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When traditional just won't do.
VCU Continuing and Professional Education recognizes that millions of adult learners across the country are looking for something other than a traditional four-year degree. So we offer something different — courses designed to suit your personal and professional goals, as well as your schedule.
With a world-class faculty, strong national brand and enduring community relationships, VCU offers an optimal environment for working professionals to pursue their continuing education and career aspirations. Our course portfolio is robust and continually growing. Want to suggest or teach a course? Submit your ideas.
Types of courses
Our office offers noncredit and credit courses. Some courses also offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs), which are a way of officially recognizing the time you put into your professional education when credits aren’t available.
- Noncredit: These courses are not eligible for credit toward degree programs. Students who take noncredit courses receive contact hours for participation. These courses are open to all learners.
- Credit: These courses are designed for students who are interested in earning college credits toward a degree, certificate or license renewal. Course credits are measured in semester hours. Students who take credit courses receive a grade at the end of the semester. Auditing Graduate Courses: Class size permitting, students may register for graduate courses on an audit basis, meaning they enroll in courses, but do not receive academic credit upon completion. Audit students are charged the regular rate of tuition and fees. Learn more on the VCU Graduate Bulletin website.
- CEUs: The CEU is a nationally recognized unit of measurement used to recognize participation in noncredit continuing education programs. CEUs are not equivalent to undergraduate or graduate credit and are only recorded to one decimal point (i.e., 14 contact hours is equivalent to 1.4 CEUs). Visit our CEU website for more information.
- Digital badges: Digital badges are web-enabled versions of a credential, certification or learning outcome. Representing your skills as a badge gives you a way to share your abilities online in a way that is simple, trusted and can be easily verified in real time. Visit our digital badging page for a full list of FAQ.
Signature opportunities
Some of our specialty areas include:
Certificate in Paralegal Studies
The VCU paralegal certificate program is a six-month noncredit certificate program designed to advance legal industry skills and career options. We focus on practical knowledge in the law profession to prepare you to be competitive in a legal career search. You will earn a digital badge for the successful completion of this program.
Continuing Education Units
The CEU is a nationally recognized unit of measurement used to recognize participation in noncredit continuing education programs. CEUs are not equivalent to undergraduate or graduate credit and are only recorded to one decimal point (i.e., 14 contact hours is equivalent to 1.4 CEUs). Visit our CEU website for more information.
Craft Beer Program
This noncredit program, for participants who are 21 and over, includes an introductory course, Craft Beer Essentials, as well as The History of Virginia Craft Beer and The Evolution of Beer Styles. Courses are offered several times annually. Our in-person Craft Beer Essentials course will return to local breweries during Virginia Craft Beer Month, in August 2022.
A summer Craft Beer Package Deal, which includes all three courses, is available for unique gift-giving for graduations, Father's Day, birthdays, and more!
Cultural competency and language classes
These classes, offered throughout the year, introduce adult learners to different cultures and assist them in becoming interculturally competent and exposed to world languages. Language classes are conversation-based with an emphasis on oral fluency and listening. Current offerings include Introduction to Conversational Spanish I and II, and Language and Culture: Francophone World. Faculty and staff may be eligible to use a tuition benefit for 1-credit courses.
Noncredit courses are open to all learners. Current offerings include French Culture and Cuisine and Spanish Language and Culture Through Media.
VCU's English Language Program offers a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Certificate Program for individuals interested in teaching English to multilingual students, locally, internationally or online. Courses are noncredit bearing, accommodate all levels and do not require prior teaching experience. You can learn more and apply for this program at https://global.vcu.edu/outreach/specialprograms/tefl/.
Digital badging
View our digital badging page for information on continuing education opportunities that lead to web-enabled, verifiable digital badges in areas such as Alumni Relations, Business, Clinical Research, Education, Engineering, Health Professions, Health Sciences, Inclusive Excellence, Innovation, Pre-Law, REAL Research and Creative Inquiry, Social Work, and VCU Professional Development (Provided by VCU Online).
Early Childhood Guidance for Families and Caregivers
Courses are designed to empower parents and caregivers of children ages 3 to 6 to become learning partners with a child and their school-based educators. Participants will learn engaging ways to help children learn school readiness skills. Choose from courses in Preschool & PreK Readiness, Kindergarten Readiness, and First Grade Readiness.
Critical Thinking and Logic Skills courses for parents and caregivers of children age 3 through the 1st grade, and from grades 2-5 are open for registration, and will begin in the fall of 2022.
Engineering professional development
In partnership with the VCU College of Engineering, noncredit and credit-based professional development opportunities are offered to adult learners including but not limited to entry-level scientists, engineers, technicians, supervisory personnel, and business managers of all types. Courses, such as Automation and Controls Training, may be appropriate as on-boarding for new employees. Networking and educational sessions have also been available for alumni and industry professionals through the VCU College of Engineering Alumni Board. Participants may be eligible to receive professional development hours for licensure.
