Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University International Student Insurance

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), located in Richmond, Virginia, was established in 1838. It began as the Medical College of Virginia, the medical department of Hampden-Sydney College. The medical college received an independent charter and came under state control by 1860. Meanwhile, the Richmond School of Social Work and Public Health was established in 1917, the Richmond division of the College of William and Mary. It was renamed the Richmond Professional institute in 1939. That institution came under state control in 1962. In 1968, the Medical College of Virginia and the Richmond Professional Institute merged to form Virginia Commonwealth University.

Today, VCU enrolls more than 30,000 students and counting each year. The school colors are black and gold, and its athletic nickname is the rams.

Academic Offerings

VCU offers a broad spectrum of bachelor’s, master’s, professional, doctoral, and certificate programs across its 20 academic colleges and schools. Some notable choices are the School of Medicine, the School of Dentistry, the School of Education, the Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture, and the cross-disciplinary VCU da Vinci Center, a partnership between the schools of the Arts, Business and Engineering, and the College of Humanities and Sciences. Degrees unique to VCU include the Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness major from the School of Government and Public Affairs, as well as the Real Estate and Urban Land Development degree from the School of Business.

On Campus

VCU operates two main campuses in Richmond: the Monroe Park Campus, which houses most of the general education facilities, and the Medical College of Virginia campus, which also houses the VCU Medical Center. The School of the Arts also has a branch campus in Qatar.

The VCU library system is one of the largest research libraries in the state. It holds more than 3 million volumes, as well as a wide range of journal and database subscriptions. The Special Collections and Archives department houses the fifth-largest graphic novel and comic book collection in the U.S.

Notable Alumni

Notable Virginia Commonwealth University alumni include author Daryl Cobb; comedian Jay Pharoah; Nobel Prize-winner Baruj Benecerraf, M.D.; Hunter “Patch” Adams, whose work inspired a movie starring Robin Williams; actor Zachary Knighton; and television host Debbie Matenopoulos.

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