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 2025 orientations. Dates/times are being updated upon receipt from schools/departments.
Brandcenter
VCU Brandcenter
August 15, 2024
Time TBD
Mike Hughes Hall, 103 South Jefferson St.
College of Engineering
Launchpad: Engineering Graduate Student Orientation
Friday, August 15, 2025
9:00 am - 11:30 am
Engineering West Hall, Lobby: 601 W. Main Street, Richmond, VA 23284
Lunch with Current Grad Students: 11:30 am
Contact: gradengr@vcu.edu
College of Health Professions
College of Health Professions- College-Wide Summer New Student Event
Friday, August 15, 2025
9:30 am - 1:00 pm (approximately, exact time TBD)
College of Health Professions Building
900 E Leigh St
Contact: chpstudent@vcu.edu
Department of Gerontology
Gerontology Orientation
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Via Zoom only
MHA Orientation
Monday, August 11 - Saturday, August 16, and Monday, August 18
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
College of Health Professions, 900 E. Leigh St.
Contact: Cameron Parkins, parkinsc@vcu.edu
MSHA Orientation
Thursday, August 11-Saturday, August 16
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Via Zoom (only) - links will be sent by mid-July
Contact: Cameron Parkins, parkinsc@vcu.edu
Department of Health Related Sciences - Ph.D. Program
Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences
Thursday, August 14th
11:30-12:30pm, Room 6003
College of Health Professions, 900 E. Leigh Street
Contact: Melissa Jamerson, hrickomj@vcu.edu
Department of Occupational Therapy
Tuesday, May 27th, 2025, 9am-4pm, Room 1075
Wednesday, May 28th, 2025, 9am-12pm Room 1075
College of Health Professions Building
900 East Leigh St, Richmond, VA 23298
Contact: Tara Hemmen, Program Manager, hemment@vcu.edu
Department of Physical Therapy
Wednesday, June 4th, 2025 9am-4pm, room 1075
Thursday, June 5th, 2025 8am-5pm, room 4003
Friday, June 6th, 2025 8am-1pm, room 1075
College of Health Professions
900 E. Leigh St., Richmond, VA 23298
Contact: Lexie Lewis, Program Manager, lewisls4@vcu.edu
Department of Rehabilitation Counseling
Thurs., August 14, 2025 from 10am-4p
College of Health Professions Building
900 E. Leigh St Rm #5000, Richmond, VA 23298
RSVP Required
Department of Patient Counseling
Monday-Friday June 2-6 8:30am-4:00pm
College of Health Professions
900 E. Leigh Street, Richmond VA RM 7019
College of Humanities and Sciences
Department of Chemistry
Monday, August 11, 2025
9:30 am - 11:30 am
Faculty research talks, TA training, and other activities (August 12-18, 2025)
Temple Building, 901 West Main Street
Contact: sndhakal@vcu.edu
Department of English
Graduate Programs Orientation
Thursday-Friday, August 14-15, 2025
10:00 am -4:00 am
Department and grad programs meetings, GTA training, and other activities
Hibbs Hall, Third Floor, 900 Park Ave.
Contact: tndidato@vcu.edu
Department of Forensic Science
Graduate Student Orientation (In-person)
Tuesday, August 18, 2025
9:00 am-2:00 pm
Contact: Jo Murphy, fos@vcu.edu
Department of Media, Art, and Text
Graduate Programs Orientation
Thursday-Friday, August 14-15, 2025
10:00 am -4:00 am
Department and grad programs meetings, GTA training, and other activities
Hibbs Hall, Third Floor, 900 Park Ave.
Contact: tndidato@vcu.edu
Robertson School of Mass Communication
Master's Students Orientation
Friday, June 6, 2025
Noon to 1 p.m.
