Berglund Seminar Series

Named after one of our previous Honors Directors, Dr. John Berglund, the Berglund Seminar Series was created to bring a wide array of intellectual scholarship from VCU faculty to Honors students. While the series still brings in VCU faculty and their expertise, it has evolved to focus on community leaders and partners in RVA so as to help inform our students about pressing issues that the RVA community faces. 

Berglund Seminars address four main goals:

• Inform students about recent intellectual scholarship from various disciplines as well as critical issues facing RVA.
• Interact with current VCU researchers.
• Engage our students with RVA leaders and community partners.
• Enhance our students' overall experience in the Honors College.

Diverse Conversations

The purpose of the Diverse Conversation series is to generate meaningful discussions and debates outside of the classroom on topical (and sometimes controversial) subjects. Our Diverse Conversations are designed to bring a small group of students (10-15) together to engage in conversation around topics of diversity and inclusion specifically. In contrast, the aforementioned Berglund Seminars can be on a variety of topics and are open to the public.

The Diverse Conversation format will be less of a traditional lecture and more of a seminar event, where students will be able to participate and ask questions throughout the event. These events should help students learn more about these critical issues within diversity and inclusoin and start critical thinking about how to address them.

The Honors College, in partnership with VCU Career Services, offers a series of guidance sessions to help students plan for their post-graduation future. These events – which include refreshments – are tailored to Honors students and are also open to all undergraduates.

Honors students are encouraged to give back to their community through community service. Students take advantage of options provided through the Honors College but also create their own opportunities to give back to the community.

If you are looking for somewhere to volunteer, HandsOn Greater Richmond is the perfect place to start, with listings for one-time to more regularly scheduled opportunities.

Learn more about the National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR).

Learn more about the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP).

Learn more about the Virginias Collegiate Honors Council (VCHC).

Honors students are expected to be actively engaged in the Honors College and throughout the University and the Richmond community. The Honors College provides many ideas about ways to engage, but students also have the opportunity to define their engagement experience. Honors engagement is the key to receiving the highest consideration for Honors-designated scholarships, study abroad, internships, events with alumni, the Honors Summer Undergraduate Research Program and other special opportunities. Engagement is categorized into four areas: academic enhancement, research & inquiry, leadership & development, and community engagement. 

The Honors College wants to enrich our students' experience by providing experiential learning opportunities. Internship opportunities allow for real-world experience to be gained in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. Internships are now fundamental opportunities to help students explore career areas, but also allow them to perform higher-level tasks in the workplace. More and more, internships are almost all but essential for many future employment opportunities for students after graduation.

If you are considering an internship for Honors credit, please read through the corresponding internship information.

Additionally, check out our Honors internships page to learn more about previous interns' experiences and our internship employers.

Honors students get hands-on research experience with faculty mentors, including opportunities to participate in the Honors College’s Freshman Research Institute and the Honors Summer Undergraduate Research Program. Our students are encouraged to present their research on and off campus, including at professional conferences. VCU Honors College students are heavily represented at the annual National Council on Undergraduate Research Conference.

Due to COVID-19, the status of the following research programs is still under review for 2020-2021. Please check back for updates on each program.

Learn more about Freshman Research Institute.

Learn more about HSURP. Access the application at the Honors application portal.

Learn more about undergraduate research opportunities through VCU.

Learn more about research opportunities beyond VCU.

Learn more about Honors Research Ready-Institute for Women's Health. Access the application through the Honors Research Ready-IHW Google Form.

The Honors College strongly encourages its students to study abroad. Honors students are eligible to participate in the full range of study-abroad programs offered by VCU and many programs offered outside of the university. In addition, the Honors College has created its own study-abroad programs that are only offered to our students. Over the last two years, the Honors College has offered opportunities for its students to study in Spain, Italy, Bolivia and Northern Ireland.

Students who study abroad in a regular semester (fall or spring) may earn three credits towards the requirements for graduating with University Honors. The credits are not attached to a given course, but rather are awarded for completion of activities related to the study-abroad experience as listed below.The three credits will count towards your Courses of Intention requirement. Before traveling abroad, students must inform the Honors College of their travel plans [Google form] and their interest in receiving three credits towards the requirements for graduating with University Honors.

• Develop, maintain and publish a blog during the study-abroad experience. Entries should be extensive and include photographs. Blogs must be updated no less than twice a month.
• Complete a three-to-five-page paper in which you compare and contrast the educational system in your host country with the U.S. educational system.
• Complete a 15-20-minute presentation during the Honors College Study Abroad Fair or other approved event the semester after you return to Richmond. Your presentation should include educational, cultural, and social experiences in your international location; a comparison of your international campus & campus life and VCU’s campus & campus life; and images that reflect your experiences of both the places you visited and the people you met. (You may use PowerPoint, Prezi, etc.)

Students must meet with their Honors advisor prior to their study-abroad experience to discuss these requirements. When you return to Richmond, make an appointment to meet with the Honors College Academic Affairs Coordinator, Jared Johnson, to submit your materials and plan your presentation.

The Honors College provides support for our students who present their research at regional, national and international academic meetings. Participation at these conferences provides an opportunity for you to communicate your research to others in your field, network with undergraduate researchers and faculty, and expand your understanding of your field of research. To be eligible for a travel grant, you must present your research in either a poster or oral presentation, your name must appear in the conference abstract or proceedings, and VCU and the Honors College must be acknowledged.

Review the Honors College’s helpful student travel guidelines. To apply for travel support, submit this Honors College Student Travel Grant Application.

Effective February 27, 2020, all travel funds have been allocated for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester.

Located within the Honors College, VCU's National Scholarship Office recruits and prepares Honors students (and others) who are applying for (inter)nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships. Many of these awards will help Honors students and recent alumni pursue opportunities to study abroad or attend graduate school.

The Honors College supports VCU Votes! Learn more about VCU Votes.