VCU Orientation

Depending upon your major, you may need to take placement tests in order to register for some of your classes. This chart will help you determine which tests are required for your major.

Math Placement

Please refer to the table above to see if you need to take the math placement test. If your major requires MATH 141, MATH 151 or MATH 200 or higher, you will need to take the math placement test unless:

1. You are submitting any math AP or IB exam scores to VCU 
2. You have dual enrollment math credits from another university/college that either satisfy your degree’s math requirements or satisfies the prerequisite for your next math course.
3. You are submitting  SAT or ACT scores and are content with the course placement you are assigned based on those standardized test score(s).
4. If you have taken the SAT or ACT and have not officially sent VCU your scores, you can follow these steps to send your SAT scores and follow these steps to send your ACT scores. Your scores can take 2-3 weeks to post onto your account after you send them, so it is recommended to be proactive in sending your scores.

You can view your math placement score in your Student Profile in eServices. Please click on “Testing” to see if a score has been posted for you. 

Please visit the VCU Math Placement website for more information and to access the math placement test. You must complete Math Placement prior to your advising appointment.

Chemistry placement

The chemistry placement test is an online test used to place students into an appropriate general chemistry course based on their background knowledge. All students planning on registering for CHEM 101 General Chemistry I are required to take the test. Please review Chemistry Placement FAQs to see if your major requires CHEM 101.

The Chemistry Placement Test is a prerequisite for CHEM 101. Those earning a passing score on the test will be eligible to register for CHEM 101. Those not earning a passing score have two options:

1. Complete the ALEKS online unit. ALEKS must be completed by no later than July 31 (for fall semester) or Jan. 10 (for spring semester).
2. Enroll in CHEM 100 – Introductory Chemistry and earn a B or better.

Please visit the VCU Chemistry Placement website for more information and to access the chemistry placement test. You must complete Chemistry Placement prior to your advising appointment.

Foreign language placement

Students who plan to study a language at VCU must take the language placement test to determine the appropriate beginning language class (unless they want to begin in the entry-level course). Only students with transfer credit from other educational institutions are eligible to enroll in the next course within their language sequence without completing the foreign language placement test. The foreign language placement test must be taken online before the first week of classes.

Students who have completed level three of a foreign language at an accredited U.S. public or private high school have fulfilled the Humanities and Sciences foreign language requirement through the 102 level. Learn more on the College of Humanities and Sciences high school foreign language waiver webpage.

Learn more about and sign up for foreign language placement testing.

 

Help your advisor get to know more about you, your educational goals and your academic background by completing this survey prior to registering for classes in May and June. 

The survey will confirm your major, allow you to request a change of major (if desired), ask questions about your incoming AP/IB or Dual Enrollment Credits, and learn more about your course preferences. 

Your academic advisor will use this information to identify your academic strengths and connect you to the offices and services that can help you transition to VCU successfully and make the most out of your degree.

Click to Access the Survey

Incoming first-year students should register themselves for classes during the months of May and June by following the recommended first-semester courses for your major.  You can view your full degree requirements and review which of your AP/IB or dual enrollment credits VCU has already received in DegreeWorks. 

This short video will show you how to register for classes in eServices - click on “register for classes.”  Written instructions on how to add or drop a class, and how to add yourself to a waitlist for a closed class are available on our Advising Tutorials website. We encourage you to register for classes as early as possible for the best course days and times

You should register for at least 15 credits, since you need to earn 15 credits per semester for eight fall and spring semesters in order to graduate in 4 years. In addition, most financial aid and scholarships require you to be registered full-time, which is at least 12 credit hours.

Make sure to write down any questions that you have after registering so that you can bring them to your academic advising appointment. Note: Your class schedule is not confirmed until you attend orientation, so make sure to register for and attend orientation.

Students accepted for Fall:

• Course registration opens: May 1, 2024

Students accepted for Spring:

• Course registration opens: Dec. 1, 2024*

*Note: Dates are subject to change.

First-year academic advising appointments will be held virtually or in-person during the months of June and July for students accepted for Fall and in December and January for students accepted for Spring. Please schedule your mandatory summer academic advising appointment via Navigate by May 31st. It is very important that you attend your scheduled appointment, as appointment slots are limited and cannot be rescheduled. In this 30-minute 1:1 time with your advisor, you will review the courses for which you have registered, make adjustments as necessary, and have time to ask any questions you may have. You will receive an email and text reminder for your upcoming appointment. If you have an extenuating situation, please call our office at 804.827.8648.

