Admissions

We welcome applicants from all undergraduate majors or programs of study who have earned their bachelor's degree prior to matriculation from a three- or four-year accredited institution.

The M.S. in Data Science program has four prerequisites:

• Calculus II (including our Calculus for Data Scientists Boot Camp)
• Statistics
• Programming
• Linear Algebra (including our Linear Algebra for Data Scientists Boot Camp)

You can still apply without having all prerequisites, but they must be completed prior to matriculation. Proof of completion will be required for any incomplete prerequisites if an applicant is admitted and accepts their offer of admission.

Review the Prerequisite Key Topics page for more information about how you may meet the prerequisites for admission.

If you completed the prerequisites under a different title (e.g., instead of Calculus III, the course is listed as Mathematics IV on your transcript), you must submit a course description and/or syllabus of the course to confirm the completion of the prerequisites.  

The application requires the following materials to be submitted by the deadline in order to be considered complete:

Short Answer Questions

We ask for responses to the following questions to learn more about you, your goals, and your preparedness for the program. There is no "right" answer — just be yourself. 

• Required: Excellence in data science requires collaboration; students and faculty succeed by working together and relying on one another. What about your background, perspective, or life experiences will enable you to contribute to our collaborative community? (250 words or fewer)
• Required: What skills and/or knowledge do you want to gain from UVA’s M.S. in Data Science program to help you achieve your professional goals? (150-250 words)
• Optional: Use this space to provide insight and/or context regarding aspects of your application not otherwise addressed in the application, including, but not limited to, aberrant grades, gaps in your academic record or resume, or other extenuating circumstances. (250 words or fewer)

Audio

We ask for an audio response to the following question in lieu of an interview component. We recommend preparing in advance so that your response is succinct, relevant, and purposeful.

• Required: Data Science is about solving the world’s most challenging and compelling problems. Tell us about a time when you worked on a team to solve a meaningful data-related challenge. What was the problem, what was your role in solving it, and what was the outcome? (45 seconds) 

Letters of Recommendation (2)

We require two letters of recommendation; it's quality over quantity. Recommenders should be able to showcase your strengths and abilities, and know you well enough to provide a strong recommendation. 

If you are currently or were recently a student at a college or university, one recommendation should be from a professor, instructor, or TA. If you are currently working, then one should be from a current or recent supervisor. The second recommendation may be from any person who knows you well and can speak to your preparedness for our rigorous STEM program, such as a current or former project manager, research advisor, internship supervisor, etc. The course subject matter or title of the recommender are not as important as the recommender's ability to speak to your skills and preparedness for the program. 

Connect with your recommender before entering their information in your application; they will then receive an email inviting them to submit their recommendation electronically. Applicants may check the status of their recommendations in their application portal. 

Résumé

A résumé or curriculum vitae helps us get to know an applicant beyond their formal academic coursework. There is no preference for students with or without professional work experience, and each cohort has a range of backgrounds and experiences. All applicants are encouraged to review the résumé formatting resources on the UVA Career Center site.

Those without professional experience should demonstrate your involvement in activities outside of school or work, including leadership, service, family responsibilities, civic engagement, coding or research projects you’re proud of, and any other accomplishments you’d like to share. Do not include high school information on your résumé. 

English-language Test Scores

If English was NOT the primary language of instruction at your undergraduate institution, you are required to submit your TOEFL or IELTS scores. These can be self-reported on the application, but all enrolling students must submit an official score report. Test scores are considered valid if taken within two years from the application deadline.  

TOEFL scores should be sent via ETS to institution code B875 (no department code needed). IELTS scores should be submitted electronically by the IELTS test center. No paper test report forms will be accepted. We have minimum scores of:

• TOEFL (iBT): 100 overall (including minimum section scores of 22 in speaking, 22 in writing, 23 in reading, and 23 in listening).
• IELTS: 7.0 overall (including minimum section scores of 6.5).

We will only waive the English-language Test Score requirement if your undergraduate degree was taught in English. We will not waive this requirement for graduate degrees taught in English or based upon your citizenship status.

Enrolling students with English-language test scores will be required to take the University of Virginia’s English Language Proficiency Exam (UVELPE) prior to the start of their first term; visit the UVA Center for American English & Culture FAQs page for more information.

Other Test Scores 

We do not review other standardized test scores (i.e., GRE, GMAT, MCAT) in our holistic evaluation of applicants.

Transcripts and Application Fees/ Fee Waivers

See below under "Domestic Applicants" or "International Applicants" for more information. 

Transcripts

All applicants must upload unofficial transcripts of their entire post-secondary academic record to the online application, including all undergraduate- and graduate-level institutions attended. Enrolling students must provide official transcripts for all degree-granting institutions.

All enrolling students must submit proof of degree conferral by August 1. Send official transcripts electronically to sdsadmission@virginia.edu (preferred) or by mail to:

Mailing Address  
School of Data Science Admissions  
PO Box 401109  
Charlottesville, VA 22904

Physical Address (for DHL and FedEx)  
School of Data Science Admissions  
Room 232  
1001 Emmet Street North  
Charlottesville, VA 22903

Application Fee

All graduate applications to the School of Data Science have a non-refundable application fee of $85 required for submission.  

