Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University or VCU for short, is a large urban university with its main (and original) campus located in Richmond, Virginia. VCU is particularly recognized for its large art school and life sciences programs. With more than 26,000 students at the beginning of 2004, VCU was the third-largest research university in Virginia. VCU School of Medicine is a fully accredited U.S. medical school and houses the nation?s oldest transplant program.
The college recently boasted having a faculty chemistry professor John B. Fenn awarded the 2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
History
- 1917 - Established as Richmond School of Social Work and Public Health
- 1925 - It becomes the Richmond Division of the College of William and Mary
- 1939 - Its name was changed to the "Richmond Professional Institute of the College of William and Mary"
- 1962 - RPI separates from William and Mary to become an independent state institution.
- 1968 - The Medical College of Virginia (MCV) and the RPI merged to create Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).
Academics
Baccalaureate, master's, doctoral, professional and certificate degree programs are offered through the College of Humanities & Sciences, School of Allied Health Professions, School of the Arts, School of Business, School of Dentistry, School of Education, School of Engineering, School of Medicine, School of Nursing, School of Pharmacy, and School of Social Work.
VCU now hosts the Illustration Academy, a program taught by nationally known illustrators. The program is open to all applicants, from students to professionals, and features demonstrations from the artists, classes, and lectures on the business side of the industry.
VCU also runs and organizes the VCU French Film Festival each year, the largest French film festival in the United States
Campus
VCU has two campi in Richmond. The VCU School of Medicine, also known as the Medical College of Virginia (or MCV), has a campus that is adjacent to the city?s business and financial district. The VCU Academic Campus is located at the end of a part of town called "The Fan district", which was a neighborhood built in the early 20th-century. This campus begins around Belvidere Street. Most buildings are located on or in the streets between Broad Street and Main Street. VCU's academic campus was renamed the Monroe Park Campus, in June of 2004. VCU also has a branch campus in Education City, Qatar.
