Student resources
As a student in the College, you have a number of opportunities to participate in learning experiences in the Richmond community and beyond. Through service-learning courses, volunteer programs and internships, you can supplement your education in the College with real-life, hands-on knowledge.
Service-learning
Service-learning courses through the Division of Community Engagement are a type of ‘for credit’ course that allows students to engage in a structured service activity that meets community-identified needs. This collaborative experience is designed to support the learning of course content and to promote personal growth and civic engagement. A typical service-learning course requires a minimum of 15 hours of service with a selected nonprofit community-based organizations or school.
VCU’s Division of Community Engagement offers more information about what service-learning courses are offered each semester and how to find courses in your subject area.
Research in the community
Students in the College have the opportunity to participate in independent study with faculty members conducting research within the community. To identify a faculty member or a project:
- Visit our faculty’s Web sites to identify ongoing projects and contact the faculty member.
- Use the search function on the VCU homepage to search for work or projects in your interest area as a way of identifying relevant faculty and staff.
- Contact university departments responsible for organizing student research opportunities, such as The Honors College and the Office of the Vice President for Research.
- Contact the associate dean for community activities at kallison@vcu.edu.
Internships and Practica
Many undergraduate and graduate programs offer opportunities for students to engage in internship or practicum learning experiences. These programs vary by department or school and you can learn more about them by contacting an advisor in your unit.
L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs
The Wilder School encourages students to participate in for-credit, structured and supervised internships with government, nonprofit and business organizations. These internships provide students with experience in a professional setting outside the classroom and enrich the learning process by supplementing theory with practice.
School of Mass Communications
In partnership with communications companies and government agencies throughout the Richmond area, the School of Mass Communications offers extensive internships in advertising, public relations, television, newspapers, magazines and new media. Internships are offered for academic credit and are designed to provide undergraduate mass communications students with practical, real-world work experience in mass media, nonprofit, government or private sector organizations.
School of World Studies
For internships with a global perspective, the School of World Studies offers placements in the Richmond area, as well as with international organizations. Through the school’s New Communities Internship program, in partnership with local public schools, you can provide instructional assistance, tutoring and mentoring to ESL students while gaining direct exposure to the issues of transnational migration, intercultural communication, the challenges of a multi-lingual classroom and the impact of immigration policy.
For more information about internships through the School of World Studies, including the New Communities Internship program, contact Virginia Casanova, internship coordinator, at (804) 827-1111 or casanovavl@vcu.edu.
Virginia Capital Semester
Virginia Capital Semester offers students the opportunity to experience an internship in the state government while continuing their studies on a full-time basis through course work at VCU. Internships are arranged with the legislative and executive branches of Virginia government, and with the advocacy and lobbying organizations associated with Virginia government.
Volunteer opportunities
Contact the following organizations to learn more about volunteer opportunities for students in the Richmond community:
- Volunteer opportunities through University Student Commons and Activities
- Richmond Volunteer Connection
- Hands On Greater Richmond
- United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg
