Institution Overview

Organization & Accreditation

Five academic schools and two coordinate colleges form the University of Richmond, with authority and responsibility vested legally in the Board of Trustees and the president of the University. The several colleges and schools award no degrees individually, but all degrees for work done in any one of them are conferred by the University of Richmond.

The University enrolls approximately 2,900 full-time undergraduates, 92 percent of whom live on campus; 600 full-time law and graduate students; and 1,300 part-time students, largely from Richmond and the surrounding community.

SACSCOC Accreditation

The University of Richmond is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, and juris doctor degrees. Contact SACSCOC at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of the University of Richmond.

To request a copy of our letter of accreditation, contact: Office of Institutional Effectiveness, 118 UR Drive, University of Richmond, VA  23173; Phone: (804) 484-1595; FAX (804) 484-1596.

Virginia State Board of Education

The University also is approved by the Virginia State Board of Education to offer teacher licensure programs.

Teacher Education Accreditation Council Accreditation

The University of Richmond’s undergraduate teacher preparation programs and the graduate certificate in teacher licensure program are accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council.

Environment & History

The University of Richmond campus consists of about 50 major buildings of Collegiate Gothic architectural style set amid 350 acres of lawns, lake, and woodlands. The beautiful and harmonious setting has been recognized nationally by college guides. Richmond’s history began almost two centuries ago with Richmond College, founded in 1830 by Virginia Baptists as a college of liberal arts and sciences for men. Around this nucleus were established the T.C. Williams School of Law (1870); Westhampton College, a college of liberal arts and sciences for women (1914); the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, for advanced study in the liberal arts and sciences (1921-2009); the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business, for undergraduate and graduate study in business (1949); University College, now known as the School of Professional and Continuing Studies, for evening, summer, and continuing education (1962); and the Jepson School of Leadership Studies, the first school of leadership studies in the United States (1992). In 1992, the academic missions of Richmond College and Westhampton College were combined in a separate school, the School of Arts and Sciences. Richmond College and Westhampton College are the coordinate colleges for men and women respectively, providing special programming and leadership opportunities in student life.

Richmond benefits from a heritage of ethical and religious values, a residential character, and a commitment to liberal and general education through intimate schools and colleges joined into a substantial whole.

Professional & Continuing Studies

The origin of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies may be traced back to 1920 when the department of economics of Richmond College was formed, eventually to become the department of economics and applied economics. In 1924 the Evening School of Business Administration was organized as a separate division of the University of Richmond. In 1949 the department of economics and applied economics in Richmond College was combined with the Evening School of Business Administration with both day and evening classes. In 1962 the Evening Division was separated from the School of Business Administration to form the nucleus of University College. From 1964 until 1974, University College offered a full-time freshman and sophomore day liberal arts program in addition to its full Evening School program.

On July 1, 1974, the Summer School, founded in 1920, became part of University College. In keeping with the University's tradition of residential colleges and academic schools, University College became the School of Continuing Studies in October 1994. In 2012 the name changed to reflect the professional character of its student body to become the School of Professional and Continuing Studies.

Through its degree programs, the School of Professional and Continuing Studies offers master's and bachelor's degrees; undergraduate and graduate certificates; undergraduate minors; and a variety of individual courses to meet the educational, professional and personal growth needs of adults in the metropolitan Richmond area and beyond. The School of Professional and Continuing Studies shares in the tradition of the University of Richmond. It is through the non-traditional educational opportunities of the School that the University offers its strengths and resources to the Richmond area community.