The following information is for current Ph.D. in Data Science students. Find essential resources and policies to support you on your academic journey.
Get Support
All students who have been admitted to the program have access to the following resources:
- Meet with Data Science Career Services
Make an appointment in Handshake. - Student Community Portal
Accept your invitation to join the Student Community Portal in Canvas. This is a site where you can find school-related information, events, and activities. - Student Success Resources
Check out resources to assist you the moment you join the School of Data Science.
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Research Labs Seeking Current Ph.D. in Data Science Students
Research Labs at the University of Virginia's School of Data Science are dedicated to advancing the field of data science through interdisciplinary research and collaboration. Our labs focus on various aspects of data science, including machine learning, data visualization, and data ethics. We aim to foster innovation and knowledge sharing within the data science community and beyond. Explore our labs and their research initiatives to learn more about the exciting work being done at the intersection of data science and other fields.
Key Academic Policies and Petitions
The School of Data Science is committed to applying academic policies, outlined in the Graduate Record; fairly and equitably. Students may petition a policy when they believe it has been misapplied or when there are extenuating circumstances. All petitions must be initiated by the student. Students should consult with the Program Manager for more information.
Within two business days from submission, you will receive notification via email of the date of your petition review. Petitions are not granted automatically. Be sure to provide documentation to establish the circumstances that warrant a petition. You will receive a decision via email within two business days of the Academic Policy Committee’s review.
Request to Take a Course(s) to Satisfy the Elective Requirement not listed as an approved elective course.
Graduate students are required to complete two restricted elective courses totaling six credits.
Instructions for submission:
- Enter the course mnemonic, number, title, number of credits, and course description.
- Submit the petition via DocuSign.
Request Permission to Audit a Course
Data Science courses may only be taken on a graded basis. Students who wish to audit a course (i.e., enroll in credit courses without earning academic credit or a grade) may do so with School permission. An AU (audit) cannot be changed to a letter grade. Auditing a class does not relieve the student of the responsibility for meeting the standards established for the course, including attendance, class participation, and assignment submission. A grade of W is recorded for any student who discontinues the audit after the drop deadline or who fails to meet the instructor’s standards. Students who audit courses are responsible for full payment of tuition and fees.
Instructions for submission:
- Enter the course mnemonic, number, section, title, and course description.
- Submit the petition via DocuSign.
Request a Credit Overload
A full-time graduate course load is 12 credits. Students must petition to register for more than 12 credits each semester.
Instructions for submission:
- Enter the course with the number of credits you are requesting to take.
- Prepare a justification for the petition (250 text maximum).
- Petition must be submitted by 11:59pm (ET) on the Add deadline of the current term.
- Submit the petition via DocuSign.
Schedule a Data Science (DS) Final Exam at a Different Time
For courses outside of Data Science, you must request permission from the School that administers the course(s).
Final exams are given during a designated period at the end of each semester. Final exams can only be given at the times listed on the UREG website published each semester. Faculty members are not authorized to change the scheduled times of their final exams. Such changes may be authorized only by petition for compelling reasons. The criteria for requesting a final exam postponement are:
- Three exams scheduled on two consecutive days
- Two exams scheduled at the same time
- Serious and extenuating circumstances
Instructions for submission:
- Enter course and instructor.
- Provide your full exam schedule to justify petition (250 text maximum).
- Submit the petition via DocuSign.
Appeal of Grade(s)
Grade appeals should only relate to the process of how a final grade was computed. A disagreement over the quality of the student’s work is not sufficient grounds for an appeal. Students must first discuss the grade with the faculty member; if an agreement cannot be reached, students may submit a petition up to 30 days after the final exam of the course.
Instructions for submission:
- Attach the course syllabus.
- Attach all documentation relevant to the appeal at the time of submission, including e-mail documentation showing the student has requested the grade change with the instructor directly.
- Provide an explanation of what grade the student believes they should have earned and justification (250 text maximum).
- Submit the petition via DocuSign.
Appeal of Exclusion from Class
A student who is making no real progress in a class or whose behavior is detracting from the class may be excluded from that course by the Program Director with a grade of W or F. Students have five calendar days following written notification of this exclusion in which to appeal by petition. Until the final disposition of the appeal, the student is considered enrolled in the class.
Instructions for submission:
- Prepare a justification for the appeal (250 word maximum).
- Explain circumstances that affected academic performance (250 word maximum).
- Explain actions and resources that will be used to promote academic recovery (250 word maximum).
- Attach supporting documentation, which can include relevant email chains, support letters on official letterhead from UVA faculty or staff, communication from CAPS, Care & Support Services, Student Health & Wellness, etc.
- Submit the petition via DocuSign.
Appeal of Suspension
Students are subject to suspension after incurring academic warning for two consecutive semesters.
Instructions for submission:
- Explain circumstances that affected academic performance (250 word maximum).
- Explain actions and resources that will be used to promote academic recovery (250 word maximum).
- Attach supporting documentation, which can include relevant email chains, support letters on official letterhead from UVA faculty or staff, communication from CAPS, Care & Support Services, Student Health & Wellness, etc.
- Submit the petition via DocuSign.
Extend Time Limitation
For M.S. in Data Science: All requirements for the master’s degree must be completed within five years from the first term of enrollment.
For Ph.D. in Data SCience: All requirements for the Ph.D. degree must be completed within seven years after matriculation to the program.
A petition to extend this time limitation must be filed before the start of the final term.
Instructions for submission:
- Explain circumstances that require an extension (250 word maximum).
- Explain actions and resources that will be used to expedite time to degree (250 word maximum).
- Attach supporting documentation, which can include relevant email chains, support letters on official letterhead from UVA faculty or staff, communication from CAPS, Care & Support Services, Student Health & Wellness, etc.
- Submit the petition via DocuSign.
Other
For situations not otherwise directly addressed in University policy, follow these instructions for submission:
- Explanation of situation the student would like to petition and desired outcome (250 text maximum).
- Attach supporting documentation, which can include relevant email chains, support letters on official letterhead from UVA faculty or staff, communication from CAPS, Care & Support Services, Student Health & Wellness, etc.
- Submit the petition via Docusign.