Our courses

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 for untraditional learners — 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 unlimited 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

  Read more about the 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

  Read more about Continuing Education Units (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.

• Cultural competency and language classes

  Read more about 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, and have included 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

  Read more about 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, Government and Public Affairs, Health Professions, Health Sciences, Inclusive Excellence, Innovation, Medicine, Nursing, Pre-Law, Research, Social Work, VCU Health, VCU Online for Faculty, VCU REAL, and VCU Student Affairs.

• Engineering professional development

  Read more about 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, and digital badges are available for select engineering activities.
  

  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

  Read more about 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
  • Corporate Event Planning

• Forensic Firearms Identification Training

  Read more about this certificate program

  This cohort-based, noncredit certificate program, is directed by the VCU Department of Forensic Science. The 18-month program accepts participants through an application process, and is delivered through six modules using a combination of teaching/training modalities.

  It is designed to be an external training resource to firearms sections/units within crime laboratories, and aims to provide quality training to entry-level trainees already hired by a crime laboratory unit. The objective of the training is to produce bench-ready firearm analysts in the area of microscopic comparisons of firearm-related evidence.

• Healthcare and Medical Certification Training

  Read more about online healthcare programs

  VCU has partnered with MedCerts, an innovation leader in online career training in allied health, to offer 23 high-demand programs including Medical Assistant, Medical Coding and Billing Professional, Patient Care Technician, and more. View more on our YouTube channel.

• Health Professions

  Read more about continuing education for health professionals

  The VCU College of Health Professions is a nationally recognized leader in the education of health providers and cultivates an interprofessional approach to training in a variety of fields.

• Infant Mental Health

  Read more about Infant Mental Health training

  Professional development training programs meet competencies required for the Virginia Association for Infant Mental Health Endorsement for Culturally-Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health. Offerings include Infant Mental Health and Attachment: Promoting Relationships in the Lives of Families and Young Children, and Working Towards Systemic Change: Understanding Social Determinants of Health.

• Municipal Clerk continuing education
  

  Read more about opportunities for Municipal Clerks

  In partnership with the International Institute for Municipal Clerks (IIMC) and the Virginia Municipal Clerks Association (VMCA), Virginia Commonwealth University offers the VMCA Institutes and Academy, a rigorous continuing education program for IIMC members and associate members. An Athenian Leadership Society Dialogue series is also offered.

• Online professional development
  

  Read more about online professional development opportunities

  In addition to online options for many of our programs, VCU Continuing and Professional Education offers noncredit online courses and certificates in partnership with The Learning Resources Network (LERN). VCU has been named as one of LERN's Top 25 Partners! New offerings are added throughout the year. Self-paced online learning is available in areas such as Business, Business Communication, Data Science, Management, New Media Marketing, Social Media for Business, 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 Accounting and Finance for Non-Financial Managers (Includes Accounting and Finance for Non-Financial Managers, Cash is King, and Financial Analysis and planning for Non-Financial Managers)
  • Certificate in Business Writing (Includes Business Writing, Effective Copywriting, and Writing News and Press Releases)
  • 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)
  • Certificate in Workplace Communication (Includes Conflict Management, Negotiation: Get What You Want, and Using Personality Profiles for Better Work Performance)
  • Power BI Certificate (Includes Introduction to Power BI, Intermediate Power BI, and Advanced Power BI)
  • Digital Marketing Certificate (Includes Improving Email Promotions, Boosting Your Website Traffic, and Online Advertising)
  • Entrepreneurship Certificate (Includes Entrepreneur Boot Camp, The Business Plan, and Entrepreneurial Marketing)
  • Management Certificate (Includes Management Boot Camp, Collaborative Management, and Managing Generations in the Workplace)
  • 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)
  • New for fall! Statistics for Decision Making Certificate (Includes Statistics for Decisions Using Surveys, Evaluation Research, and Action Research)
  • Supervisory and Leadership Certificate
  • WordPress Certificate

  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.

• Online teaching

  Read more about online teaching courses

  The VCU Online: Excellence in Online Instruction Certificate is an ideal continuing education opportunity for anyone teaching online, or planning to teach online. The certificate includes courses in Best Practices in Online Instruction, Designing Online Instruction, Evaluating for Online Excellence, Mentoring for Online Excellence, and Leadership for Online Programs. Digital badges are provided for the successful completion of each course; courses are also offered in a stand-alone format.

• Personal enrichment

  Read more about personal enrichment opportunities

  Our opportunities for personal growth vary widely, and have included introductory Aikido; Athenian Dialogues for municipal clerks; Build Trust and Support Healing from Trauma through Storytelling; Chinese Facial Reading (includes Acupressure for Facial Rejuvenation and Facial Lines and Wrinkles: Reading and Reduction); Cultural Competency and Language Classes; Mindfulness Workshops; PADI Open Water Scuba; Portfolio Development: A Course in Content Creation; Storytelling: An Act of Memory, Imagination and Vision; 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 from June through September, and have offered a FREE Lunch and Learn Series with sessions around Languages and Cultural Competency.

• Play Therapy Training Program

  Read more about the 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 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.

• Tech Bootcamps
  

  Read more about Tech Bootcamps

  Virginia Commonwealth University and the Institute of Data have partnered to provide programs that prepare nontraditional adult learners for careers in the tech industry.

  Bootcamps provide practical and immersive training in 12- to 24-week sessions, and include:

  • Data Science & AI
  • Cyber Security
  • Software Engineering

• Test Preparation

  Read more about test preparation courses

  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.