact Parking and Transportation for fees and the appropriate parking areas.
Buses
UTS provides transportation on and around grounds with real-time bus tracking. There are other methods of getting around including city and regional transit shuttles, walk and bike, Escooters and Ebikes. Information on those can be found on the Parking and Transportation website under Transportation.
- Finding Your Route for bus routes
- City and Regional Transit Intercity Transportation
- Service Schedule for pick up times and operations status
- Maps of parking areas and resources for people with disabilities
Embedded Counseling and Psychological Services
Liz Ramirez-Weaver and Katie Fowler are the School of Engineer's embedded counselors from the UVA Counseling and Psychological Services team. Liz and Katie specialize in helping students find effective ways to cope with:
- Personal concerns: Stress, anxiety, depression
- Academic concerns: Perfectionism, lack of motivation, performance anxiety
- Developmental concerns: Adjustment to college life, identity (personal, cultural, sexual orientation, gender identity)
- Trauma-Sexual assault, abuse and other traumatic events
- Substance Use concerns: Alcohol and other drugs
- Other concerns: Career direction, body image concerns, personal values, spiritual concerns etc.
UVA CAPS, in partnership with TimelyCare, offers 12 FREE scheduled telehealth counseling visits with a licensed mental health provider to all students who have paid comprehensive health fees with their tuition (no insurance needed). TalkNow, which is an additional service through TimelyCare, allows students to connect with a mental health professional any time of day, either by phone or video.
Student Disability Access Specialist
Students may be eligible for accommodations relating to a range of their degree requirements including but not limited to, coursework, research, qualification exams, proposals, and defenses. All accommodation requests must be made through the Student Disability Access Center (SDAC) in advance of taking any assessment for which the accommodation is needed.
Courtney MacMasters is the Student Disability Access Center (SDAC) Accessibility Specialist embedded in the School of Engineering. Students with disabilities are encouraged to submit an application and review SDAC's documentation guidelines. Students can also email Courtney directly (cmacmasters@virginia.edu).
Important Forms for Graduate Students
- As of June 9, 2020, all pertinent forms have been converted to allow for digital signatures. Please review the Signing Digital Documents page for instructions.
- Submit completed/approved forms to the Graduate Registrars via email.
- For more information on these forms, please contact your graduate program coordinator and director.
Reserving Rooms
To reserve rooms for meetings, proposals, or defenses, use Microsoft Outlook. Here is a guide on How to Schedule Rooms in Outlook.pdf. Please contact staff for assistance.
25Live is UVA's central reservation system for reserving academic classrooms, select department and UVA Recreation locations.
Here is a How To Guide on who to go to and for what when it comes to various administrative tasks.
Graduate Student Board
MSE's Graduate Student Board, GSB, is comprised of graduate students from the Materials Science department at the University of Virginia. We are here to represent and serve the MSE student body! GSB plans social activities, organizes service opportunities, assists with new student recruitment, and sets up practice qualifying examinations.
Look through the site for more information on GSB goals, events, and officers. Keep up-to-date on current happenings by visiting the "Upcoming Events" tab or by visiting the GSB FACEBOOK PAGE!
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. Applicants who provide self-reported TOEFL/IELTS scores in their application are required to provide official scores upon matriculation.
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.
Immigration Check-in Instructions
Complete immigration check-in upon 3 days arrival to Charlottesville. The ISSP will email new students to upload their documents upon arriving.
Arrival Checklist includes information on prior to departing and once arriving in the U.S. and Charlottesville.
- International students should inform the international office of any changes in their legal non-immigrant statuses or any change in their income sources.
Mandatory International Student ISO Orientation
All new international students holding all non-immigrant statuses are required to bring their legal documents and proof of the orientation quiz completion to the ISO upon your arrival in Charlottesville. This is required so that the ISO can determine your legal status and make copies for our records as required by U.S. law. You can find all of the information on this on the International Students & Scholars website.
Support Services for International Students and Scholars
International Student Employment
Students in valid F-1 status with an unexpired I-20 may seek employment on-grounds working for UVA for up to 20 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters, and may work full-time only while UVA is on official school break.
A Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) or Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA) is considered equivalent to 20 hours per week, thus no further employment in addition to the assistantship is permitted during the semester.
MSE's Graduate Student Board, GSB, is comprised of graduate students from the Materials Science department at the University of Virginia. We are here to represent and serve the MSE student body! GSB plans social activities, organizes service opportunities, assists with new student recruitment, and sets up practice qualifying examinations.
Look through the site for more information on GSB goals, events, and officers. Keep up-to-date on current happenings by visiting the "Upcoming Events" tab or by visiting the GSB FACEBOOK PAGE!