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Welcome to VCU
Academics
We are excited that you are exploring Virginia Commonwealth University! Our academic and medical research is on the cutting edge in many fields and carries into the classroom, benefitting our students. Several of our undergraduate programs of study are not offered at any other college or university in Virginia.
Academic services and resources
VCU’s unique setting provides a mixture of state-ofthe-art facilities as well as Victorian mansions along tree-lined streets. VCU offers the added advantage of being in a major city with cultural experiences on and off campus. Our university presents the best aspects of traditional college life while offering students a chance to experience real-world diversity. We invite you to visit VCU and meet with us personally. An admissions representative conducts a 30-minute information session Monday through Friday at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Saturday at 10:30 a.m. (except on holidays and holiday weekends) at the Welcome Center, located at 1111 W. Broad St. Walking tours of the Monroe Park Campus follow the session. Prospective students and their families are also invited to visit one of VCU’s open houses, where you will have the opportunity to meet with VCU faculty, current students and the admissions staff. admissions.vcu.edu
VCU offers a variety of programs and services that promote academic success and sound strategies to assist you with achieving your educational goals, including: ◆◆
Academic advising
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Campus Learning Center
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Disability Support Services
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Education Abroad
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English Language Program
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Office of Multicultural Student Affairs
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Writing Center
VCU, the state’s largest metropolitan university, lies at the heart of the commonwealth in Richmond, the capital of Virginia. The university’s campus reflects the character of its host city by mixing modern, high-tech amenities with historical buildings and small-town charm. Our students enjoy the excitement of downtown living as they learn.
VCU houses 13 schools and one college: ◆◆
College of Humanities and Sciences
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School of Allied Health Professions
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School of the Arts
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School of Business
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School of Dentistry
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School of Education
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School of Engineering
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L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs
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Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture
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School of Medicine
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School of Nursing
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School of Pharmacy
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School of Social Work
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School of World Studies
VCU Life Sciences spans the research efforts of the entire university. In addition, the VCU Medical Center stands as the largest and most comprehensive academic medical center in the commonwealth.
2015 student profile Freshmen ...........................................4,090 Undergraduate students....................24,051 Graduate students ............................5,451 First-professional students ...............1,740
2015 freshman profile GPA of middle 50 percent of all admitted freshmen ..................3.40-4.02 SAT scores of middle 50 percent of all admitted freshmen.......................1020-1230
Faculty profile Full-time instructional .......................2,264 Part-time instructional ......................1,015 VCU holds national and international rankings in sponsored research.
Alumni profile U.S. and 108 countries..................... 174,573
Computing at VCU All students at VCU are required to have a personal computer. Faculty and students increasingly rely on email, the Internet, digital media and other instructional technology to complement and enhance classroom, laboratory and studio learning. A personal computer enables VCU students to have powerful and convenient access from their homes or their residence-hall rooms to the rich array of learning resources available on our campus and the Web. g2g.vcu.edu mymail.vcu.edu
About Richmond
Student life
Richmond, the capital of Virginia, blends historic tradition and architecture with a modern, cosmopolitan atmosphere. Richmond city life offers something for everyone. Dozens of museums, art galleries, battleďŹ elds and monuments preserve some of the nation’s most important history. Opportunities for shopping abound — from small boutiques on quaint side streets to major suburban shopping malls. Richmond offers everything from exclusive restaurants to friendly neighborhood night spots and eateries near campus. And the city also hosts a number of annual festivals, including Arts in the Park, the Richmond Folk Festival, the French Film Festival and the International Food Festival. The city maintains more than 15,000 acres of parks, including formal gardens, restored mansions and wildlife preserves along the James River.
Housing
Easily accessible by plane, train, bus and car, VCU is within an easy day trip of Colonial Williamsburg, Washington, D.C., Virginia Beach or the Blue Ridge Mountains. vcu.edu/richmond
Most full-time freshmen live in university housing. Living on campus is not mandatory, but we highly recommend it as a way to become a part of campus life. On-campus housing varies in capacity and style and includes high-rise and mid-rise residence halls, suites and apartments. All university-operated housing is supervised by residence-hall staff and offers 24-hour security. housing.vcu.edu
Dining Undergraduate students living in university freshman residence halls are required to choose a residential dining plan. VCUDine offers swipe plans at 200-, 250- and 300-meal levels with additional Dining Dollars added. Swipe plans allow a specific number of meals to be used over an entire semester. These unlimited-serving meals are served in the Shafer Court Dining Center and the Larrick Dining Center. Dining Dollars allow students the opportunity to purchase tax-free meals at any VCU retail restaurant. Commuter students and students living off campus have the option of purchasing a nonresidential dining plan. bsv.vcu.edu/dining
Student activities
Intercollegiate athletics
At VCU you will find a wide range of recreational, leisure and social activities as well as academic, professional and employment-related opportunities.
