A group of MFA students and faculty sit at a table reading

Graduate

The College of Humanities and Sciences offers a breadth of graduate degrees and certificates that originate from the sciences, social sciences and humanities disciplines.

Graduate programs in the College play a critical role in supporting VCU’s mission to advance our status as an urban public research university. Our programs directly or indirectly address society’s 21st century challenges with a focus on the development of knowledge through scientific investigations, scholarly contributions and creative works.

Graduate students have access to all the resources necessary for academic success, including technology and equipment, office and research space, and graduate assistantship support (contact specific program for information regarding stipend and tuition support).

Most importantly, our programs are committed to:

  • Providing a supportive positive mentoring relationship between faculty and students
  • Developing programs for graduate students that bridge graduate degrees to professional opportunities
  • Enhancing an appreciation for the critical importance of the cross fertilization of ideas and interdisciplinary approaches

Our Grad Students in the News

Pablo Lopez-Bustamante will earn a Ph.D. in integrative life sciences from VCU in May. (Dean Hoffmeyer, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

March 26, 2026

Class of 2026: Pablo Lopez-Bustamante spreads seeds of knowledge

Earning his Ph.D., the tropical ecologist has worked with Catherine Hulshof’s Biodiversity Research Lab to enhance tree and forest data from the Americas and the Caribbean.

Abigail Adade, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, said the mentorship and training she has received at VCU has deepened her commitment to culturally responsive mental health research and helped her grow as a scholar and a practitioner. (Dean Hoffmeyer, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

March 9, 2026

World@VCU: Abigail Adade from Ghana

‘I was drawn to VCU’s commitment to community-engaged research and its support for diverse student populations.’

Shruti Shrivastava is pictured dressed in the Oxford Sub Fusc, the traditional academic attire required at Oxford University. Shrivastava is in front of Oxford's Sheldonian Theatre and Bodleian Library. (Contributed image)

Jan. 5, 2026

How I found my research: Shruti Shrivastava’s interest in evolutionary biology takes her to Oxford

Shrivastava is studying how biological diversity might change over time due to the effects of climate change.