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Virginia State University

1 Hayden Street, Petersburg, VA 23806

http://www.vsu.edu/

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School Description

Provided by Virginia State University

Virginia State University, America's first fully state supported four-year institution of higher learning for Blacks, is a comprehensive university and one of two land-grant institutions in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its mission is to promote and sustain academic programs that integrate instruction, research, and extension/public service in a design most responsive to the needs and endeavors of individuals and groups within its scope of influence. Ultimately, the University is dedicated to the promotion of knowledgeable, perceptive, and humane citizens--secure in their self-awareness, equipped for personal fulfillment, sensitive to the needs and aspirations of others, and committed to assuming productive roles in a challenging and ever-changing global society.

The campus sits atop a rolling landscape overlooking the Appomattox River in the Chesterfield County village of Ettrick. It is accessible by Interstates 95 and 85, which intersect in adjacent Petersburg, as well as U.S. Routes 1, 301 and 460. The University is centrally located about two hours away from Washington, DC to the north, the North Carolina Triangle area to the south, the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

VSU students live and learn on a 236-acre main campus, with more than 50 buildings, including 15 dormitories and 16 classroom buildings, and a 416-acre agricultural research facility.

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Virginia State University

From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Virginia State University is a historically black university and land-grant university located in Petersburg, Virginia in the Richmond area, and was founded on . It was the United States's first fully state-supported four-year institution of higher learning for black Americans. Its first president was John Mercer Langston, who later became the first African-American elected to Congress from Virginia. The board of trustees was almost entirely African-American, except for one member. The faculty of the collegiate program and the normal school was African-American until the mid-1960s. The name used by the school's athletic teams is the "Mighty Trojans." The third season of the reality television series College Hill was filmed at Virginia State University in 2006. The university is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.

History

Following the American Civil War, William Mahone (1826-1895) of Petersburg, Virginia was the driving force in the linkage of Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad, South Side Railroad and the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad in 1870 to form the Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Railroad (AM&O), a new line extending from Norfolk to Bristol. After several years of operating under receiverships, Mahone's role as a railroad builder ended in 1881 when the AM&O was sold at auction to form the Norfolk and Western Railway.

Mahone, a former Confederate general best known as the hero of the Battle of the Crater, later led Virginia's Readjuster Party and was a major proponent of public schools for the education of the former slaves and free blacks. He became a United States Senator from Virginia, and arranged for the proceeds of the AM&O sale to help found a school for teachers near Petersburg. In 1882, the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute at Petersburg was established. State delegate Alfred W. Harris, a black attorney, introduced the bill that established the institute.

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Read the full entry on Wikipedia

Quick Facts

Chance of Admission:
Location:
Mid-Atlantic
Setting:
Large Town Setting
Type:
Public
Size:
Medium (2,000 to 5,000 Undergrad)
Mascot:
Trojans
Nickname:
VSU

Students & Campus Life

Undergraduate Enrollment:
4,033
On Campus Housing:
Available
Full Time Students:
99%
Athletic Programs:
Available
> More Students & Campus Life

Expenses

Average Tuition:
$ 12,046
Students Receiving Aid:
97%
> More Expenses & Financial Aid

Admissions

Application Fee:
$ 25
Selectivity:
Selective
> More Admissions

Degree Programs at Virginia State University

Bachelor's Level Programs

  • Agriculture and Natural Resources

    See more schools with programs in Agriculture and Natural Resources
    • Agriculture Business See more schools with programs in Agriculture Business
      • Agriculture
        Core skills taught in this four year program include agricultural research and production. Students in this program are prepared to apply these core skills to find solutions to practical agricultural problems. This major includes instruction in basic animal, plant, and soil science; animal husbandry and plant cultivation; soil conservation; and agricultural operations such as farming, ranching, and agricultural business.
        See more schools with programs in Agriculture

  • Arts & Humanities

    See more schools with programs in Arts & Humanities
    • English Language and Literature See more schools with programs in English Language and Literature
      • English Language and Literature
        A general program that focuses on the English language, including its history, structure and related communications skills; and the literature and culture of English-speaking peoples.
        See more schools with programs in English Language and Literature
    • General Studies See more schools with programs in General Studies
      • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
        A program that is a structured combination of the arts, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities, emphasizing breadth of study. Includes instruction in independently designed, individualized, or regular programs.
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    • History See more schools with programs in History
      • History
        A program that focuses on the general study and interpretation of the past, including the gathering, recording, synthesizing and criticizing of evidence and theories about past events. Includes instruction in historiography; historical research methods; studies of specific periods, issues and cultures; and applications to areas such as historic preservation, public policy, and records administration.
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    • Music See more schools with programs in Music
      • Music Performance
        A program that generally prepares individuals to master musical instruments and performing art as solo and/or ensemble performers. Includes instruction on one or more specific instruments from various instrumental groupings.
        See more schools with programs in Music Performance
    • Visual and Performing Arts See more schools with programs in Visual and Performing Arts
      • Visual and Performing Arts
        A general, undifferentiated program that focuses on the visual and performing arts and that may prepare individuals in any of the visual artistic media or performing disciplines.
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  • Business

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    • Business/Managerial Economics
      Learn to apply the power of economics principles to the analysis of the organization and operation of business enterprises. Students complete courses in monetary theory, banking and financial systems, theory of competition, pricing theory, wage and salary/incentive theory, analysis of markets, and applications of econometrics and quantitative methods to the study of particular businesses and business problems.
      See more schools with programs in Business/Managerial Economics
    • Accounting & Related Services See more schools with programs in Accounting & Related Services
      • Accounting
        An accounting program provides the tools to practice accounting and to perform related business functions. This program includes instruction in accounting principles and theory, financial accounting, managerial accounting, cost accounting, budget control, tax accounting, legal aspects of accounting, auditing, reporting procedures, statement analysis, planning and consulting, business information systems, accounting research methods, professional standards and ethics, and applications to specific for-profit, public, and non-profit organizations.
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    • General Business See more schools with programs in General Business
      • Business Administration and Management
        Generally, this program prepares individuals to plan, organize, direct, and control a firm or organization. To aid them in taking a leading role in business, individuals in this program study management theory, human resources management and behavior, accounting and other quantitative methods, purchasing and logistics, organization and production, marketing, and business decision-making.
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    • Hospitality & Restaurants See more schools with programs in Hospitality & Restaurants
      • Hospitality Management
        A program that prepares individuals to serve as general managers and directors of hospitality operations on a system-wide basis, including both travel arrangements and promotion and the provision of traveler facilities. Includes instruction in principles of operations in the travel and tourism, hotel and lodging facilities, food services, and recreation facilities industries; hospitality marketing strategies; hospitality planning; management and coordination of franchise and unit operations; business management; accounting and financial management; hospitality transportation and logistics; and hospitality industry policies and regulations.
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    • Marketing See more schools with programs in Marketing
      • Marketing/Marketing Management
        A program that generally prepares individuals to undertake and manage the process of developing consumer audiences and moving products from producers to consumers. Includes instruction in buyer behavior and dynamics, principle of marketing research, demand analysis, cost-volume and profit relationships, pricing theory, marketing campaign and strategic planning, market segments, advertising methods, sales operations and management, consumer relations, retailing, and applications to specific products and markets.
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  • Communication & Media

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    • Mass Communication/ Media Studies
      A program that focuses on the analysis and criticism of media institutions and media texts, how people experience and understand media content, and the roles of media in producing and transforming culture. Includes instruction in communications regulation, law, and policy; media history; media aesthetics, interpretation, and criticism; the social and cultural effects of mass media; cultural studies; the economics of media industries; visual and media literacy; and the psychology and behavioral aspects of media messages, interpretation, and utilization.
      See more schools with programs in Mass Communication/ Media Studies

  • Education

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    • Teacher Training See more schools with programs in Teacher Training
      • Business Teacher Education
        Learn how to teach to teach vocational business programs at various educational levels.
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      • Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
        A program that prepares individuals to teach physical education programs and/or to coach sports at various educational levels.
        See more schools with programs in Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
      • Trade and Industrial Teacher Education
        A program that prepares individuals to teach specific vocational trades and industries programs at various educational levels.
        See more schools with programs in Trade and Industrial Teacher Education

  • Engineering

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    • Manufacturing Engineering
      A program that prepares individuals to apply scientific and mathematical principles to the design, development, and implementation of manufacturing systems. Includes instruction in materials science and engineering, manufacturing processes, process engineering, assembly and product engineering, manufacturing systems design, and manufacturing competitiveness.
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  • Family and Consumer Science Professions

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  • Interdisciplinary Studies

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    • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies
      Any instructional program that is derived from two or more distinct programs to provide a cross-cutting focus on a subject concentration that is not subsumed under a single discipline or occupational field.
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  • Life Science

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    • Biology See more schools with programs in Biology
      • Biology/Biological Sciences
        Students in this program study general biology at an introductory level. This major provides students with a broad overview of biology and includes instruction in general biology and programs covering a variety of biological specializations.
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  • Mathematics and Statistics

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    • General Mathematics
      A general program that focuses on the analysis of quantities, magnitudes, forms, and their relationships, using symbolic logic and language. Includes instruction in algebra, calculus, functional analysis, geometry, number theory, logic, topology and other mathematical specializations.
      See more schools with programs in General Mathematics

  • Natural Sciences

    See more schools with programs in Natural Sciences
    • Chemistry See more schools with programs in Chemistry
      • General Chemistry
        A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the composition and behavior of matter, including its micro- and macro-structure, the processes of chemical change, and the theoretical description and laboratory simulation of these phenomena.
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    • Physics See more schools with programs in Physics
      • General Physics
        A general program that focuses on the scientific study of matter and energy, and the formulation and testing of the laws governing the behavior of the matter-energy continuum. Includes instruction in classical and modern physics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, mechanics, wave properties, nuclear processes, relativity and quantum theory, quantitative methods, and laboratory methods.
        See more schools with programs in General Physics

  • Security and Protective Service Careers

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    • Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
      A program that focuses on the criminal justice system, its organizational components and processes, and its legal and public policy contexts. Includes instruction in criminal law and policy, police and correctional systems organization, the administration of justice and the judiciary, and public attitudes regarding criminal justice issues.
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  • Social Sciences

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    • International Relations and Affairs See more schools with programs in International Relations and Affairs
      • General Political Science and Government
        A general program that focuses on the systematic study of political institutions and behavior. Includes instruction in political philosophy, political theory, comparative government and politics, political parties and interest groups, public opinion, political research methods, studies of the government and politics of specific countries, and studies 0f specific political institutions and processes.
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    • Psychology See more schools with programs in Psychology
      • General Psychology
        A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods.
        See more schools with programs in General Psychology
    • Sociology See more schools with programs in Sociology
      • Sociology
        A program that focuses on the systematic study of human social institutions and social relationships. Includes instruction in social theory, sociological research methods, social organization and structure, social stratification and hierarchies, dynamics of social change, family structures, social deviance and control, and applications to the study of specific social groups, social institutions, and social problems.
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  • Social Work

    See more schools with programs in Social Work
    • Public Administration
      A program that prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state, and federal government; and that focuses on the systematic study of executive organization and management. Includes instruction in the roles, development, and principles of public administration; the management of public policy; executive-legislative relations; public budgetary processes and financial management; administrative law; public personnel management; professional ethics; and research methods.
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  • Technician Careers

