Graduate studies at VCU
Campus
Our two main campuses are located a mile away from each other in downtown Richmond. The Monroe Park Campus is home to most of our non-clinical graduate programs. Our health sciences schools and college and top-rated medical center are located on the MCV Campus.
Getting around
- Richmond City Bus: Students, faculty and staff can ride any GRTC bus for free, including the Pulse and Route 5, both of which provide an easy way to travel between VCU’s two campuses.
- RamSafe: Our late-night shuttle service will pick you up and drop you off anywhere on campus or at nearby locations.
- RamBikes: The RamBikes shop offers free bike rentals and repairs, do-it-yourself bike repair classes, and other bike-friendly events.
- Alternative Transportation: ZipCars, e-scooters, RVA Bike Share and area transit services — take your pick and leave your car at home.
Whether you plan to live on campus or within the Richmond community, VCU has multiple options for students seeking housing and dining options.
- Indulge in a delightful array of culinary delights at VCU. Sushi and sandwiches. Coffee and cookies. Plus tacos, pizza and Mediterranean cuisine. VCU has tons of on-campus dining options to fuel your early-morning classes and late-night study sessions. With one of our eight dining plans, you can choose from 22 locations across both campuses, including Panda Express, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A and the all-you-care-to-eat dining hall, Market 810.
- Residence halls at VCU come in all shapes and sizes, from traditional rooms to suites and apartments.
- The Office of Off-Campus Student Services can help you with your housing search to find options within walking distance of the campus.
- VCU is home to one of the largest university police departments in the country, with 95 sworn officers, more than 200 security personnel, an on-campus dispatch center and an accredited training academy. Private security guards are stationed in most academic buildings and in residence halls.
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VCU faculty, staff and students are automatically signed up for VCU Alert text messages. Please ensure you have the most up-to-date Mobile or Cell Phone Number (Primary) field on your personal information page of the eServices/ VCU Self Services website.
- RamSafe is a point-to-point evening transportation service exclusively for VCU students, faculty and staff. The program provides safe and free transportation to on-campus locations and nearby residences and buildings.
Art
- Art District
- Explore the rich art provided by the city of Richmond.
- First Fridays: Join the locals by participating in Richmond’s First Friday. On the first Friday of every month, Richmonders take to the arts district's streets to explore galleries, murals, and restaurants.
- Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA)
- Right on VCU’s Monroe campus, the ICA is a beautiful art museum that exhibits a variety of up-and-coming artists to promote meaningful conversations.
- Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
- Free Art Experiences in the greater Richmond area
Entertainment
- Altria
- The Altria Theater hosts a variety of concerts, shows, and events and it’s right on VCU’s Monroe Park Campus!
- Richmond Folk Festival
- The Richmond Jazz Festival
- Dominion Riverrock
- Coalition Theatre
- Richmond Shakespeare
- The Byrd Theatre
Sports
- Show your Richmond pride by supporting some of our professional sports teams
- Basketball: VCU Rams’ Basketball
- Baseball: Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Soccer: Richmond Kickers
Applying
VCU is home to more than 140 master’s, doctoral and certificate programs. Visit VCU's graduate admissions page to learn about requirements, important dates and instructions for applying to Graduate School. Have questions or need assistance with the application process? Contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at gradmail@vcu.edu or (804) 828-6916.
Applicants can track their application status via the application portal. Once a decision has been made, you will receive an official correspondence from the university with details of your application decision.
International students
- Students from more than 100 countries are represented among VCU’s student body. We deeply value the international members of our graduate student community, and we celebrate the perspectives they bring to the classroom and to campus.
- For more information on applying to VCU as an international graduate student, visit the international graduate admissions page.
- As an international member of the VCU community, we know you may have questions related to your visa. VCU offers immigration advising for visa-related support and our Immigration Services team is available to answer your questions related to the F-1 and J-1 visas and eligible work authorizations. For more information about immigration advising at VCU, visit the immigration advising page or email geois@vcu.edu.
Things to note:
- Application Checklist
- A nonrefundable $70 application fee is required with each graduate program application. You will be asked to submit your payment at the end of your online application.
- For questions about transferring graduate credits, contact the graduate program director.
