Academic Honors

Graduating Honors 

Candidates for a baccalaureate degree who have completed at least 51 percent of the credits required for their degree program at Virginia State University will qualify for honors at graduation based upon their final cumulative grade point average as listed below:

Candidates for baccalaureate degrees who have earned forty or more hours but less than 51 percent of the credits required for their degree program at Virginia State University are recognized for academic achievement against the following standard:

Highest Ranking Graduate

Recognition will be given to the student with the highest cumulative grade point average among all graduating seniors who have completed at least 90 credit hours at VSU.

Academic Grades

Symbols that are used to describe academic performance.

Academic Honesty

Intellectual and scholastic freedoms are safeguarded through application of principles of academic honesty. Violations of academic honesty represent a serious breach of the Virginia State University honor code and may be considered grounds for disciplinary action.

Academic Dishonesty

Include (a) plagiarism-presentation of the written words of others as if they were one's own; (b) cheating, giving, aiding, or seeking assistance during the process of taking a test or examination. Penalties for academic dishonesty may be loss of credit for the work in question, loss of credit for the course, suspension or expulsion from the University.

Admissions
​

Virginia State University is committed to admit students who possess a diverse range of talents and abilities. Students who are applying for admission as freshmen are expected to have completed a college-preparatory program in high school. We are a test optional school; we will accept satisfactory scores on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or American College Test (ACT) examination. Students who were not graduated from a secondary school may be admitted on the basis of their GED test scores.

Admission Requirements

(https://www.vsu.edu/admissions/apply/freshman-apply/)

The admission requirements are as follows:

• Minimum 2.5 GPA on 4.00 scale
• Three (3) units of mathematics (Of these three, one must be Algebra I, and the second must be either Geometry or Algebra 11)
• Four (4) units of English
• Two (2) units of Science (one of which must be a laboratory science)
• Two (2) units of Social Studies (History, Government, Civics, Geography)
• Two (2) units of Foreign Language are recommended but not required.
• SAT or ACT score, if applicable

Under exceptional circumstances, a student who does not meet a component of the entrance requirement (e.g., a student's GPA is between 2.25 - 2.49), may be admitted on a "conditional" basis for the Fall semester & VA residents only. The student will be admitted to the Trojan Summer Bridge program.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

(https://www.vsu.edu/academics/special-programs/continuing-education/)

Through the Office of Continuing Education, non-degree-seeking students are able to enroll in college courses up to 11 credit hours per semester, which is part-time and not eligible for financial aid assistance. 

Special Admissions Requirements

In addition to regular freshman and transfer admission requirements, students who desire to major in Music must also complete an on-campus audition. Students who desire to major in Art and Design may also be required to submit additional materials. Please contact these departments directly for further information.

International Students

(https://www.vsu.edu/admissions/apply/international-apply/)

Prospective students from abroad should apply for admission at least twelve months prior to the term in which they wish to enroll. Applicants must submit certified copies of official academic records, showing subjects studied, grades received, examinations taken, and degrees earned from secondary schools, colleges, and universities attended. The documents must be submitted in original form as well as official translation. Evaluated academic records/transcripts, originals only; copies are not accepted. We recommend SpanTran, World Education Services (WES), or another approved qualified company which can be found at www.naces.org.

Freshmen only must submit 2 letters of recommendation (one must be from your Guidance Counselor).

An applicant from a country where English is not the native language is required to demonstrate a proficiency in English by submitting scores from (TOEFL), IELTS, Duolingo or Cambridge. Official test scores must be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service.

An international student must provide documentation verifying resources to meet financial needs for the designated period of study at Virginia State University. This is not required to be considered for Admissions.

Readmission

(https://www.vsu.edu/admissions/apply/readmit.php)

Students who interrupt their enrollment for two or more semesters (one or more years) must apply through the Office of Admissions for readmission to the University. Readmission is to the department in which the student was enrolled at the time of separation. A change of major request must be made after readmission with academic department advisor.

Senior Citizens

There is no limit to the number of semesters in which senior citizens may enroll who are not enrolled for academic credit. However, individuals are limited to three non-credit courses each semester. Eligible senior citizens enrolled for credit may enroll as full-time students, limited only by their academic performance as to the number of credits pursued or enrolled semesters. Senior citizens are defined as persons who, before enrollment,

1. have reached sixty years of age and
2. have had their legal domicile in Virginia for one year.

Further details of the program are available from the College of Graduate Studies, Research and Outreach, 20716 Fourth Avenue, Virginia State University.

Advisement

Upon admission to the University, students will be assigned an academic advisor from the Academic Center of Excellence (ACE). Students who have not declared a major will also be advised through ACE. Non-traditional students will be advised through the Office of Outreach.

Advanced Placement Credit
 

VSU awards advanced standing credit (course exemption and academic credit hours) to entering students who have qualifying scores on the AP tests. Students may receive credit in any academic discipline in which an AP test is offered so long as they take the test before the end of their senior year of high school. After matriculation, students should direct questions about their AP credit to the College Dean's office under which their major field of study is organized.

