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.
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.
Research Assistantship
All Ph.D. and M.S. students must register for research credits in their advisor’s research section. 12 credits is full time in the academic year, and 6 credits is full time in the summer. 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.
Teaching Assistantship
Ph.D. students who are a full or half TA should sign up for credits of MSE 9970 under the faculty they are TA for. M.S. students who TA should sign up for credits of MSE 8970 under the faculty they will TA for. An example of how a student should enroll would be:
| MSE 9970/8970 | 3 (Half) to 6 (Full) credits | TA Faculty name |
| MSE 9999 | 3 to 9 credits (depending on if you are research only) | Advisor name |
| MSE 6xxx | 3 to 9 credits if you are still taking graded courses | Course |
Teaching Enrollment: Students who are appointed to Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) may not carry a load of more than 9 credits of lecture-laboratory courses and must register each semester for enough teaching credit to maintain full-time student status. GTAs should determine the number of teaching credits to enroll in by using their appointment hours in accordance with Provost Policy 022: Determination and Assignation of Academic Credit 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.
All TA' s are required to sign a GTA Appointment Letter from the department each 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 (eg. to finish writing their dissertation and defend) 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.
See https://uvapolicy.virginia.edu/policy/prov-011 Section IV: Affiliated Status
Please reach out to Maggie Rake ([email protected]) with questions and Jayne Weber ([email protected]) to enroll in affiliated status.
Transfer credits can be allowed provided certain requirements are met. If you completed a prior Master’s degree before starting a PhD, you will automatically receive 24 transfer credits. Contact Stephen McDonnell ([email protected]) and your advisor to discuss how these credits will apply.
If you did NOT complete a prior Master’s, up to 6 transfer credits are allowed for an MS or PhD and 12 credits for an MMSE. Contact Maggie Rake ([email protected]) to begin the transfer process.
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)
Consult the Graduate Record for the most up to date policies and information.
Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering
- Qualifying Exam: typically taken at the start of a student’s second or third year as a PhD student at UVA, at the discretion of their advisor. MSE Qualifying Exams take place in September
- PhD Proposal and Admission to Candidacy: Department Chair Elizabeth Opila has provided this document for further guidance, but the Graduate Record provides the current rules: PhD proposal guidance 081922.pdf
- PhD Dissertation Defense
- PhD Dissertation Upload to Libra
- PhD Survey of Earned Doctorates
- Post Graduation Outcome Survey
M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering
- MS Thesis Defense
- MS Thesis Upload to Libra
- Post Graduation Outcome Survey
Master's Of Materials Science and Engineering
- MMSE Assessment forms (via Docusign)
- Post Graduation Outcome Survey
All forms associated with these processes can be found here: Important Forms for Graduate Students.
Contact Maggie Rake ([email protected]) with administrative or logistical questions about milestones, forms, or committees.
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.
Within the semester to receive the MMSE (en route), students must initiate the 3 assessment forms needed to graduate. These forms can be found here: MMSE Assessment Forms. Send the Technical Writing form to the faculty member with whom you studied 6230 or 6240. Send the Oral Communication Assessment form to the faculty member with whom you studied 6010 or 6020. Send the Plan of Study to Leonid Zhigilei (for VEO) and Stephen McDonnell for MMSE. All forms must be completed and submitted to the registrar by the deadlines provided each term.
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.
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.
As of Fall 2025, DMSE Ph.D. stipends have been adjusted to meet the standards set across the Engineering School. Milestone increases are no longer offered as the overall stipend rate has increased for all Ph.D. students.
- Starting: $35,700
- Olsen Fellow Starting: $37,700
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.
Wages vs. Stipends
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.
Academic Division Monthly and Biweekly Payroll Calendars provide dates for pay, period start and end dates.
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!
When moving from stipends to wages (eg. Olsen students after their first year), will have a 6-week gap between their last stipend and first biweekly paycheck. See below for loan options to help cover this gap.
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 [email protected] or (434) 982-6000 to speak with one of the staff. They will help you understand how the process works and get your loan started.
SFS staff will 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.
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.
Apply via the NSF website in October
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.
Applications are due in February.
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.
You may be eligible for free tax help. Please visit this site: https://hr.virginia.edu/news/free-tax-preparation
Taxes for Scholarships and Fellowships (Stipends):
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. Students are still responsible for filing and paying any applicable taxes even while receiving stipends. Students may need to set aside money to pay federal and/or state taxes.
It is important for the student to keep records and save the information needed in order to prepare their personal tax return. The student should consult a tax professional to discuss making estimated tax payments for the taxable portion of their fellowship income. Please visit Student Financial Services for more information.
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 see the SFS website for instructions on how to access fellowship stipend pay information in SIS.
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.
Taxes for Graduate Research Assistantships and Graduate Teaching Assistantships (Wages):
Students receiving biweekly wages will have taxes withheld. Information about pay and tax withholding is available in Workday. W-2s are also available in Workday for GTA/GRA students. Search "My Tax Documents" or navigate to the Benefits & Pay Hub in the top left menu.
The following are links to more information you may find helpful:
International Student Tax Resources
- International Tax Information (ISSP)
- Non-U.S. Citizens
- International Taxation (UVA Finance)
- W-9S Process (Obtaining SSN or ITIN)
- Sprintax: Free tax return preparation software for UVA F1 and J1.
