This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2026-2027 VCU Bulletin. Courses that expose students to cutting-edge content and transformative learning may be added and notification of additional program approvals may be received prior to finalization. General education program content is also subject to change. The final edition and full PDF version will include these updates and will be available in August prior to the beginning of the fall semester.
UNIV 101. Introduction to the University. 1 Hour.
Semester course; 1 lecture hour (delivered online or face-to-face). 1 credit. Enrollment is restricted to freshmen or by override for students with advanced standing. Designed to orient new students to the traditions, purposes and expectations of a university education. Students will assess their expectations and evaluate their academic strengths and goals. Through lectures, major map exercises, guest speakers and individual projects, students will learn of VCU resources designed to help them solve problems and to achieve a rewarding and successful academic program.
UNIV 102. Investigations in Learning. 1 Hour.
Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Enrollment restricted to first-year students who want to improve college success skills. The student will create an individualized action plan to improve academic performance.
UNIV 103. Education and Career Planning. 1-3 Hours.
Semester course; 1-3 lecture hours. 1-3 credits. May be repeated for a total of 3 credits. An education- and career-planning course focusing on the process of researching and selecting a major. Through course work, research, guest speakers and informational interviewing, students will discover various educational and career options. Topics will include interest, abilities and work-values assessments, decision-making models and career development theories. One- and two-credit versions of the course are offered with correspondingly reduced meeting schedules.
UNIV 111. Introduction to Focused Inquiry: Investigation and Communication. 3 Hours.
Play course video for Introduction to Focused Inquiry: Investigation and Communication
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Introduces students to an interdisciplinary foundation for communication, critical thinking, collaboration and research at the university level. Practice in these core academic skills prepares students to engage in inquiry across disciplines. Students must earn a minimum grade of C to receive credit for the course.
UNIV 112. Focused Inquiry II. 3 Hours.Play course video for Focused Inquiry II
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Prerequisite: UNIV 111 or equivalent. Builds on skills introduced in UNIV 111 by providing practice in expository essays, argument and contextual analysis. Focuses on practice in writing in a variety of genres, framing writing according to both purpose and audience and identifying academically valid sources. Students must earn a minimum grade of C to receive credit for the course.
UNIV 191. Student Success Special Topics. 1-3 Hours.
Semester course; 1-3 lecture hours (delivered online or face-to-face). 1-3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to freshmen or by override for students with advanced standing. May be repeated with different content for a maximum of three credits. Transitioning from high school to VCU as a first-year student brings both excitement and nervousness. VCU offers a menu of first-year courses that address either motivators or barriers to student success. The courses are taught by academic advisers, financial aid counselors, campus leaders and student affairs professionals interested in connecting to first-year students based on their interests, fears, aspirations and career goals. Students who complete the courses historically earn higher GPAs and graduate faster with less debt.
UNIV 200. Advanced Focused Inquiry: Literacies, Research and Communication. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Prerequisite: UNIV 111 or HONR 250 with a minimum grade of C. Asks students to consider real-world applications of writing and research. Students will develop critical analysis, inquiry-based research skills, communication of argument and research across media. Work represents the culmination of foundational ConnectED competencies developed in UNIV 111. Students must earn a minimum grade of C to receive credit for the course.
UNIV 250. Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Program. 1 Hour.
Semester course; 1 lecture hour (delivered hybrid). 1 credit. May be repeated for a maximum of two credits toward graduation. Prerequisite: UNIV 200 with a minimum grade of B or by permission of the instructor. Utilizes classroom practice to further the core skills developed in UNIV 111 and UNIV 200 (communication, critical and creative problem-solving, information literacy and global and cultural responsiveness) as well as exposing students to the practice, possibilities, rewards and responsibilities of peer mentorship. Enrollment will be arranged through faculty mentors.
UNIV 251. Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Program. 1 Hour.
Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. May be repeated for up to two credits. Prerequisite: UNIV 200 or HONR 200 with minimum grade of B. Utilizes classroom practice to further the core skills developed in UNIV 200 (including writing, critical thinking, collaborative learning, information retrieval and evaluation) as well as exposing students to the practice, possibilities, rewards and responsibilities of the act of teaching. Enrollment will be arranged through faculty mentors.
UNIV 291. University Special Topics. 1-4 Hours.
Semester course; variable hours. 1-4 credits. May be repeated with different content. Specialized topics in subject and competency areas related to the core curriculum program not provided by an existing course or program. May be multidisciplinary. Graded as pass/fail or normal letter grading at the option of the instructor.
UNIV 299. What's the Big Idea?. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Each section in this interdisciplinary course will focus on a particular "big question" that has intrigued thinkers throughout time and across cultures. As students move from personal to global — and from theoretical to practical — investigations of the question, they will come to understand inquiry as a complex cycle of questioning, gathering, examining, interpreting, comparing, analyzing and evaluating, with important application to decision-making and problem-solving in the real world.
UNIV 391. University Special Topics. 1-4 Hours.
Semester course; variable hours. 1-4 credits. May be repeated with different content. Specialized topics in subject and competency areas related to the core curriculum program not provided by an existing course or program. May be multidisciplinary. Graded as pass/fail or normal letter grading at the option of the instructor.