Join one of the seven sessions we offer each year.
Upcoming sessions
From beginner to advanced, our program is designed to be completed in one year.
View available courses
The ELP placement test is the first step to determine your starting point.
Testing details
ELP@VCU is one of the most affordable of its kind on the East Coast.
Compare program costs
Spring I Session (8 weeks)
First Day of Class: January 13
Last Day of Class: May 8
Placement Test Date(s): January 6*, January 7
Spring II Session (16 weeks)
First Day of Class: January 13
Last Day of Class: May 8
Placement Test Date(s): January 6*, January 7
Withdrawal: March 20
Summer I Session (16 weeks)
First Day of Class: January 13
Last Day of Class: May 8
Placement Test Date(s): January 6*, January 7
Summer II Session (16 weeks)
First Day of Class: January 13
Last Day of Class: May 8
Placement Test Date(s): January 6*, January 7
Fall I Session (16 weeks)
First Day of Class: January 13
Last Day of Class: May 8
Placement Test Date(s): January 6*, January 7
Fall II Session (16 weeks)
First Day of Class: January 13
Last Day of Class: May 8
Placement Test Date(s): January 6*, January 7
Full-time Enrollment (22 credits): $4,950
Other Expenses (housing and health insurance): $5,200
Total Estimated Cost for full-time enrollment: $10,150
Other Fees
Application Fee: $70
Placement Test Fee: $100
Part-time Enrollment: $225 per credit
VCU ELP offers three levels of instruction in written and spoken English: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
Students who complete the program meet the language proficiency requirements of most of VCU's academic degree programs.
VCU ELP also offers part-time evening courses for students who want to improve their English, such as Pronouncing American English and English Language Proficiency Test Preparation.
VCU ELP offers three levels of instruction in written and spoken English: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
Students who complete the program meet the language proficiency requirements of most of VCU's academic degree programs.
VCU ELP also offers part-time evening courses for students who want to improve their English, such as Pronouncing American English and English Language Proficiency Test Preparation.
Jill Blondin named executive director of Global Education Office
Jill E. Blondin, Ph.D., has been named executive director for the VCU Global Education Office.
Read more about Jill Blondin's appointment
ELP Tea Time
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International panelists discuss perspectives on politics and voting
An international panel discusses various aspects of the political systems and voting in their countries.
International Education Week 2019
During International Education Week VCU students express what international education means to them.
English Language Program celebrates graduates and 30 years
ELP students and staff celebrate student accomplishments and 30 years during its end-of-year event.
First VCU Globe Showcase displays student talent and art
Students participated in the VCU Globe Showcase that included poster displays, student art exhibits and performances.
VCU Gilman scholars share their adventures abroad
Three VCU students talked with us about their experiences studying abroad as Gilman scholarship recipients this summer.
Kazakh leaders explore democracy and governance at VCU
VCU students, faculty and staff discussed Kazahkstan during an Open World Leadership Center Kazakh delegation visit.
VCU Globe graduates encouraged to seek entrepreneurial opportunities
VCU Globe's fifth cohort recognized at graduation ceremony after completing program.
Read about the VCU Globe graduation
Supporting our international students and scholars
In light of recent events in Afghanistan and Haiti, GEO and the Division of Student Affairs are reaching out to our students and scholars with ties various to these regions.
If you can…
• comply with VCU’s Covid-19 vaccination policy, and
• register for a Full Course of Study (FCS) as described below, and
• enter the US by the dates indicated
then you are eligible to study at VCU in the US for the Fall 2021 semester.
Visit the following webpage to find information about VCU’s Covid-19 vaccination policy.
If you want to study or live at VCU in the US for the Fall 2021 semester, you must comply with the university’s Covid-19 vaccination policy. (This policy applies to all VCU students—international and domestic.)
Full Course of Study (FCS) is an F-1 visa concept that is related to, but not identical with, similar sounding concepts of full-time study.
F-1 students must register for a FCS every fall and spring semester of their VCU studies—and remain registered for a FCS for the duration of the semester.
Failure to comply with the FCS requirement is a violation of the F-1 regulations and can lead to immediate loss of F-1 status.
