Admissions

Our application deadlines are January 15, March 15, and June 15, 2023. We encourage you to submit your application up to a week before the deadline to ensure that all components are submitted to be considered by the given deadline. Applications received after March 16, 2023, will be reviewed as they are submitted. Please note that students who apply after March 16 are not eligible to apply for scholarships.

Applications received by our January or March deadlines are eligible for scholarship consideration. Those who apply after March 15 will not be able to apply for Brandcenter scholarships.

Aside from scholarship consideration, decisions are reviewed along the deadline by which they are received. If you apply by January or March, you will receive a decision 6-8 weeks after the deadline. If you apply between March 16 and June 15, your application will be reviewed once your application is complete. Decisions will be sent 3-4 weeks  after your application is received. Our rolling deadline is primarily for people who may have missed our earlier two deadlines but would like to be considered for admission.

If admitted, you will have the opportunity to engage in meet and greet and other coordinated admitted student activities. Additionally, if you apply for scholarships, you will receive your decision about financial support from the Brandcenter with your admissions decision.

Our rolling deadline is primarily for people who may have missed the other two deadlines but would like to be considered for admission. Applications received after June 15 will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with no consideration for Brandcenter scholarships.

If you submit and complete your application by the January 15 or March 15 deadlines, you will receive a decision about 6-8 weeks after that application deadline. Applications received between March 16 and June 15 will receive an admission decision 3-4 weeks after the application is completed.

You are welcome to submit your application past the deadline, but a decision is not guaranteed to be made on your application by our 6-8 week turnaround. Note that if you complete your application after the early decision deadline and before the regular decision deadline, you will be considered for the regular decision deadline. Any applications received after March 15 will be reviewed on a rolling basis through June 15, 2023. 

All applicants are eligible to apply for scholarships through March 15, 2023.

Your application is considered complete when you have submitted both the VCU Graduate School application as well as the Brandcenter application.

You can view Brandcenter application prompts here.

No. You must respond to application prompts in the online Brandcenter supplemental application. Each question will have a specified response type, i.e. enter text, upload an image, etc.

You can, however, include links to additional sites or extra work, if you’d like. Make sure that you provide us with the URL in your online application.

We only require unofficial transcripts for our application review process.* Upon admission to the Brandcenter, you will need to send us your official transcripts with your final coursework and degree listed.

*Any applicants who have studied outside of the U.S. must provide an official course-by-course external credential evaluation in addition to their transcripts as a required part of the admission process. Please visit International Admissions and click on "foreign transcripts" for more information and a list of evaluators. Contact vcuia@vcu.edu with questions.

No, all application pieces must be submitted through the online application portal. You will receive a link to your Brandcenter Supplemental application via email shortly after you submit your VCU Graduate School application online.

You will only need to provide financial documents if you are admitted and choose to enroll in the program. For more questions about what financial information is required once you are accepted, view the VCU International Admissions page.

If you are placed on the waiting list, we will notify you via email should a spot in the incoming class become available on a rolling basis.

The course load for Brandcenter students is prescribed; as such, students are unable to take additional courses or be enrolled in concurrent programs, either at Brandcenter, VCU, or elsewhere, during their time in our program.

As for concentration changes, exceptions may be allowed in very limited circumstances and within a specific timeframe. As a part of the application process, you are answering prompts specific to one concentration, which are reviewed by faculty within that concentration, and accepted on the premise of your strength to join the concentration you chose.

We have a transfer policy for Brandcenter students that covers the parameters related to a concentration change, which must be done by the end of the add/drop period following the start of your first semester. We also have a class audit policy, if you are interested and eligible, you may be permitted to audit a certain course outside of your degree requirements. More info about both the transfer and audit policies, and timeline related to each, will be available at Orientation. These policies can also be viewed in our Student Handbook, which is available at bit.ly/bc_Handbook