Virginia Commonwealth University Degree Options & Programs
Virginia Commonwealth University appears in our ranking of 50 Great Affordable Colleges in the South.
Virginia Commonwealth University offers its students the choice of more than 225 degrees and programs at the bachelor’s through doctoral level. The university also enrolls students for professional and certificate programs. Some of the most popular majors at the university include those in psychology, business, biology, education, and communication. The school boasts an excellent 85 percent retention rate for its first-year students.
Colleges and schools that house the university’s programs include the College of Engineering, the College of Health Professions, the College of Humanities and Sciences, and the School of the Arts. Additional divisions include the School of Business, the School of Dentistry, The School of Education, and the Honors College. The university also has a large and prolific School of Medicine where hundreds of students from around the world come to enroll.
A sampling of degrees available at Virginia Commonwealth University for undergraduate students includes the Bachelor of Science in Accounting, the Bachelor of Science in Biology, the Bachelor of Science in Cinema, and the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Craft & Material Studies. For graduate students, degree options include the Master of Arts in Art History, the Master of Science in Biochemistry, and the Master of Arts in English.
For students looking for online classes, the option to enroll is granted by the Online@VCU portal, which features degrees available entirely online, those offered through video-conferencing, and classes arranged in hybrid formats that require on-campus and online attendance.
The university offers more than 700 of its courses entirely online, so students have many options for attending their classes solely through the internet. Some of the programs available online include the Master of Business Administration (MBA), the Online Teaching for K-12 Educators post-baccalaureate graduate certificate, and the Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science.
About Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University was established in 1838 and was initially built as the medical department of a local college in Richmond. The school would become an independent entity called the Medical College of Virginia in the 1850s and would merge with Richmond Professional Institute in the 20th century to become Virginia Commonwealth University. Today, the urban campus in Richmond covers 150 acres, and there are more than 31,000 students attending.
The university spends a significant amount of its budget on research, and the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education grades the university as an R1: Doctoral University – Highest Research Activity. The school’s official colors are black and gold, and the school’s mascot is named Rodney the Ram. Students participate in NCAA Division I games as the Rams. The school runs a popular student newspaper called The Commonwealth Times.
Virginia Commonwealth University Accreditation Details
Regional accreditation for Virginia Commonwealth University comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. This accreditation allows the university to award college degrees to its enrolled students. There are several agencies that accredit individual programs, schools, and degrees at the university, too. Agencies include the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, the American Dental Association, and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.
Additional approvals come from the American Occupational Therapy Association, the American Physical Therapy Association, and the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education. Some of the accreditations of the university that come from agencies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation include the National Association of Schools of Dance, the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, and the National Association of Schools of Music.
Virginia Commonwealth University Application Requirements
First-time college students who want to apply to Virginia Commonwealth University will complete the Common Application online, but all admission decisions from the university will come through regular mail rather than through online communication. Students should only submit a single application for the semester in which they want to enroll and may only apply to a single undergraduate degree program at a time.
For graduate students, the application deadlines vary, so students are encouraged to check with their intended program to make sure they submit their application on time. There are also program-specific requirements that may mean students must submit extra materials along with their official application. For example, students applying to the School of Art must submit an artist statement, as well as submit three letters of reference.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Students who attend Virginia Commonwealth University will pay fees that correspond to the school or college in which they enroll within the university. For example, programs within the School of Arts are $925 per credit hour. Non-arts majors who enroll in art classes will pay an additional $75 per course. Meanwhile, students enrolled in School of Business programs will pay $225 for undergraduate classes and $450 for graduate classes.
Like the School of Art, students who aren’t business majors and who enroll in School of Business classes will pay a non-business major fee of $41 per course for undergraduate courses and $131 per course for graduate courses. Some classes also have extra fees attached. Students who enroll in education classes may pay a $200 fee for their student teaching internship. Education students who participate in the ACT-IT program will pay a program fee of $4,944.
Students who want to apply for financial aid will work with the VCU Division of Strategic Enrollment Management and will need to submit a FAFSA form to qualify for federal student aid, institutional grants and scholarships, and state aid. Students should use the university’s online net price calculator to estimate their total cost of attendance. Students must make satisfactory academic progress throughout their college career to maintain and continue their financial aid award status.
The university will automatically consider high achieving applicants for scholarships when they apply for entry into the fall semester, as long as the student applies by November 15th in the year before they want to enroll. Some of the qualities Virginia Commonwealth University looks for when awarding scholarships include community service, artistic talent, academic merit, and leadership skills.