Newly admitted students
Congratulations, and welcome to VCU Graduate School!
Once you've received your offer of admission, please refer to the graduate student checklist for a list of important next steps.
You'll also want to connect with us on social media for the latest news, announcements, and special events for VCU graduate students.
New student orientation
The Graduate School and the Graduate Student Association sponsor an orientation to introduce new graduate students to VCU and the city of Richmond. Departments also conduct individual orientation sessions with representatives available to talk with students and answer questions.
New Graduate Student Orientation will be held on Tuesday, August 12, 2025.
Please find the live stream recording of the Fall 2024 New Graduate Student Orientation here.
Departmental orientation sessions
Schools and departments are currently scheduling Fall 2024 orientations
Brandcenter
VCU Brandcenter
August 15, 2024
Time TBD
Mike Hughes Hall, 103 South Jefferson St.
College of Engineering
Friday, August 16, 2024
9:00 am - 12:00 pm (includes lunch)
601 W. Main St., West Hall, room 101
601 W. Main St., West Hall, room 101
Contact: gradengr@vcu.edu
egr.vcu.edu
Departmental orientations will be held on Friday, August 16th, between 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm. Please read emails from the College of Engineering regarding specific times.
- Biomedical Engineering - West Hall, room 103
- Chemical & Life Science Engineering - West Hall, room 402
- Computer Science - West Hall, room 105
- Electrical & Computer Engineering - West Hall, room 104
- Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering - TBA
- Pharmaceutical Engineering - TBA
College of Health Professions
College of Health Professions - College-Wide Fall New Student Orientation
Friday, August 16, 2024
10:00 am -12:00 pm
900 East Leigh Street, College of Health Professions Auditorium, Rm 1050
Contact: garycs@vcu.edu
Dean's Office, PhD in Health Related Sciences
Monday, June 17th (10:00 am-2:00 pm) Tuesday, June 18th (8:00 am-4:00 pm)*both days are required
900 East Leigh St, Room: 1030
Contact: s2dcfife@vcu.edu
Department of Gerontology
New Student Orientation
Tuesday, Aug 13, 2024, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
A Zoom link will be provided
Contact: ksivey@vcu.edu
Department of Health Administration
MHA New Student Orientation
August 12-16, 2024 and August 19, 2024
900 E Leigh St.
Contact: parkinsc@vcu.edu
PhD HSOR New Student Orientation
August 15, 2024 (virtual), August 16, 2024 (in-person)
Zoom link will be provided for August 15, 2024
900 E Leigh St Rm 1050 for August 16, 2024
Contact: parkinsc@vcu.edu
Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences
Friday August 16th, 2024
12:00 - 1:00 pm (includes lunch)
CHP Building (900 E. Leigh Street)
Room: TBD
Contact: hrickomj@vcu.edu
Department of Nurse Anesthesia
*Attendance is required at both sessions
New Student Orientation
Wednesday, January 10, 2024, 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
900 E. Leigh St., Rm 1050
Contact: ahalley@vcu.edu, nrsa@vcu.edu
Transition to On-Campus Orientation
Wednesday, August 14, 2024, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
900 E. Leigh St., Rm 1050
Contact: ahalley@vcu.edu, nrsa@vcu.edu
Department of Occupational Therapy
Tuesday, May 28: 9:00 am- 4:00 pm
Wednesday, May 29: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
College of Health Professions, Rm. 1075
Contact: hemment@vcu.edu, smkohout@vcu.edu
Department of Patient Counseling
Spiritual Care Orientation
July 23-26, 2024
VCUHS Spiritual Care Department
Contact: Caitlyn Bailey
August Academy
Contact: Caitlyn Bailey
Department of Physical Therapy
New Student Orientation
Monday, June 10, 2024 and Tuesday, June 11, 2024 8:00 am - 5:00pm
College of Health Professions, Room: 4003
Department of Rehabilitation Counseling
Thursday, August 15, 2024
10:00 am – 3:00 pm (includes lunch)
CHP Building, 900 E. Leigh St., Rm. 5000
Contact: plkashiri@vcu.edu
College of Humanities and Sciences
Department of Chemistry
Monday, August 12, 2024
9:30 am - 11:00 am
Faculty research talks and other activities (August 12-19, 2024)
Temple Building, 901 West Main Street
Department of English
Graduate Programs Orientation (MA-ENG, MFA-CRW and PHD-MTX)
Thursday, August 14, 2024, and Friday, August 15, 2024
Hibbs Hall 308
Contact: tndidato@vcu.edu
english.vcu.edu
Department of History
August 15, 2024
5:00 pm
History Department Conference Room, 811 and 813 S. Cathedral Pl.