Per UVA policy, we provide application fee waivers for US citizens and permanent residents who meet the Application Fee Waiver Eligibility criteria and submit an Application Fee Waiver Request Form. Application fees are automatically waived for all active military and veterans. In addition, application fees are waived for full-time UVA employees who have worked more than 90 days at the University (contact the admissions team for the employee fee waiver code). 

We cannot grant a fee waiver after payment of the application fee. An application will not be considered submitted until the fee is paid. 

The School of Data Science welcomes applications from around the world. The following information is provided to help prospective international students through the application process. All students are considered in the same pool regardless of the prospective student’s citizenship and the country of the student’s undergraduate institution.

International applicants must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution equivalent to a four-year American degree, which may include an undergraduate degree earned in three years.

Transcripts

All applicants must upload unofficial transcripts of their entire post-secondary academic record to their application, including all undergraduate and graduate-level institutions attended. Enrolling students must provide official final transcripts for any institution in which they previously earned a degree.

If English was the primary language of instruction at your undergraduate institution: You must upload unofficial transcripts of your entire post-secondary academic record to the online application, including all undergraduate- and graduate-level institutions attended. You are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS and this requirement will automatically be waived on your application.

If English was NOT the primary language of instruction at your undergraduate institution: You must submit a course-by-course credential evaluation to help us better understand your educational background and capabilities. IEE and SpanTran are NACES-member companies that have created custom applications for the School of Data Science at a discounted rate. We accept transcript evaluations from all NACES-member evaluators. You must also submit your TOEFL/IELTS results.

All enrolling students must submit proof of degree conferral by August 1. Send official transcripts electronically to sdsadmission@virginia.edu or by mail to:

Mailing Address   
School of Data Science Admissions   
PO Box 401109   
Charlottesville, VA 22904

Physical Address (for DHL and FedEx)
School of Data Science Admissions   
Room 232   
1001 Emmet Street North   
Charlottesville, VA 22903

Application Fee

All graduate applications to the School of Data Science have a non-refundable application fee of $85 required for submission.  

We currently provide application fee waivers to citizens from the countries defined by the United Nations as the least developed countries (LDCs). The application system will automatically waive the payment based on the citizenship you select on the application. International applications from countries not listed as LDCs will not be eligible to receive need-based application fee waivers. Review the list here.

OPT/STEM OPT

Ph.D. in Data Science graduates will be eligible to apply for Optional Practical Training (12 months) and consecutively STEM OPT Extension (24 months).  

F-1 Visa/I-20

Admitted international applicants will be required to submit supplemental documentation to the International Student & Scholars Program confirming the financial resources available for their study in the United States. Timely submission of the I-20 request form and financial forms is imperative in receiving the I-20 form and applying for the F-1 student visa or transferring the SEVIS record. Connect with the International Student Office with all questions related to student visas and immigration statuses. Do not submit financial documentation with your application. 

With support from the National Human Genome Research Institute, the University of Virginia’s School of Data Science, in collaboration with the Center for Public Health Genomics, offers students Research Experiences in Genomics Applications of Responsible Data Science (REGARDS). 

To apply for the REGARDS Genomics Focus, a student must complete the application to the MSDS residential program and answer the following additional questions: 

• Select “Yes, I would like to be considered for the REGARDS Genomics Focus” on the MSDS residential application for admission.  
• Confirm you have an undergraduate degree in computer science, engineering, or statistics.
• Complete the subsequent short answer prompt (150 – 250 words) about why you wish to pursue the REGARDS Genomics Focus and how it will help you reach your professional goals. 

Students admitted to the School of Data Science’s MSDS Residential program may request a deferral of their enrollment to the next year's cohort start date if facing extreme hardship or mitigating circumstances. To request a deferral, students must accept their offer of admission, pay the non-refundable $500 tuition deposit (applied toward future tuition), and submit the deferral request form located in the Application Portal. Please be specific in your deferral request.  

The Admissions team will review deferrals within 72 business hours. If granted, students must accept a revised offer of admission for the next cohort date within two weeks of the date of offer. Deferrals are not guaranteed and are granted at the discretion of the School of Data Science. Students admitted from the waitlist may not request a deferral. Students who are not granted a deferral may reapply to the program in the future. All deferral requests for the MSDS residential program must be submitted by May 1.  

Federal financial aid and need-based fellowships are limited to eligible U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens. There are also several external scholarships and funding options available to international students, some of which can be found on the Funding Your Degree page. 

The F1 Visa does permit part-time UVA-based employment for full-time students in the MSDS Residential program. Any employment would be available after you begin classes and will not be outlined in your offer letter.  

All UVA students, both domestic and international, who are charged the full comprehensive fees with their tuition must meet the health insurance verification requirements. Read the details of the health insurance requirements here. The health insurance premium will be covered under the financial aid package.