Potential changes in the degree program for a student are governed by policies that are driven by the nature of the intended change:

  1. A student completing a certificate program who wants to enroll in an M.S., Ph.D. or M.D. program within the VCU School of Medicine or the D.D.S. program in VCU’s School of Dentistry must formally apply to that degree program. If accepted into the higher degree program, the student must complete the certificate program before matriculating in the higher degree program.
  2. A student completing an M.S. program who wants to enroll in a Ph.D. or M.D. program within the VCU School of Medicine or the D.D.S. program in VCU’s School of Dentistry must formally apply to the higher degree program. If accepted into that degree program, the student must complete the M.S. program before matriculating in the higher degree program.
  3. A student in a Ph.D. program who wishes to move to a related M.S. program within the VCU School of Medicine may make a written request for this change to their current Ph.D. program director and to the program director of the master’s program the student wishes to join. The program directors and the associate dean for graduate education will review the student’s request and provide guidance for next steps. A formal application to the M.S. program may or may not be required.

Students who are not making satisfactory academic progress in one School of Medicine program are not eligible to enroll in another School of Medicine program until they have returned to satisfactory academic progress.