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  • Technology

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    • Information Systems Operation and Management See more schools with programs in Information Systems Operation and Management
      • General Computer Science
        A general program that focuses on computers, computing problems and solutions, and the design of computer systems and user interfaces from a scientific perspective. Includes instruction in the principles of computational science, and computing theory; computer hardware design; computer development and programming; and applications to a variety of end-use situations.
        See more schools with programs in General Computer Science
    • Software Development See more schools with programs in Software Development
      • Information Technology
        A program that focuses on the design of technological information systems, including computing systems, as solutions to business and research data and communications support needs. Includes instruction in the principles of computer hardware and software components, algorithms, databases, telecommunications, user tactics, application testing, and human interface design.
        See more schools with programs in Information Technology

Master's Level Programs

  • Arts & Humanities

    See more schools with programs in Arts & Humanities
    • English Language and Literature See more schools with programs in English Language and Literature
      • English Language and Literature
        A general program that focuses on the English language, including its history, structure and related communications skills; and the literature and culture of English-speaking peoples.
        See more schools with programs in English Language and Literature
    • History See more schools with programs in History
      • History
        A program that focuses on the general study and interpretation of the past, including the gathering, recording, synthesizing and criticizing of evidence and theories about past events. Includes instruction in historiography; historical research methods; studies of specific periods, issues and cultures; and applications to areas such as historic preservation, public policy, and records administration.
        See more schools with programs in History

  • Business

    See more schools with programs in Business
    • Business/Managerial Economics
      Learn to apply the power of economics principles to the analysis of the organization and operation of business enterprises. Students complete courses in monetary theory, banking and financial systems, theory of competition, pricing theory, wage and salary/incentive theory, analysis of markets, and applications of econometrics and quantitative methods to the study of particular businesses and business problems.
      See more schools with programs in Business/Managerial Economics

  • Education

    See more schools with programs in Education
    • Education Administration See more schools with programs in Education Administration
      • Educational Leadership and Administration
        A program that focuses on the general principles and techniques of administering a wide variety of schools and other educational organizations and facilities, supervising educational personnel at the school or staff level, and that may prepare individuals as general administrators and supervisors.
        See more schools with programs in Educational Leadership and Administration
    • General Education See more schools with programs in General Education
      • Curriculum and Instruction
        A program that focuses on the curriculum and related instructional processes and tools, and that may prepare individuals to serve as professional curriculum specialists. Includes instruction in curriculum theory, curriculum design and planning, instructional material design and evaluation, curriculum evaluation, and applications to specific subject matter, programs or educational levels.
        See more schools with programs in Curriculum and Instruction
    • Teacher Training See more schools with programs in Teacher Training
      • Trade and Industrial Teacher Education
        A program that prepares individuals to teach specific vocational trades and industries programs at various educational levels.
        See more schools with programs in Trade and Industrial Teacher Education

  • Health & Medical Services

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    • Mental & Social Health Services See more schools with programs in Mental & Social Health Services
      • Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
        A program that prepares individuals to apply the theory and principles of guidance and counseling to the provision of support for the personal, social, educational, and vocational development of students, and the organizing of guidance services within elementary, middle and secondary educational institutions. Includes instruction in legal and professional requirements, therapeutic counselor intervention, vocational counseling, and related sociological and psychological foundations.
        See more schools with programs in Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services

  • Life Science

    See more schools with programs in Life Science
    • Biology See more schools with programs in Biology
      • Biology/Biological Sciences
        Students in this program study general biology at an introductory level. This major provides students with a broad overview of biology and includes instruction in general biology and programs covering a variety of biological specializations.
        See more schools with programs in Biology/Biological Sciences

  • Mathematics and Statistics

    See more schools with programs in Mathematics and Statistics
    • General Mathematics
      A general program that focuses on the analysis of quantities, magnitudes, forms, and their relationships, using symbolic logic and language. Includes instruction in algebra, calculus, functional analysis, geometry, number theory, logic, topology and other mathematical specializations.
      See more schools with programs in General Mathematics

  • Natural Sciences

    See more schools with programs in Natural Sciences
    • Physics See more schools with programs in Physics
      • General Physics
        A general program that focuses on the scientific study of matter and energy, and the formulation and testing of the laws governing the behavior of the matter-energy continuum. Includes instruction in classical and modern physics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, mechanics, wave properties, nuclear processes, relativity and quantum theory, quantitative methods, and laboratory methods.
        See more schools with programs in General Physics

