College of Humanities and Sciences

With degree programs ranging from biology and forensic science, to international and urban studies, to cultural anthropology and interdisciplinary studies, the College of Humanities and Sciences offers a wide choice of majors as well as other programs to prepare you for various careers, including those in the health sciences and law.

School of the Arts

VCU’s School of the Arts is one of the largest and most comprehensive art schools in the U.S. The only state-supported professional school of the arts in the South, the VCU School of the Arts is one of few in the country offering a professional curriculum within a combined academic and professional environment. U.S. News & World Report has ranked the School of the Arts as one of the top six art schools in the nation.

School of Business

The VCU School of Business offers an undergraduate program with a strong liberal arts base, and a large number of majors and tracks from which to choose. The School of Business prepares students for successful careers and lifelong learning and provides management education firmly grounded in technology, interdisciplinary teamwork and global perspectives.

School of Education

The VCU School of Education offers programs at the baccalaureate, post-baccalaureate, master’s , post-master’s and doctoral levels. The school is committed to excellence in the initial preparation and continuing development of professionals for leadership, teaching, service and scholarly inquiry in culturally diverse settings.

School of Engineering

The VCU School of Engineering prepares future engineers and computer scientists to become leaders in their fields. The school offers programs in chemical and life science engineering, computer engineering, computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and biomedical engineering, the first undergraduate program of its kind in Virginia.

L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs

Housed within the College of Humanities and Sciences, the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs offers programs at the undergraduate and graduate level, in addition to post-baccalaureate and graduate certificate programs, in the areas of criminal justice, homeland security and emergency preparedness, political science, public policy, administration and management, sociology, and urban studies and geography.

School of Mass Communications

Housed within the College of Humanities and Sciences, the VCU School of Mass Communications prepares you for careers in the mass media and related fields and encourages high standards of ethical and journalistic performance. The required courses in the school provide a broad educational base and instruct you in the techniques of mass communication. The School of Mass Communications offers a Bachelor of Science degree in mass communications with a specialization in one of three sequences — advertising, journalism or public relations.

School of Nursing

The VCU School of Nursing works within the Richmond community to address public health needs, developing creative models to prepare students for their future and promoting leadership, practice and scholarship. The skills and knowledge of faculty, staff and students from the School of Nursing and other VCU academic health programs integrate with community leaders to provide education, counseling, outreach and support services, essential components to promoting healthy lifestyles.

School of Social Work

Recognized by U.S. News & World Report, the VCU School of Social Work is ranked among the nation's top social work schools. For more than 85 years, VCU’s School of Social Work has been preparing students to bring about change through their knowledge and actions, offering a unique combination of classroom and field experiences, and emphasizing critical thinking, self-awareness, evidence-based decision making and ethical integrity.

School of World Studies

Housed within the College of Humanities and Sciences, the VCU School of World Studies offers programs in anthropology, area studies, foreign languages, geography, international studies and religious studies, among others. These programs are designed to address some of the day’s most crucial topics, such as the impact of globalization on society and the environment, and how language, culture, art and religion shape the way that individuals find a place in their rapidly changing world.

VCU Life Sciences

The unifying vision for VCU Life Sciences centers on the study of biological complexity and involves everything from genes to ecological environments to human behavior. Supporting teaching and scholarship across academic disciplines, VCU Life Sciences also brings together outstanding faculty from the university’s health sciences and academic campuses, offering unique learning experiences and new, interdisciplinary majors for undergraduate students. VCU offers undergraduate majors in the life sciences that represent today’s needs, such as bioinformatics — which includes an option for students to apply to the accelerated bachelor’s-master’s program — and environmental studies.

Health sciences programs on the MCV Campus

All undergraduate and professional programs in the health sciences on the MCV Campus require at least one to two years of college-level preparatory work, either at VCU or at another college or university. The School of Allied Health Professions administers undergraduate programs in clinical laboratory sciences and clinical radiation sciences, and graduate programs in clinical lab sciences, clinical radiation sciences, gerontology, health administration, nurse anesthesia, occupational therapy, patient counseling, physical therapy and rehabilitation counseling. Other undergraduate programs on the MCV Campus include dental hygiene and nursing, and professional programs include dentistry, medicine, occupational therapy and pharmacy.