Online at https://vcu.zoom.us/my/robertsonschool
Contact: garabelliva@vcu.edu
Department of Psychology
Tuesday, August 5, 2025
9:00 am - 1:30 pm
Program Orientation (August 11-15, 2025)
STEM Building, 817 West Franklin Street
Contact: tsimmsjones@vcu.edu
Department of Sociology
New Graduate Student Orientation
M.S., Digital Sociology Concentration, Accelerated
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
11:00 pm - 3:00 pm
In Person, Founders Hall, Large Conference Room and
Online Zoom link provided to students
New Teaching Assistant Training
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
In Person, Founders Hall, Large Conference Room and
Online, Zoom link provided to students
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 13th, 2025
9:00 am -12:00 pm
VCU STEM Building, 817 West Franklin Street
GEO Open House: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm in Global Education Office
Contact: global@vcu.edu
L. Douglas Wilder School of Government & Public Affairs
Monday, August 11th, 2025
2pm-4pm
Location: Raleigh Building B001 (1001 W Franklin St)
Contact: Matthew Smith, msmith43@vcu.edu
Tuesday, August 12th, 2025
2pm-4pm
Location: Virtual on Zoom
Contact: Matthew Smith, msmith43@vcu.edu
School of Dentistry
Advanced Education MSD Programs (Endo/Peds/Perio/Ortho/OMFS)
Monday, June 30, 2025
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
School of Dentistry, Perkinson 3121
Contact: lysekk@vcu.edu
School of Education
New Graduate Student Orientation
Aug 13, 2025
Hybrid
3-6pm
Academic Learning Commons
Contact: Krystal Andrews, Director, Student Success
Department of Educational Leadership
EdD in Leadership Orientation
Synchronous, May 7-May 30
First-year EdD Residency
June 6, 2025
10am-6pm
and
June 7, 2025
9am-6pm
Location TBD
Contact: Beth Bukoski, EdD Director
School of Business
Graduate Studies Kick-Off
Evening MBA, Specialized Master's and Certificate Students
Thursday, August 14, 2025
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 2027
Thursday, August 21, 2025
8:00 am
Snead Hall, 301 W. Main St., Room B3189
Contact: emba@vcu.edu
Master of Decision Analytics Weekend Program Class of 2026
Friday, August 22, 2025
8:00 am
Snead Hall, 301 W. Main St., Room B3186
Contact: dapt@vcu.edu
PhD in Business
Friday, August 15, 2025
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Snead Hall, 301 W. Main St., Room B3187
Contact: gsib@vcu.edu
School of Social Work
On Campus MSW Orientation
Friday, August 16th, 2025 9:00am-4:00pm
Academic Learning Commons, first floor
1000 Floyd Ave
Contact - Julie Pence, pencejm@vcu.edu
School of Nursing
Graduate Nursing Student Orientation
Friday, August 15, 2025
2:00 - 4:00pm
School of Nursing
1100 East Leigh Street
Contact - Tim Westberg, twestberg@vcu.edu
School of Medicine
Dean’s Office, School of Medicine (PhD, MS, and Certificate Graduate Programs)
Thursday, 8/14/2025
10:30 am - 12:00 noon
Kontos (KMSC) Auditorium
1217 East Marshall St.
Contact: mary.rosenthal@vcuhealth.org
Addiction Studies New Student Orientation
Friday, August 15, 2025
9:00 am - 10:15 am
Via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82295609464
Contact: meloos@vcu.edu
Division of Medical Physics
Medical Physics New Student Orientation
Friday, August 15, 2025
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: MMEC 4-201 (McGlothlin Medical Education Center 1201 E Marshall Street)
Contact: Lori.Cates@vcuhealth.org
School of Pharmacy
Graduate Student Orientation
Thursday, August 14, 2025
10:00am to 4:00pm
Lunch and snacks provided
School of Pharmacy
410 N. 12th Street
Contact: Geri Youngblood, glyoungblood@vcu.edu or pharmgrad@vcu.edu
School of Public Health
New SOPH Graduate Student Orientation
Monday, August 11, 2025
9:00 am - 1:00 pm (additional, department-specific orientation details below)
One Capitol Square, 12th floor | 830 East Main Street
Lunch provided
Contact: soph@vcu.edu
Master of Public Health
Monday, August 11, 2025
1:00 pm-3:00 pm
One Capitol Square, 12th floor | 830 East Main Street
Department of Epidemiology
Thursday, August 14, 2025
One Capitol Square, 830 East Main Street
Contact: alim28@vcu.edu
Department of Health Policy
Thursday, August 14, 2025
One Capitol Square, 830 East Main Street
Lunch provided
Contact: nlochansky@vcu.edu
Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences
Thursday, August 14, 2025
One Capitol Square, 830 East Main Street
Lunch provided
Contact: nlochansky@vcu.edu
School of the Arts
VCUarts Graduate Student Welcome Reception
Friday, August 15, 2025
4:30-6:00pm
Murry N. DePillars Building lobby
1000 W. Broad St
Contact: artsgrad@vcu.edu
This welcome reception is for all incoming and continuing graduate students in the School of the Arts
4:30-6:00pm
Murry N. DePillars Building lobby
1000 W. Broad St
Contact: artsgrad@vcu.edu
This welcome reception is for all incoming and continuing graduate students in the School of the Arts
Department of Art Education
Friday, August 15, 2025
2:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Franklin Terrace, 812 W. Franklin St. Room 301
Contact: Dr. Yiwen Wei, weiy2@vcu.edu
Department of Art History
Monday, August 18, 2025, 1-2:30
Buford 202, 922 W. Franklin
Contact: Eric Garberson, eggarberson@vcu.edu
Department of Interior Design
Monday, July 7, 2025
9:00 am - 2:45 pm
Pollak Building, 325 N. Harrison 1971, 4th floor, room #411
Contact: Kristin Carleton, carletonkr@vcu.edu
Department of Painting + Printmaking
PAPR Graduate Student Orientation
Friday, August 15, 2025
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Murry DePillars Building, 1000 West Broad St, Room