Cambridge International Examinations Credit
 

The University may grant credit for Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) levels Advanced (A) and Advanced Subsidiary (AS) offered through the University of Cambridge in England. These courses and examinations are administered through registered CIE Centers in public high schools throughout the United States. A-level syllabuses and exams cover approximately two years of college-level curriculum in a subject and the AS level syllabus and exam covers the first year of the two-year A-level curriculum.

Cambridge tests passed with final grades of A, B or C will be considered for advanced standing and credit for the corresponding courses at VSU. The applicability of such credit toward the student’s degree program is interpreted by the department or college in which the student seeks a degree.

* A-Level Exam not available for this subject

Federal Programs

Through federal grants, the University provides special academic, financial and counseling support services to eligible university students, and student parents, as well as, high school students, and those who have successfully completed the General Education Development, (GED).

These services are available through the University’s Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools, (CCAMPIS) Educational Talent Search, Educational Opportunity Centers, Upward Bound, and Student Support Services Program. For more information about these programs, contact the specific program area or email triosss@vsu.edu.

Immunizations

Virginia State University requires a physical examination for all first-time enrollees (freshmen transfer and graduate students) as well as a health history and immunization record to be submitted to Student Health Service prior to registration for classes. Any student who cannot produce an up-to-date immunization record must be reimmunized at his/her expense. Registration cannot be completed until the Student Health Service Health Evaluation Form is completed.

Insurance

Health and accident insurance is strongly encouraged for full-time students. Students who have no coverage, may enroll in the University Plan. Students who wish to supplement their existing coverage, may enroll in the University-sponsored insurance plan. The plan is honored worldwide and is valid twenty-four (24) hours a day.

To inquire further, please contact Health Services.

The International Baccalaureate
 

Students must designate the Virginia State University Registrar as a recipient of the scores, and scores must be sent directly from the testing agency. Credit is awarded consistent with state and University policies and the sourcing agencies’ guidelines. VSU offers possible credit for scores of 4, 5, 6, or 7 on most higher-level (HL) IB examinations and on select standard-level (SL) examinations in accordance with the pre-approved equivalencies for qualifying IB examination scores. After matriculation, students should direct questions about their IB credit to the College Dean's office in which their major field of study is organized.

Tuition, Fees, and Financial Obligations

Tuition and Fee Charges

Payment of tuition, fees, and other charges owed to Virginia State University is the responsibility of the student. Failure to pay tuition and fees could result in administrative withdrawal from the university. The university will hold transcripts and block registration for students who fail to pay fees, fines, damages. Collection agencies also may be used by the university to collect unpaid fees or fines.

In-State Tuition Eligibility

All applicants who desire to qualify for in-state tuition rates under Section 23-7.4 of the Code of Virginia, must complete the domicile eligibility form which may be obtained from the Office of Admissions. 

Form more information, contact the Office of Admissions. 

University Libraries 
 

Located in the center of campus, Johnston Memorial Library houses primary and secondary materials needed to support the academic and research programs of the University. It provides a full complement of research and information services to the University community. The Library contains approximately 280,200 monographs, approximately 1,200 periodicals and newspapers, 704,983 microform pieces, 81,153 audiovisual pieces including government publication and musical scores.

The Library participates in a statewide electronic resource sharing consortium, the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA). The Library provides local and remote access to 180 databases, over 8,800 full text journals and newspapers, nearly 10,000 full text works of poetry and verse drama, and over 300,000 additional full text materials, including statistical reports and pamphlets. In- house and remote access to the book and serial collections is provided by the VTLS Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) with special services for the visually impaired. The library management systems have been in operation since 1989 and supports cataloging, serials, circulation, reserved materials and provides access to the online public access catalog. 

The Instructional Materials Lab houses videos, laserdisc, audiotapes and other media. A wheelchair accessible multimedia workstation is available for use.

The Library has seating capacity for 600 students and shelving capacity for approximately 300,000 books. Facilities include exhibit areas, conference and study rooms, and individual study carrels. Selected study rooms are equipped for computer access. The Library also has two Internet search labs and a bibliographic instruction lab with over 50 computers for research use.

Full reference service is available to the entire University community. The Reference Department provides interlibrary loan services through cooperative lending agreements. The Special Collections Department, with a full-time archivist, contains historical documents, memorabilia, and artifacts, which are available to both the campus community and other researchers. The Library has a separate Instructional Materials Laboratory, containing films, slides cassettes, CD ROMs, laser disks, and videos which faculty and students can use for presentations. A full multimedia workstation is also available for wheelchair accessibility. In addition, the Library has a Kurzweil machine and large print software for the visually impaired.

The Library is a selective depository for United States and Virginia government publications. The collection of more than 197,079 federal and state documents offers a wealth of information.

Johnston Memorial Library is handicapped accessible. Contact Johnston Memorial Library for more information.

Withdrawals and General Counseling
 

The staffs of ACE cannot excuse absences; but it does provide absentee notification to instructors for any student encountering an emergency that requires an absence of 3 or more days. Students wishing to discontinue studies at the University will start the withdrawal process at ACE with counselors who are understanding and will help students through the withdrawal process while ensuring that all possible options are considered for remaining at VSU.

For services, please contact:

ACE at Virginia State University
P.O. Box 9034
Petersburg, Virginia 23806
Phone: (804) 524-6755