The VCU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics offers you opportunities to participate in activities that help to build unity among all members of the university community. As an NCAA Division I school and a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, VCU sponsors 17 intercollegiate sports with more than 250 student athletes.
More than 500 registered student organizations bring together VCU students who share common interests. Academic, Greek (fraternities and sororities), honorary, political, religious, service, student media and special interest organizations offer numerous opportunities for fun and learning. As a VCU student, you also may take advantage of other programs and services, including, but not limited to: ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆
Career and personal counseling services Mentorship programs Multicultural student affairs programs Security escort services
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Service learning
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Student health services
Men’s teams ◆◆
Baseball
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Basketball
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Cross country
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Golf
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Soccer
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Tennis
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Track and field
Women’s teams
usca.vcu.edu/slic/student-organizations
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Basketball
Recreation
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Cross country
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Field hockey Lacrosse
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Soccer
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Tennis
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Track and field
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Volleyball
VCU offers several facilities to meet your recreational needs. The Cary Street Gym features an 18,000-squarefoot fitness center, two indoor pools, a rock-climbing wall, two racquetball courts, a four-court gymnasium, an indoor running track and cycling room. The Outdoor Adventure Program provides VCU students with fun and adventure by sponsoring camping, canoeing and climbing trips. Both facilities are available for student use to offer you a variety of recreational activities, including intramural sports. recsports.vcu.edu
vcuathletics.com
Undergraduate programs • Accounting • African American studies • Anthropology • Art education • Art history • Bioinformatics ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆
Biological/genomic Computational Quantitative/statistical
• Biology • Biomedical engineering • Business ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆
Finance Human resource management Management Risk management and insurance Supply chain management
• Chemical and life science engineering • Chemistry • Cinema • Clinical laboratory sciences • Clinical radiation sciences ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆
Nuclear medicine technology Radiation therapy Radiography Radiologist assistant
• Communication arts ◆◆
Scientific and preparatory medical illustration
• Computer engineering • Computer science • Craft and material studies • Criminal justice ◆◆
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Forensic crime scene investigation Justice
• Dance and choreography • Dental hygiene
• Early and elementary education ◆◆
Liberal studies*
• Economics • Electrical engineering • English • Environmental studies • Fashion ◆◆ ◆◆
Fashion design Fashion merchandising
• Financial technology • Foreign language ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆
French German Spanish
• Forensic science • Gender, sexuality and women’s studies • Graphic design • Health, physical education and exercise science ◆◆ ◆◆
Exercise science Health science
• History • Homeland security and emergency preparedness • Information systems • Interdisciplinary studies*** • Interior design • International studies • Kinetic imaging • Marketing • Mass communications ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆
Advertising Journalism Public relations
• Mechanical engineering ◆◆
Nuclear engineering
• Military science and leadership (ROTC) • Music ◆◆ ◆◆
Music education Performance
• Nursing • Painting and printmaking • Philosophy • Photography and film • Physics • Political science ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆
Civil and human rights International relations Politics and government Public policy and administration
• Psychology • Real estate • Religious studies • Science • Sculpture • Social work • Sociology • Theatre ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆
Design/technical production Performance Stage management
• Undeclared • Urban and regional studies ◆◆ ◆◆
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Generalized Regional analysis and development Urban planning and policy
• Mathematical sciences ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆
Applied mathematics Biomathematics General mathematical sciences Mathematics Operations research Statistics
* Students enrolled at VCU who wish to become elementary school teachers are required to declare the liberal studies for early and elementary education major. The major is the undergraduate part of the five-year Extended Teacher Preparation Program, and the successful completion of this program results in both a bachelor’s degree from the College of Humanities and Sciences and a master’s degree from the School of Education. ** A minimum of 30 semester hours is required to apply to the B.I.S. individualized program.