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 [email protected] or 434-924-1377
UVA’s International Student and Scholars Program (ISSP) Office is the main point of contact for international graduate students.
International students should inform the international office of any changes in their legal non-immigrant statuses or any change in their income sources.
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.
For tax information, see the “Graduate Funding” section above.
ESL Classes through CAELC
All international students will be required to take the UVELPE English test unless they qualify for a waiver. Students are then placed or released from ESL classes.
If students need to defer due to a class scheduling conflict, they can reach out to Maggie Rake ([email protected]).
See: ESL Courses under Course Rules
Language Requirements for Graduate Students Who Teach
Resources
Housing
As a graduate student, you are responsible for securing your housing. Below are some helpful links to get you started:
- UVA Housing
- UVA Off-Grounds Housing
- Blue Ridge Apartment Council
- MSC Rentals
- University Classified Ads
Parking
To park on Grounds, you will need to obtain a parking pass, which can be expensive. Carpooling, public transit, walking, or biking are encouraged.
Students can enroll in the E3 waiting list, or the JPJ commuter lot. 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, E-scooters and E-bikes. Information on those can be found on the Parking and Transportation website under Transportation.
- Finding Your Route for UVA bus routes
- City and Regional Transit Intercity bus options
- Service Schedule for pick up times and operations status
- Maps of parking areas and resources for people with disabilities
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 United Healthcare Student Health plan. The MSE department pays for the health insurance of each GRA/GTA.
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.
- If you are enrolled in the United Healthcare student health plan, make sure you create an account on their website to find in-network doctors and track your costs: https://www.uhcsr.com/
Graduate students can request an insurance waiver through the online waiver process. Students can also request to enroll in health insurance if they experience a life change during the year, including turning 26, getting married, or having a child. Please contact Maggie Rake at [email protected] if you need to enroll after the enrollment deadline.
Email [email protected] or call (434) 243-2702 with insurance questions.
The MSE department does not pay for student dental insurance; however, it is available. https://haylor.com/college/university-of-virginia-uva/
Leave
Students should discuss vacation and holidays with their faculty advisor upon arrival to UVA and establish clear expectations about research/office hours.
As a reminder, graduate students on assistantships also have access to Parental Accommodation time, and all students have access to leaves of absence.
Please contact Stephen McDonnell ([email protected]) with questions or concerns related to vacation, PTO, and leave of absence.
For department concerns, please contact a trusted faculty member, Stephen McDonnell, or Maggie Rake.
Student Disability Access Center (SDAC)
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.
Complete the intake process to discuss your options with an SDAC advisor.
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.
How to Make an Appointment
You may schedule an initial phone assessment online using the HealthyHoos patient portal (login using your Netbadge ID) or by calling the CAPS main number (434-243-5150) and notifying the receptionist that you are enrolled in the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
For more information, please see Getting Started at CAPS.
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.
Safety is important at UVA and 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.
For questions, contact Prof. Jim Fitz-Gerald, [email protected].
Department Contacts
Need help, but not sure who to contact? Check out our DMSE How-to Guide
Shipping
FedEx no longer allows paper shipping labels. Please email Jamia Nixon ([email protected]) or Tonya Reynolds ([email protected]) to create a shipping label. To process your shipment, please provide the following information:
- Sender’s name
- Recipient’s name
- Recipient’s phone number
- Recipient’s complete shipping address
- Estimated package weight
- Preferred shipping service (overnight shipping, 2-day shipping, etc.)
- Worktag to be charged
If the shipment is being charged to a grant, a completed justification form will also be required. Jamia Nixon or Tonya Reynolds can provide the justification form.
If you are having something shipped to you at Wilsdorf Hall, use the following address:
ATTN: [your name]
2065 Whitehead Road
Charlottesville, VA 22904
Purchasing
Purchasing items can be done through the Marketplace in Workday. You must request shopping responsibilities in order to create a purchase. You will have to request the procurement shopper role “PO shopper P2P 5K” responsibility in workday by searching for the “System access request” report. Further instructions can be found here on the UVA HR website: https://hr.virginia.edu/workday-central/workday-news-system-requests/workday-system-access-request
Once the request has been submitted, you will need to wait for approval. After your request is approved, you will be prompted to complete the required online training in Workday. This training must be completed before you are granted the shopping role.
Please note that with this responsibility, you will be able to shop in the Marketplace and create shopping carts. However, the carts will still need to be assigned to me or the Senior Finance Generalist for submission.
When assigning your cart, please be sure to include the following:
- A worktag
- Purchase justification explaining how the items being ordered will benefit UVA activities and your research
Further instructions for creating an order/purchase requisition can be found on the following webpage: https://uvafinance.virginia.edu/quick-reference-guide/create-catalog-purchase-requisition-qrg?check_logged_in=1
If you are on a fellowship, you will not have a Workday account. If you would like to set up a workday account to gain purchasing abilities, please reach out to Jeannie Reese ([email protected]) to see about setting up a "contingent worker" account.
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 Jamia Nixon for assistance.
25Live is UVA's central reservation system for reserving academic classrooms, select department and UVA Recreation locations.
More info in our MSE Department box folder!
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!