VCU offers nondegree admission for those interested in taking undergraduate or graduate classes on a course-by-course basis.

Nondegree admission

Permission to attend VCU as a nondegree-seeking student does not guarantee admission as a degree-seeking student at the undergraduate or graduate level, nor does it guarantee admission into a certificate program or teacher licensure program.

Nondegree-seeking students who take graduate-level courses can transfer six of those credits into a graduate degree program once they have applied and are admitted to the graduate program.

Nondegree-seeking student classifications

A nondegree holder is a student who has not previously earned a baccalaureate degree and is limited to taking a maximum of 11 credits per semester.

Eligibility

Review the following information about who is and is not eligible to apply as a nondegree-seeking student to VCU.

  • Nondegree-seeking students must have a high school diploma or GED. Students currently in high school may apply to be an advanced scholar through the VCU Office of Admissions.

  • Students who are under academic suspension from VCU or any other institution are not eligible to enter as nondegree-seeking students.

  • Traditional first-year applicants who were denied admission to VCU cannot be admitted as nondegree-seeking students.

Ready to apply?

VCU is currently accepting applications from nondegree-seeking students.

Apply now

After your application is processed

Once the nondegree-seeking application has been processed, students will receive an email with instructions on registering for classes and how to sign up for academic advising.

Register for classes

Nondegree-seeking students are eligible to register for classes through eServices during open registration. Visit VCU’s academic calendars for registration dates. Prior to registration, you can view the course schedule for the upcoming semester and a list of course descriptions.

Change to degree-seeking status

Nondegree-seeking students must complete an application for admission as a degree-seeking student to be admitted into a degree program.

Cost and financial aid

Nondegree-seeking students are ineligible for financial aid. Learn more about VCU’s tuition, fees and available financial literacy resources through our Student Financial Services site.