Pre-professional studies programs and advising tracks
Extended teacher preparation program* secondary education (6-12) Pre-clinical laboratory sciences** Pre-dental hygiene** Pre-dentistry** Pre-law Pre-medicine** Pre-nursing** Pre-occupational therapy** Pre-optometry** Pre-pharmacy** Pre-physical therapy** Pre-radiation sciences** Pre-veterinary medicine**
* Students enrolled in a major within the College of Humanities and Sciences can apply to the Extended Teacher Preparation Program sponsored jointly with the School of Education. (Students who wish to become elementary school teachers should declare the liberal studies for early and elementary education major.) The Extended Teacher Preparation program awards both a bachelor’s degree from the college and a master’s degree from the School of Education. Students who successfully complete this program will be certified to teach in early childhood, middle or secondary education.
** This is a pre-health sciences program at VCU designed for
students intending to apply to a professional program. Admission to the pre-health sciences program at VCU does not guarantee admission to the professional program.
Tuition and fees (2016-17)* Monroe Park Campus Undergraduate
Virginia resident
Non-Virginia resident
Tuition and fees
$13,190
$32,347
Room Board
$5,999 $3,920
$5,999 $3,920
Total
$23,109
$42,266
*Estimated costs **Based on 15 credit hours per semester; charged at per-credit-hour rate
Money matters Financial aid and scholarships The VCU Office of Financial Aid uses all available funds to help students gain access to college. Each year, the office disburses more than $270 million in student aid to more than 18,000 students. Financial aid eligibility depends on a student’s academic and financial situation. In most cases, each student will qualify for some sort of financial assistance. Current information on financial aid programs, policies and procedures, and links to free scholarship search services are available on the VCU financial aid website. Each fall, the University Undergraduate Scholarship Program grants financial awards to outstanding students entering VCU. Selection of scholars is made on the basis of merit in the area of academic achievement. Leadership, community service and artistic talent (when
applicable) also may be considered. To be eligible for scholarship renewal, students must complete at least 28 credit hours on a full-time basis over the fall and spring semesters and maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.3 or better. Scholarships are awarded to fall semester applicants only. The majority of scholarships are awarded each fall to freshman applicants, though a limited number of scholarships are awarded each fall to transfer applicants. Visit the Undergraduate Admissions website for requirements and deadlines for scholarship consideration. We also encourage all applicants seeking scholarship consideration to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. ugrad.vcu.edu/apply/scholarships.html finaid.vcu.edu
Admissions Freshman admission
Transfer admission
Freshman admission to Monroe Park Campus programs is based on high school performance and either SAT Reasoning Test or ACT scores. Applicants to the School of the Arts must submit an essay with their application and the required supporting documents. Freshman applicants with a minimum high school GPA of 3.3 may request that their application be reviewed without submitting standardized test scores. However, SAT or ACT scores are required for freshman applicants who wish to be considered for VCU’s merit-based scholarships (the Presidential, Provost and Deans’ scholarships); students applying to the VCU Honors College and the School of Engineering; home-schooled students; and non-native English speakers. Visit the web for information about application deadlines and requirements.
Students transferring from another college or university and applying to programs on the Monroe Park Campus other than those in the School of the Arts must submit the application for undergraduate admission by March 15. Application deadlines to programs on the MCV Campus vary. ugrad.vcu.edu
Honors and guaranteed admission For academically talented students, the VCU Honors College offers a stimulating and challenging environment that includes smaller classes, discussion groups, seminars and lectures. Mentorship programs, honors student organizations and an honors-only residence hall help further a community of intellectual development among more than 1,000 students. Honors College students also can gain guaranteed admission to many of VCU’s graduate or professional health science programs. honors.vcu.edu
get on the mailing list To request additional information via mail and to receive periodic mailings and electronic correspondence from VCU, make sure you’re on our mailing list by visiting ugrad.vcu.edu.
contact us
VCU Office of Admissions • Email: ugrad@vcu.edu • admissions.vcu.edu Phone: (804) 828-1222 • (800) 841-3638 VCU does not discriminate in admissions, treatment, employment or access to its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, pregnancy, political affiliation,veteran status, family medical and genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or disability. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding VCU’s non-discrimination policies: director of equity and access services and Title IX coordinator, Moseley House, 1001 Grove Ave., P.O. Box 842549, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284-2549, (804) 828-1347, equity@vcu.edu 002741-01