Refreshments will be served
Department of Forensic Science
Monday, August 19, 2024
9 am - 2 pm, location TBD
Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics and Systems Modeling and Analysis PhD Program
August 12, 2024 - August 19, 2024
Times : TBD
MATX PhD Program
Thursday, August 15, 2024
9:00 am - 4:00pm
lunch will be served
Contact: mclingold@vcu.edu
Environmental Studies
August 19, 2024
Time: TBD
Contact lpbulluck@vcu.edu
Department of Sociology Orientation
Students required to attend: MS, Digital Sociology Concentration, 4+1
Online and In Person
Founders Hall, Large Conference Room 202
1:00 - 3:00 New Student General Information (all new students)
3:00 - 4:00 Ice Cream Social
Calendar invitations with Zoom links forthcoming
Contact: fosternv@vcu.edu
Robertson School of Mass Communication
M.S. Program Student Orientation
Thursday, June 6, 2024
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Online: https://zoom.us/j/2828550463
Contact: bkhanger@vcu.edu
daVinci Center for Innovation
MPI Orientation
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Virtual, Zoom link will be provided
*Additional events for new daVinci students will be happening between August 12-16, but this is the required program orientation session.
Global Education Office
International Student Orientation
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
MCALC Academic Learning Commons (1000 Floyd Ave.), Rm. 1201
Contact: global@vcu.edu
global.vcu.edu
L. Douglas Wilder School of Government & Public Affairs
New Graduate Student Orientation
Monday, August 12, 2024
2:00 pm -4:00 pm
Raleigh Building, Room 0001
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
2:00 pm -4:00 pm
(Virtual, Zoom link to be provided)
School of Dentistry
Advanced Education MSD Programs (Endo/Peds/Perio/Ortho/OMFS)
New Resident Orientation
Thursday, June 27, 2024; Friday, June 28, 2024
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
School of Dentistry Building, 1 at 521 N. 11th St.
Contact: lysekk@vcu.edu
Graduate Research Programs
PhD and Masters Research Class
Thursday, August 15, 2024
10:00am
School of Dentistry Building, 1 at 521 N. 11th St.
School of Education
New Graduate Student Orientation
Tuesday, August 13, 2024, 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Oliver Hall, 1015 W Main St
Room TBA
* Attendance is required for non-EdD students
Contact: soeogs@vcu.edu
soe.vcu.edu
EdD in Leadership
Orientation is asynchronously available on the EdD in Leadership One-Stop Canvas site starting May 2, 2024.
June 7-8. 2024, First-year Residency
Location ALC 1107
soe.vcu.edu
School of Business
Graduate Studies Kick-Off
Evening MBA, Specialized Master's and Certificate Students
Thursday, August 15, 2024
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Snead Hall, 301 W. Main St., Atrium
Contact: gsib@vcu.edu or 804-828-4622
Executive MBA Class of 2026
Thursday, August 22, 2024
7:30 am
Snead Hall, 301 W. Main St., Room B2166
Contact: emba@vcu.edu
Master of Decision Analytics - Weekend Format Class of 2025
Friday, August 23, 2024
8:00 am
Snead Hall, 301 W. Main St., Room B2147
Contact: dapt@vcu.edu
Master of Business Administration - Online Cohort
Online MBA Cohort Class of 2026
Friday, August 23, 2024
8:00 am - Residency I, Day 1
Snead Hall, 301 W. Main St., Room B3187
Contact: gsib@vcu.edu
PhD in Business
Friday, August 16, 2024
9:00 am
Snead Hall, 301 W. Main St., Room B3187
Contact: gsib@vcu.edu
School of Social Work
On-campus MSW Student Orientation
Friday, August 16, 2024
Time: 10:00am
Academic Learning Commons, 1000 Floyd Ave., 1st Floor Lobby
Contact: sswadvising@vcu.edu
Friday, August 16, 2024
Time: 10:00am
Academic Learning Commons, 1000 Floyd Ave., 1st Floor Lobby
Contact: sswadvising@vcu.edu
Online MSW Student Orientation
Monday, August 12, 2024
Time: 6:00 pm
Contact: sswadvising@vcu.edu
Monday, August 12, 2024
Time: 6:00 pm
Contact: sswadvising@vcu.edu
School of Nursing
New Graduate Student Orientation
August 19, 2024, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
School of Nursing Building, 1100 Leigh Street, Richmond, VA 23298
Contact: westbergt@vcu.edu
