If you have questions, please look at our extensive list of FAQs. If your question is not included here, please contact us at egrhpc [at] uh.edu (egrhpc[at]uh[dot]edu).
- What is the status of my application? When will I hear about the decision?
All the applications will be reviewed close to the application deadline for that particular intake semester. You will be informed about the decision around that time. - Can I receive an application fee waiver?
Unfortunately, we are not able to offer the application fee waiver for MS students at this time. - How long does it take to complete the degree program?
The MS in Engineering Data Science and AI is a 30 credit hours (10 courses) program. Full-time enrolled students typically complete the program in a year and a half to two years.
- What is full-time enrollment?
- Students will need to enroll in a minimum of 3 courses (9 credit hours) for full-time enrollment each fall/spring semester. Students will need to maintain full-time enrollment if they are an international student on a visa AND/OR they are a recipient of a scholarship.
- International students must remain enrolled in 6 credit hours of F2F/Hybrid courses while only 3 credit hours can be in an online format.
- What is full-time enrollment?
- Are there resources for Internships and Jobs?
We have the Engineering Career Center which hosts career fairs every semester for Engineering students as well as for graduates after six months after graduation. You can view the website for more information about employers and partners of the Career Center. - How can I transfer to the Engineering Data Science and AI program?
If you are already enrolled in another program at UH, at the end of either fall/spring semester, you can petition to change from your current program to Engineering Data Science and AI. Your petition will have to be approved by both programs (current program stating you are in good standing and Engineering Data Science and AI stating you are admissible). Transfer is not guaranteed. The petition will be reviewed and the decision will be based on the grades and courses taken in the current program and your application package when applying to UH.
Petition: Graduate Student General Petition - What is the status of my I-20?
The I-20 is being processed at our Graduate School. If they have questions or need any additional documents, they will contact you directly via email. Once I-20 is complete, you can view it and print it out for your visa interview at ApplyWeb under your account.
Should you need to contact Graduate School, the email address is as follows: gradschool [at] uh.edu (gradschool[at]uh[dot]edu)
Please always include your full name and PSID# in your emails.
Please be advised that Graduate School is in charge of I-20s for all the international students of UH which may take some time to complete. Thank you in advance for your patience. - I was offered admission but with no scholarship. When will I get the scholarship?
The Dean’s scholarship is very competitive. (See FAQ#15 for more information).
A student may be eligible for scholarship in their second year (or third semester), if the student maintains a CGPA of 3.75 or above and based on availability of scholarship funds. If you do receive the scholarship as described above, in that semester you will be eligible for in-state tuition. - How can I get TA/RA assistantships?
Typically, we do not offer assistantships to MS students. The teaching/research assistantships are available to PhD students only. If you are interested in student employment, please visit the University Career Services website. You will be able to find out the types of employment that is available as well as eligibility. - I have a PDV hold on my account. How can I remove it to enroll in classes?
According to our Graduate School’s policy, you need to submit your official transcripts/marksheets and the degree certificate to UH Graduate School in a sealed envelope with the university stamp, via a carrier such as the postal service or DHL or FedEx, etc. Otherwise, Prior Degree Verification (PDV) Hold will not be removed. You may bring those officials with you and hand deliver them to the Graduate School Office upon your arrival but you will not be able to register for courses in advance.
If you wish to temporarily remove the PDV Hold, a petition must be filed with Graduate School with an official letter from your university indicating the reasons why you cannot get your official documents in time.
Petition: Graduate Student General Petition - I am transferring from another institution in the US. Can I transfer credits for some courses I have already taken?
As per engineering graduate program policies, we can transfer up to 6 credit hours or 2 courses. Please send us a list of courses that you took at your previous institution and the grades you received for each course (including transcripts and syllabi). Based on the course content and equivalency with courses in our Engineering Data Science and AI degree plan, we will make a decision about whether the course can be transferred or not. Once a course has been approved, to complete the credit transfer, you need to submit a petition.
Petition: Graduate Student General Petition - Do I have to take the TOEFL (or other English Proficiency Test)?
If you are an international student and English is not your native language, you also need to submit proof of English proficiency such as TOEFL or IELTS or Duolingo test result. You can upload the unofficial test result for evaluation first and ask the testing center to send the official test result to UH electronically.
English Language Proficiency Requirement - Is GRE required?
GRE is optional. - How long should my essay be?
There is no limitation for essays. It can be just as much as you need to describe your background, interest, experience, and relevant information. Typically it is 1.5-2 pages. - Deferment Procedure:
If a student is offered admission but cannot enroll in the designated intake semester, they may request a deferment by submitting a Graduate and Professional Student Petition no later than the 12th day of the semester (e.g., September 10th, 2025). After this deadline, students must reapply into the program. Deferments can be requested twice for up to one year. - Dean’s Masters Scholarship:
Engineering Data Science and AI offers a competitive Dean’s scholarship of $1,000 to qualified students for their first academic year in the program (e.g., $500 Fall, $500 Spring). If you are awarded with this scholarship, you become eligible to pay in-state tuition rates. Students who are awarded the Dean’s Masters Scholarship in their official Offer Letter are offered renewal based on eligibility and availability of funds from the College. Therefore, a student may be eligible with GPA; however, if funds are not available, then the scholarship cannot be awarded. In other words, scholarship renewal is not guaranteed. Please visit this link for more information.