This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2024-2025 VCU Bulletin. We may add courses that expose our students to cutting-edge content and transformative learning. We may also add content to the general education program that focuses on racial literacy and a racial literacy graduation requirement, and may receive notification of additional program approvals after the launch. 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.

VCU, King’s College London and the University of Adelaide collaborate to offer a fully online Certificate in Addiction Studies available to students around the globe. No on-campus attendance is required, and students receive a degree from all three participating universities.

Program mission

The mission of the addiction studies certificate with a concentration in advanced international addiction studies is to offer students around the world an in-depth, evidence-based, multidimensional and cross-cultural understanding of both essential and advanced topics in the field of addiction studies, including biological, psychological and public health perspectives on the etiology and treatment of addiction and evidence-based addiction policy. This will be accomplished through distance-learning technologies.

Program goals

  1. Knowledge of field of addiction science: Students in the program will develop an in-depth knowledge of the field of addiction science to enhance their ability to succeed in a variety of addiction-related settings.
  2. Ability to synthesize and apply advanced addiction-related knowledge: Students of the program will be able to synthesize and apply advanced addiction-related knowledge, including comparative international perspectives and approaches, to address key issues related to the treatment or prevention of addiction.
  3. Understanding and application of experimental results from addiction-related research: Students will develop the ability to interpret experimental approaches and results, and apply them to address key questions in addiction science and policy, as well as conceptualize the translation from research to policy, treatment or prevention.
  4. Communication skills related to addiction: Students will develop skills in communicating both core knowledge of addiction as well as the interpretation of research findings in a variety of formats.

Student learning outcomes

  1. Written communication skills: The candidate will use effective written communication skills to present information related to addiction causes, interventions, treatments and policies using appropriate vocabulary, figures, tables and citations.
  2. Advanced knowledge of addiction science: The student will demonstrate an advanced level of knowledge of the current elements of addiction science.
  3. Familiarity and understanding of research: Students will demonstrate an advanced level of fluency with the research literature, become familiar with research methods used in addiction science and demonstrate the ability to evaluate and critique publications.

VCU Graduate Bulletin, VCU Graduate School and general academic policies and regulations for all graduate students in all graduate programs

The VCU Graduate Bulletin website documents the official admission and academic rules and regulations that govern graduate education for all graduate programs at the university. These policies are established by the graduate faculty of the university through their elected representatives to the University Graduate Council.

It is the responsibility of all graduate students, both on- and off-campus, to be familiar with the VCU Graduate Bulletin as well as the Graduate School website and academic regulations in individual school and department publications and on program websites. However, in all cases, the official policies and procedures of the University Graduate Council, as published on the VCU Graduate Bulletin and Graduate School websites, take precedence over individual program policies and guidelines.

Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on academic regulations for graduate students.

Graduation requirements

As graduate students approach the end of their academic programs and the final semester of matriculation, they must make formal application to graduate. No degrees will be conferred until the application to graduate has been finalized.

Graduate students and program directors should refer to the following graduation requirements as published in the Graduate Bulletin for a complete list of instructions and a graduation checklist.

Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on graduation requirements.