  • Social Sciences

    See more schools with programs in Social Sciences
    • Psychology See more schools with programs in Psychology
      • General Psychology
        A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods.
        See more schools with programs in General Psychology

Students

General

Full-Time vs. Part-Time
Full-Time 99%
Part-Time 1%
Men vs. Women
Women 65%
Men 35%
Race/Ethnicity
African-American 93%
Caucasian 4%
Other 3%
Hispanic 0%
Asian 0%

Geography

In State vs. Out-of-State
In-State 59%
Out-of-State 41%
Top States for Incoming Freshman
Virginia 59%
New York 9%
Maryland 6%
New Jersey 5%
District of Columbia 4%
Percent of Students International: 0%

Housing

On-Campus Housing Available: Yes
Percent of Students Living On-Campus: 45%
Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: Yes

Athletics

Member of: NAA, NCAA
Sports Include: Football (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Assoc)
Basketball (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Assoc)
Baseball (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Assoc)
Track (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Assoc)
Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) In-State Out-of-State  
Published Tuition and Fees:
 $ 4,834 $ 12,046  
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads:
 $ 2,317 $ 9,471  
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads:
 $ 2,517 $ 2,574  
Financial Aid Avg. Amount Received % of Students Receiving Aid  
Federal Grants:
 $ 2,873 75%  
State and Local Grants:
 $ 3,428 37%  
Institutional Grants:
 $ 2,602 24%  
Student Loans:
 $ 3,330 86%  
Any Aid:
   97%  

Selectivity (Undergraduate Only)

Acceptance Rate: 64% (Selective)
Test Scores  
SAT Scores:  
% of Students Submitting SAT Scores: 95%
Bottom 25th Percentile: Verbal: 380, Math: 370
Top 75th Percentile: Verbal: 460, Math: 460

Application Requirements (Undergraduate Only)

Application Fee: $ 25.00
Formal Demonstration of Competencies: Not Required
High School Diploma or Equivalent: Recommended
High School GPA: Required
High School Rank: Recommended
High School Record: Required
Recommendations: Required
TOEFL: Required
Test Scores: Required

College Advice

Yahoo
inNeedofHelp
inNeedo...

Question: How hard is it to attain in-state Virginia residency from University of Virginia?

I applied and got accepted into UVa, but I live out of state. The in-state tuition is about 20,000 less, so I'm considering going and changing to Virginia residency in my sophomore year to save some money. Has anyone attempted this process or have some knowledge of how difficult it would be? Is there a specific number of hours one has to work to demonstrate commitment?
10 months ago
thewindtwister
thewi...

Best Answer

To gain residency has nothing to do with the school. In order to gain residency in VA you have to get a driver's license and register to vote. Paying taxes, registering a vehicle, obtaining a bill (like a cell phone bill) using your dorm address would all help towards establishing the fact that you intend to be a resident. You have to have this for a year, however, so the day that you touch down in Virginia run to the Charlottesville DMV and transfer over your driver's license and register to vote. This way, by the time next year rolls around you can fill out the form for in state tuition consideration and see a significant decrease in the amount of money you'll be paying out. Good luck and have fun at UVA :)
Balla
Balla

Question: What school is better to play basketball at Benedict College or West Virginia State University?

For like to play basketball which school is better...Both are divison 2 schools. So which one would you pick?
38 months ago
Allie M
Allie M

Best Answer

I would pick West Virginia State because it has a better athletic history and you would have a better chance of getting noticed by D1 schools in case you wanted to transfer.
Collin
Collin

Question: Does anyone know how far the beach is from Virginia State University?

41 months ago
Goingslo
Goingslo

Best Answer

From Virginia State University go East on US 460 for 2 hours and you'll reach Virginia Beach. About 120 miles.

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