Incoming students will be able to make an advising appointment on the dates listed below, depending on your start term.

Students accepted for Fall:
Schedule your advising appointment beginning:  May 15, 2024

Students accepted for Spring:
Schedule your advising appointment beginning: Dec. 1, 2024*

*Note: Dates are subject to change.

To prepare for your appointment, please make sure that you have completed all of the previous steps in this list and have registered for as many courses as you are able to.

During your appointment, you and your academic advisor will begin to get to know each other by discussing your academic goals. You will also review the classes that you have registered for and make any needed adjustments. Your advisor will also answer any questions you have about your first-semester on campus and let you know when you’ll next meet in the fall. 

Need more help with scheduling your advising appointment? 

Check out the Navigate FAQs at the bottom of the Navigate page. If you need further help, email navigate@vcu.edu. Keep in mind that you will gain access to Navigate within 2-3 business days of accepting your offer of admission and paying your New Student Deposit. During peak times it can take a bit longer. You can refer to the First-Year Accepted student checklist for more help with accepting your offer and paying your deposit.

1. Log into Navigate
   
   
2. Click on the Appointments tab. Then, select “Make an Appointment/Drop In.”
   
   
3. On the right, select “Meet With Your Success Team.”
   
   
4. You'll be able to see your entire success team at this page. Here, look for your Academic Advisor, then click their name.
   
   
5. Select the type of service you're interested in, how you'd like to meet and then hit “Find Available Time.”
   
   
6. Choose a time that works for you and select it by clicking it.
   
   
7. Add any details you'd like for the appointment in the comments section, and then scroll all the way down.
   
   
8. Hit the "Schedule" button, and you're done! You'll receive an email/text confirmation afterwards.

If you need to make changes, you will need to log into the survey and take it a second time.

Yes. For many majors, your schedule depends upon which math and/or chemistry course you are enrolled in.  If you haven’t taken placement prior to registering or being advised, you won’t be prepared and will face delays.  

You should start registering for classes on May 1 for the best course availability.  

• Use the guide above to register for at least 15 credits.

• And no, you should not wait until you have your advising appointment. Your advising appointment will be spent confirming what you have registered for, so it is important that you register for classes on your own before then.

 

New students accepted for the fall semester can begin making appointments in Navigate on May 15. You can make a virtual or in-person appointment for a time that works best for you. Please schedule and attend your appointment before coming to Orientation, if possible.

You can change your major in the Advising & Registration survey or, if you have already completed the survey by contacting VCU Admissions Processing team at admproc@vcu.edu.

Students interested in changing to majors in the School of Engineering, School of Business, or School of the Arts must complete additional admission requirements and must contact VCU Admissions (804-828-1222 or ugrad@vcu.edu) for more information about eligibility. 

It depends. If your new major is in a different VCU school or college, you need to check to see if your new school or college is participating on that date.  If they are not participating, then you should change your Orientation date. If you have already registered for Orientation and your major change requires a new Orientation date, you will be notified via your VCU email. You can log back into your Orientation account to make the change, or contact newrams@vcu.edu for assistance.

That’s great! And complicated! Since this conversation is going to take a bit of time,  you’ll need to wait to discuss this fully with your academic advisor after your first semester gets started.  However, you can start preparing for this conversation by using the What-If feature in DegreeWorks to review those additional degree requirements.

• First, look to see if alternate sections of the same class are open.  If so, see if you can make adjustments to register for the alternate open section instead.
• Second, register for an alternative course that fulfills the same or a different degree requirement. Your DegreeWorks audit can give you some great suggestions.  
• Third, add yourself to the waitlist for the preferred course. If you are offered a seat in the class, you can choose to drop the alternative course you registered for previously.  
• Important: If you add yourself to the waitlist, you must check your VCU email daily to make sure that you do not miss the notification you will receive if you are offered a seat in the class. 
  
  

 

Session Date	Session Time
Wednesday, June 26	11:30 a.m.
Monday, July 8	2:30 p.m.
Friday, July 26	1 p.m.
Tuesday, August 6	9:30 a.m.
Wednesday, August 14	1 p.m.