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| If you have an I-20 with a start date of January 19, 2020 or earlier for your current degree program, then you are Group A. | Any student who does not meet the criteria for Group A. If you do not meet the criteria for Group A, you are in Group B. |
| FCS for an undergraduate student in Group A is at least 12 credits. To maintain FCS, you may register for courses in any instructional modality offered by VCU. Undergraduate Students in Group A may register for 100% online instruction if they wish. | FCS for an undergraduate student in Group B is at least 12 credits. To maintain FCS in the US, if you are an undergraduate student in Group B at least nine credits of your 12 credits must be in instructional modality that officially include some percent of in-person instruction. |
| FCS for a graduate student in Group A is at least nine credits. To maintain FCS, you may register for courses in any instructional modality offered by VCU. Graduate Students in Group A may register for 100% online instruction if they wish. | FCS for a graduate student in Group B is at least nine credits. To maintain FCS in the US, if you are a graduate student in Group B at least 6 credits of your nine credits must be in instructional modality that officially include some percent of in-person instruction. |
| If you want to continue your VCU studies online from outside the US, you may do so, but you still need to maintain FCS. | If you want to start or continue your VCU studies online from outside the US, you may do so, but you still need to maintain FCS and remain outside the US for the fall 2021 semester. Please email geois@vcu.edu that you plan to study outside of the US so that we can defer your I-20 start date to spring 2021. |
| If you cannot register (or remain registered) for the required number of credits, you may be eligible to maintain FCS if you obtain written, advance authorization from GEO for a Reduced Course Load (RCL) or Full-Time Equivalent (FTE). To request RCL or FTE authorization, go to: global.vcu.edu/students/immigration/f1studentcourses/ | If you cannot register (or remain registered) for the required number of credits, you may be eligible to maintain FCS if you obtain written, advance authorization from GEO for a Reduced Course Load (RCL) or Full-Time Equivalent (FTE). To request RCL or FTE authorization, go to: global.vcu.edu/students/immigration/f1studentcourses/ |
For the fall 2021 semester, VCU will be offering courses in a variety of modalities, but not all courses will be offered in all modalities.
When completing a course search in Banner, you will see a column for each course titled 'Attribute,' which indicates the course’s instructional modality.
You may also use the Banner advanced search to find courses taught in a specific modality.
After using the advanced search, choose the modality you are searching for by using the dropdown menu under 'Attribute.'
For FCS purposes, VCU courses marked as follows count as in-person instruction:
• hybrid-flexible synchronous
• hybrid-synchronous instruction
• hybrid-asynchronous instruction
• blended-flexible synchronous
• blended-asynchronous instruct
• face-to-face instruction
• direction instruction
NOTE: This modality “involves individualized direct supervision or guidance, typically with no classroom instruction. The schedule is worked out with the supervising instructor or researcher and may be in person, online or some combination of modalities. Details should be established through conversation with the supervising instructor or researcher before registration. Not required to take place on a specific day and time.” For this modality to count as in-person instruction, some percent of the schedule must at least include some percent of documented, face-to-face meeting(s) between the instructor and F-1 student.
For FCS purposes, VCU courses marked as follows count as online instruction:
• online-synchronous instruction
• online-asynchronous instruction
For further information about these modalities, please review the information at rar.vcu.edu/registration/registration-guide/course-modality/
Dates for entering the US for fall 2021 vary by which of the following two groups of F-1 visa students you are in:
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| If you have an I-20 with a start date of January 19, 2020 or earlier for your current degree program, then you are Group A. | Any student who does not meet the criteria for Group A. If you do not meet the criteria for Group A, you are in Group B. |
| If you are not currently in the US, but you have an I-20 that says “continued attendance”, you must enter the US in F-1 status before August 30, 2021, the last day of the Add/Drop period. In order to comply with VCU’s Covid-19 vaccination policy, some students may need to enter the US sooner. | If you are not currently in the US, you must enter the US in F-1 status before August 30, 2021, the last day of the Add/Drop period. In order to comply with VCU’s Covid-19 vaccination policy, some students may need to enter the US sooner. If you are not currently in the US and Fall 2021 will be the first semester that you will be in the US, plan carefully: You must enter the US between July 25, 2021 and August 30, 2021, the last day of the Add/Drop period. To clarify, the earliest date you can enter the US is July 25, 2021 (there is no legal exception to this rule). |
If fall 2021 will be your first semester at VCU in the US in F-1 status, you must register with the Global Education Office (GEO) after you arrive in the US.
This Immigration Check-In is for the purpose of ensuring that you were properly admitted by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to the US in F-1 status.
GEO’s fall 2021 Immigration Check-In will occur online only.
You will receive an email from GEOIS@vcu.edu after August 9, 2021 with instructions on how to complete this process.
If you want to travel to the US to study in person for the fall 2021 semester, please do the following before departing for the US:
If you need to obtain an F-1 visa stamp in your passport before departing for the US, please contact the US consulate in your home country. F-1 visa stamps are not available from inside the US. www.usembassy.gov/
If you need to obtain an I-20 travel signature, please do the following:
Send an email to GEOIS@vcu.edu (Subject Line: I-20 Travel Signature)
In the text of the email include the following information
a) Your full name
b) Your V number
c) Your city of birth
d) Your current US address and telephone number (if any)
We need this information in order to process your I-20 travel signature request.
We need up to three business days to process an I-20 travel signature request, so please request yours early!
After we receive the information above from you:
If you have additional questions about studying at VCU in person for the fall 2021 semester, please send an email to GEOIS@vcu.edu and an adviser will respond to you shortly.
If you are interested in purchasing additional insurance for travel and trip cancellation or interruption, we encourage you to research options through CISI’s partnership with Travel Insured International. This is not a VCU requirement or sponsored policy but is available to you if you’re interested in additional coverage for an additional cost.
Yes, to be eligible for CPT authorization, the training must be directly tied to the major field indicated on your current VCU I-20.
Some students, training organizations, and even other VCU units use definitions of training that do not necessarily tie the activity directly to your major.
But, according to DHS, to be eligible for CPT authorization, the training must be directly tied to the major indicated on your current VCU I-20.