School of Medicine
School of Medicine (PhD, MS, and Certificate Graduate Programs)
New Graduate Student Orientation
Thursday, August 15, 2024
10:30 am to 12:00 pm
Sanger Hall, 1101 East Marshall Street, 1st Floor, Room 1-044
Contact: Harold.Greenwald@vcuhealth.org
Physiology & Biophysics
Monday, August 12, 2024
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89608196721
Contacts: cikyrus@vcu.edu
Department of Radiation Oncology
Medical Physics Graduate Program - Fall 2024 New Student Orientation
Friday, August 16, 2024
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Adult Outpatient Pavilion (AOP), Room: 02-024
1001 East Leigh Street
Contact:lori.cates@vcuhealth.org
Premedical Graduate Health Sciences Certificate (CERT)
Program Orientation
Thursday, August 15, 2024, 1:00 - 3:00 pm, MMRB 1013
Friday, August 16, 2024, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, MMRB 1009-1011
Other Fall 2024 School of Medicine program orientation events are listed here
Contact: PreMedCert@vcuhealth.org
School of Pharmacy
New Graduate Student Orientation
Thursday, August 15, 2024
9:00 am-3:00pm (Lunch provided)
410 N 12th Street, Rm. 129
Contact: pharmgrad@vcu.edu or glyoungblood@vcu.edu
Individual departments will hold orientation on Tuesday August 13, 2024 from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
School of Public Health
New Graduate Student Orientation
Monday, August 12, 2024
One Capitol Square, 830 E Main Street. 12th floor
Room 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Master of Public Health
Thursday, August 15, 2024
Time: TBA
One Capitol Square, 830 E Main Street. Room TBA
Biostatistics
Thursday, August 15, 2024
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
One Capitol Square, 830 E Main Street, Room TBD
Department of Epidemiology
Thursday August 15, 2024
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 pm
One Capitol Square, 830 E Main Street. Room 803
Contact: alim28@vcu.edu
Department of Health Policy
Thursday, August 15, 2024
Time: TBA
One Capitol Square, 830 E Main Street. Room TBA
Contact: nlochansky@vcu.edu
Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences
Thursday, August 15, 2024
Time: TBA
One Capitol Square, 830 E Main Street. Room TBA
Contact: nlochansky@vcu.edu
School of the Arts
Departments will host individual Graduate Student Orientations. Please see department specific information below:
Department of Art History
Monday, August 19, 2024
2:00 - 3:00 pm
Buford House, 920 West Franklin Street, Room 202
Contact: eggarberson@vcu.edu
Department of Kinetic Imaging
Friday, August 16, 2024
12:00 -1:30 pm
Kinetic Imaging Graduate Studios, Murry DePillars Building, 1000 West Broad St
Contact: ksicchio@vcu.edu
Department of Painting + Printmaking
Thursday, August 15, 2024
10:00 - 11:30 am
Murry DePillars Building, 1000 West Broad Street, Room 301
Contact: hjmorrison@vcu.edu
Department of Photography + Film
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
3:00 - 4:30 PM
Pollak Building, Room 303, 325 Harrison Street
Contact: molinagaj@vcu.edu
Department of Sculpture + Extended Media
Thursday, August 15, 2024
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Sculpture + Extended Media Graduate Studios, First Floor, Murry DePillars Building, 1000 West Broad Street
Contact: kbuster@vcu.edu
Department of Theatre
Friday, August 16, 2024
4:00 - 5:00pm
Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Ave
Contact: adanderson@vcu.edu
4:00 - 5:00pm
Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Ave
Contact: adanderson@vcu.edu
VCUarts Qatar MFA in Design
Thursday, August 22, 2024
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
MFA Classroom 380W
Contact: rmcclure@vcu.edu
Department of Interior Design*
Monday, July 8, 2024
9:00 AM - 2:30 PM
Pollak Building, 325 Harrison Street, 4th Floor, Room 409,
*Orientation related information is covered during the Summer Workshop which will be held from July 8th-August 1st.
* Please note, only first professional students attend the workshop. Orientation related information will be delivered to post professional students in fall.
Contact: carletonkr@vcu.edu