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Our graduates are going places.

Life at VCU

After VCU

 
Access the latest plans for VCU’s phased return to campus

A college education is one of the most valuable investments you can make.

According to one study, a bachelor’s degree is worth $2.8 million on average over a lifetime.

And a Virginia Commonwealth University education? It gives you a head start at putting your passions to work and loading up your resume long before you graduate. 

Where will a VCU degree take you?

One year after graduating, here’s how VCU alumni are doing*:

86 percent of graduates were employed or enrolled in graduate school 
83 percent of graduates found jobs related to their major
82 percent of undergraduate alumni felt prepared to solve problems creatively and innovatively
90 percent of undergraduate alumni felt ready to apply knowledge, ideas or perspectives from their field
93 percent of undergraduate alumni felt able to get along with people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives

*Results from survey of the Class of 2015

Top 5 employment sectors

Health care
Retail
IT
Education
Nonprofit

Career launchpad

Finding a job is stressful. Let Career Services be your secret weapon. Personal advisers help students search for jobs and internships, develop their resumes, practice for interviews, develop grad school admissions essays and more. For free. And the help doesn’t stop when you graduate — many services are available to alumni, too.

Explore Career Services

Quick Facts

13 career fairs on campus each year

40+ alumni chapters 

199,158 alumni 

Notable alumni

  • David Baldacci [View Image]

    Careers in literature

    David Baldacci

    Author

    Since graduating in 1983 with a bachelor’s in political science from the College of Humanities and Sciences, David Baldacci has become a familiar name on bookshelves around the world. The author of 38 best-selling novels, he is best-known for his thrillers but has recently written several fantasy novels for young adults.

  • Woman holding basketball [View Image]

    Careers In Marketing

    Pamela El

    Chief marketing officer, NBA

    Before she was in charge of the NBA’s marketing, branding and advertising, Pamela El, who earned her bachelor’s in mass communications in 1983, held leadership roles at Nationwide Insurance and State Farm Insurance. She has been named to Advertising Age’s 100 Most Influential Women in Advertising and also to Forbes’ top 25 Most Influential Minorities in Sports lists.

  • Doctor wearing white coat [View Image]

    Careers In Medicine

    Eduardo Rodriguez

    Surgeon, NYU Langone Medical Center, and chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery, NYU

    Eduardo Rodriguez earned his M.D. from VCU in 1999 and is now one of the world’s leading face transplantation surgeons. In August 2015, Rodriguez, who also holds a D.D.S. from NYU, led a team at the NYU Langone Medical Center that completed the most extensive face transplant ever.

  • Jon Roberts [View Image]

    Careers in public health

    Jon Roberts

    Chief operating officer, CVS Health

    Since earning his B.S. from VCU’s School of Pharmacy in 1979, Jon Roberts has spent the majority of his career in executive positions at CVS, landing his current role in 2017. Charged with overseeing operations of CVS Caremark and CVS Pharmacy, Roberts also oversees information technology and all pharmaceutical procurement functions for the company.

  • Marilyn Tavenner [View Image]

    Careers in public health

    Marilyn Tavenner

    President/CEO, America’s Health Insurance Plans

    After starting her career as a nurse at a local Richmond hospital, Marilyn Tavenner eventually became its CEO and went on to serve as administrator of Medicare and Medicaid under former President Barrack Obama during the rollout of the Affordable Care Act before becoming the leader of AHIP, a national association of health insurance providers. She earned both her bachelor’s in nursing and master’s in health administration from VCU.

One year out

What are some of our students doing a year after they graduate? Oh, you know, nothing much; just getting paid to do what they love. And making the world a better place in the process. 

Man wearing polka dot shirt [View Image]

Careers in Design

Michael Walker (B.A. '16)

Visual digital designer, Mercer

Michael, a graphic design major and Honors College student, was able to spend a semester at VCU’s campus in Qatar, where he interned at an advertising agency. Studying abroad gave him the courage to chase his dreams and move to New York after graduating, where he quickly got a job doing user interface and user experience design at Mercer, the world’s largest human resources consulting firm.

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Careers in Health care

Indira Miller (B.S. '17)

Registered nursing assistant, VCU Health

While she was completing her bachelor’s in nursing, Indira — a two-time recipient of the Whitehead Scholarship and the MCV Hospitals Auxiliary Nursing Scholarship — had the chance to work with patients and even go on a ride-along with VCU LifeEvac. These experiences helped prepare her for her current job, where she works with critically injured patients in the VCU Medical Center’s Surgical Trauma ICU.

Kaitlin Savage sitting outside [View Image]

Careers in Sustainability

Kaitlin Savage (B.S. '17)

Renewable energy consultant, Virginia Solar

A double-major in environmental studies and urban and regional planning, Kaitlin worked closely with faculty mentors while studying urban heat islands and learning how to use spatial analysis tools. Her interdisciplinary approach paid off, landing her an internship at Virginia Solar that led to a full-time position. Since graduating, she’s also started a consulting firm called Sol Vis LLC.

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Careers in the Arts

Levester Williams (M.F.A. '16)

Fulbright Scholar

After completing his M.F.A. with a concentration in sculpture and extended media, Levester worked with VCU’s National Scholarship Office to apply for a Fulbright research grant that allowed him to travel to Johannesburg, South Africa. There he used found objects to create sculptures, installations and works on paper that reflect the contemporary urban experience and the transformation of Johannesburg into a post-apartheid city.

Pamela Gonzalez with ivy in background [View Image]

Careers in Nonprofits

Pamela Gonzalez (B.A. '16)

Administrative assistant to the executive director, Latin Ballet of Virginia

While double-majoring in Spanish and international studies with a concentration in social justice, Pamela also took on leadership roles for two student organizations. The skills she learned have helped her with the community development side of her job with the Latin Ballet, where she helps with calendar planning, marketing, collaborating with local businesses and translating the website into Spanish.

Ellen Korcovelos playing ice hockey [View Image]

Careers in Science

Ellen Korcovelos (B.S. '16)

Fulbright Scholar

Ellen, a bioinformatics major and computer science minor, focused her studies on dementia. During her senior year, she worked with VCU’s National Scholarship Office and a faculty mentor to apply for a Fulbright research grant that allowed her to travel to Toronto after graduation. She worked with a renowned researcher there on developing a computer algorithm that identifies speech irregularities in dementia patients.

Ram for life

VCU’s alumni network is more than 188,000 strong and it spans the globe. Make it work for you.

Visit the VCU Alumni website

As I went on residency interviews and met candidates from other schools, I realized how lucky I am to be at a school that supports all of my interests.

Suzanne Giunta, M.D., 2016

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Ready to be a Ram?

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