- For in-state tuition rates, you must be a Virginia resident or provide clear documentation that you are living in Virginia for a primary purpose other than attending school. Your graduate school letter of acceptance will state your residency status.
- Accepted Student Checklist
Academic expectations
As you embark on your graduate journey at VCU and progress through your studies, staying well-informed about VCU's graduate academic policies and requirements is crucial. This knowledge will empower you to navigate smoothly toward your graduation goals.
Check the VCU academic calendar for key deadlines for each semester, such as registering for or withdrawing from classes and submitting your thesis or dissertation. The academic calendar also lists university holidays and breaks.
Maintaining academic integrity is fundamental to fostering scholarly pursuits, research endeavors, creative expressions, and professional involvement at VCU. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the complete Student Code of Conduct, Honor System and Standards of Academic Conduct, as well as any course-specific academic integrity guidelines applicable to your program.
University-wide academic regulations for all graduate students are described in the VCU Bulletin along with graduate-specific regulations. Please check with your graduate program director as each academic program, department, and/or school/college may have additional policies and requirements.
Registering for classes
Your first step is to consult with your graduate program director regarding advising, registration, special program information and department orientation activities. Class registration dates can be found in the university academic calendar.
Once you log in to eServices, go to the Student tab and scroll to the Student Registration Section. Then click on Register for Classes. You can use this website to plan ahead by browsing the courses available next semester. The Office of the University Registrar provides resources for students such as the Registration Guide to assist you.
If you have trouble registering, need to join a waitlist, have a hold on your account, or need a course override, check out the Registrar’s website or contact your graduate program contact for help.
Things to note:
- Registration is only open during certain periods of time, in accordance with a student's enrollment classification (undergraduate, graduate, nondegree-seeking).
- Certain actions or inactions on a student's part can result in a hold being placed on the student account which can prevent registration.
- Changes to a student’s registration status could have an impact on the receipt of financial aid and tuition refunds.
Degree Works is a web-based degree audit tool that helps students and advisors monitor progress toward degree completion. It produces an easy-to-read report that outlines the general education, major, ancillary requirements and electives for a student’s degree program, and tracks the student’s progress in completing those requirements.
Degree Works is available to all graduate students with an effective Bulletin of fall 2014 or later. This report is not intended to replace contact with academic advisors. It does, however, provide accurate, up-to-date information to assist students and advisors in creating an academic plan.
Canvas is VCU’s online learning management system. It is used as a central hub for professors and students to access course materials, grades, and assignments.
Things to note:
- Not all faculty members use Canvas, as some have received university approval to use a third-party system. Make sure to follow your syllabus and your faculty member's instructions. Please contact the Graduate School if you have questions or concerns about a faculty member’s use of a non-Canvas system.
Virginia Commonwealth University confers degrees only three times per year in May, August, and December as outlined in the Bulletin. Each student who expects to complete the degree requirements by the end of a semester (fall, spring, or summer) must apply to graduate by the deadline published on the university academic calendar; typically this deadline is two to three weeks after the first day of classes.
Students who have completed all academic requirements within the program’s specified time period are eligible for graduation at the close of their final semester.
A graduation application must be submitted to your adviser or dean and approved by the adviser, graduate program director or school dean. After receiving the recommendation of the graduate faculty, your degree will be submitted to the VCU Board of Visitors to be conferred.
To learn more about the graduation process and commencement details, refer to the Graduate Bulletin and VCU Commencement. Individual department credit requirements and graduation procedures can be found in the degree program descriptions.
Things to note:
These university resources will no longer be available to you upon graduation.
- Use of @vcu.edu email - this will convert to an alumni email address.
- Student Technology at VCU - refer to the Graduating Student Technology Checklist for technology resources that are no longer available upon graduation.
- Parking is only available to enrolled students and employees on a long-term basis (semester). Once you graduate, you will need to pay daily for parking in a VCU parking facility or lot.
- University Counseling Services - is only available to enrolled students.
- Student Health Services is only available to enrolled students. Consultation may be provided to assist graduating students with transitioning to services in the community.
- Student Health Insurance is only available to select student populations. Once enrolled, students will be insured until their coverage expiration date, even if they graduate before that time.
- Building access is granted by schools/colleges to currently enrolled students. Check with your department if you need building access past your semester of graduation.