Virginia Commonwealth University

The Virginia Commonwealth Institution, more often referred to as VCU, is a public research university located in Richmond. VCU was established in 1838 inside Hampden–Sydney College as a medical department. In 1854, it transitioned into its current identity as the Medical College of Virginia. MCV and the Richmond Professional Institute, which had been established in 1917, were united in 1968 by the Virginia General Assembly to become what is now known as Virginia Commonwealth University. More than 31,000 students participated in VCU's 217 degree and certificate programmes in 2018, which were offered throughout the university's 11 schools and three colleges. Missions of the university to educate medical professionals, conduct research, and provide patient care are all supported by the VCU Health System.

The university is categorised as a "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" institution due to its record-breaking $310 million in sponsored research funds received in the fiscal year 2019. The research mission of the university is supported by a wide variety of centres and institutes of excellence that have been approved by the university. These centres and institutes involve faculty members from multiple fields, such as the humanities, public policy, biotechnology, and health care discoveries. U.S. News & World Report has recognised the graduate and first-professional programmes of twenty-eight different schools as being among the finest in the nation. The VCU Rams are the collective name for all of the university's sporting teams, all of which participate in Division I of the NCAA. They are affiliated with the Atlantic Ten Conference as members. There are many historic structures on the VCU campus, such as the Ginter House, which is now used by the school's provost.

When the Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College first opened its doors in Richmond in 1838, the beginning of VCU's tale was written. In 1844, it relocated to its first location that would be considered permanent, the Egyptian Building. The Medical College of Virginia was established in 1854 when the Virginia General Assembly granted an independent charter to the Medical Department of Hampden–Sydney College. At that time, it was known as the Medical College of Virginia (MCV). A few years later, in 1860, the MCV sold all of its property to the Commonwealth of Virginia in return for the sum of $30,000, at which point it became an institution of the state.

The primary campuses of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia are the Monroe Park Campus, which can be found to the west of downtown Richmond, and the MCV Campus. At addition, Virginia Commonwealth University has various buildings located around the area, as well as a satellite campus in Education City, which is located in Doha, Qatar.