Additional training courses are offered to VCU students to obtain the proper certification and training to use the College of Engineering's makerspaces.
Event planning courses
As a university partner with Lovegevity's Wedding Planning Institute (LWPI), VCU Continuing and Professional Education offers these noncredit hospitality courses:
- Certified Wedding and Event Planning (in-person or self-paced online)
- Corporate Event Planning (self-paced online)
Online learning
In addition to online options for hospitality programs and test prep courses, VCU Continuing and Professional Education offers noncredit online courses and noncredit certificates in partnership with The Learning Resources Network (LERN). Self-paced online learning is available in areas such as Business, Business Communication, Data Science, Management, New Media Marketing, and Technology Skills, including:
- Basics of Bookkeeping
- Bookkeeping Certificate (Includes Understanding Debits and Credits, General Ledger and Month End Procedures, and Closing Procedures and Financial Statements)
- Certificate in Customer Service (Includes Extraordinary Customer Service and Keys to Customer Service)
- Certificate in Data Analysis (Includes Introduction to Data Analysis, Intermediate Data Analysis, and Advanced Data Analysis)
- Certificate in Mastering Excel (Includes Mastering Microsoft Excel, Intermediate Excel, and Advanced Excel)
- Digital Marketing Certificate (Includes Improving Email Promotions, Boosting Your Website Traffic, and Online Advertising)
- Digital Reporting
- Google Analytics Certificate (Includes Google Analytics and Advanced Google Analytics)
- Managing Remote Workers Certificate (Includes Remote Working and Communicating and Managing Remote Workers)
- Mastering Computer Skills for the Workplace
- Podcasting
- Social Media for Business Certificate (Includes Introduction to Social Media, Marketing Using Social Media and Integrating Social Media in Your Organization)
- Supervisory and Leadership Certificate
- WordPress Certificate
Noncredit courses in partnership with the Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture have allowed students to study specialized topics in mass communications including Digital Crisis Communications for Global Pandemics.
Online courses, leading to the Capital CoLAB Digital Tech Credential, are open to VCU and VCU Health employees, working professionals (including VCU alumni), and those in the job market. Required courses to earn the generalist digital badge include Computers and Programming, Data Science Skills, and Cybersecurity Skills. A Software Engineering and Web Development course is also available.
Personal enrichment
Our opportunities for personal growth vary widely, and have included introductory Aikido; Building a Social Media Presence: Professionally and Creatively; Craft Beer courses; Cultural Competency and Language Classes; Driving Business through Storytelling; Mindfulness Workshops; PADI Open Water Scuba; a primer on Richmond’s acclaimed French Film Festival; a World Drumming Workshop; and more.
We also offer seasonally, a FREE Community Series on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, and have offered a FREE Lunch and Learn Series with sessions around Languages and Cultural Competency.
Play Therapy Training Program
VCU Continuing and Professional Education is an approved continuing education provider (APT Approved Provider 15-397) by the Association for Play Therapy, Inc.
Explore and learn how to apply the therapeutic power of play to communicate with, and treat clients. We offer a series of APT-Approved noncredit workshops designed for licensed, mental health professionals and school-based counselors, which are part of the requirements for application to become a Registered Play Therapist (RPT) or School-Based Registered Play Therapist (SB-RPT). Digital badging is available for eligible workshops.
Supply Chain Operations
Logistics and warehousing are integral pieces of the supply chain. Gain essential knowledge in this industry by taking one, or both Supply Chain Operations courses, including Logistics in Action and Warehousing in Action. Bundle pricing and discounts are available.
VCU Test Prep
Our test preparation classes for the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, SAT and ACT were designed by a team of former standardized exam question writers and test preparation experts.
VCU Test Prep includes:
- Extensive instruction with experienced, expert instructors
- Extended access to our experts beyond the classroom experience
- Comprehensive preparation materials, including actual questions from previous exams
- Multiple practice test-taking opportunities
- Flexible schedule and format options
FREE Live-Online Intro Sessions and Strategy Workshops are available.
MCAT, PCAT and DAT test prep courses are also offered, through our education partner, Kaplan Test Prep. Courses include:
- Flexibility and guidance
- Score-boosting strategies
- Knowledgeable teachers
- All your prep, all in one place
Join one of Kaplan's free live online events for the MCAT, or watch a recording from previous events.
Looking for test prep for the TOEFL, IELTS, or other English language proficiency tests? The VCU English Language Program (ELP) in the VCU Global Education Office offers Test Preparation courses online and on campus to help students improve their language skills before taking a test. A Pronouncing American English course is also available to help students improve their pronunciation skills and develop fluency, clarity, and understanding of spoken English.