Admissions

Admission Requirements

Acceptance into our graduate program is based on the applicant's undergraduate record, personal statement and letters of recommendations. In addition, foreign applicants have to submit a valid Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or International Benchmark Test score. A TOEFL score of 250/300 (computer-based), 600/660 (paper-based), or 100/120 (iBT), or an IELTS score of 6.5 is required for admission with financial aid. Applications that do not meet this score requirement may still be reviewed, and accepted students would only be formally admitted into the graduate program after successfully completing the English Language Proficiency program, on-site, at Virginia Commonwealth University. The  English Proficiency course does not qualify for financial aid (see below) and will be at the expense of the applicant.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are optional. Documents that can support your application, such as research articles published in journals (citation or PDF), will greatly aid your candidature. Your personal statement is very important as it reflects your personality, your interests/goals and helps us find your best fit in our program.

Application Submission

When filling the application form, add "Med Chem" under either "Concentration"/"Specialization" column to ensure that your application will be directed to the Medicinal Chemistry admission team.

Graduate program applications for the fall 2023 class will be reviewed as they are completed and submitted for review. Due to the stringent curriculum of our program, we highly recommend that the student starts their study from the fall semester. The department does not provide stipend support for M.S. students, although a research laboratory/advisor may choose to offer financial support to qualified and deserving M.S. students.

Applications should be completed online on the VCU graduate and professional applicant page. Detailed information and instructions can be found from the VCU Global Education Office. Ask the ETS to send your GRE/TOEFL/IELTS scores to International Admissions, VCU (VCU code 5570, Department Code not necessary). International students who have studied outside of the U.S. must provide an official course-by-course external credential evaluated transcripts as a required part of the admission process. Professional evaluators recognized by VCU include World Education Services (WES), etc. see the online instruction for others.

Faculty Accepting Students

The following faculty members may accept students for the upcoming admissions cycle. For more information, please contact them directly.

Departmental Contacts

Martin Safo, Ph.D.
(804) 828-7291
PharMEDCAdmit@vcu.edu

Umesh Desai, Ph.D.
Chair, Department of Medicinal Chemistry
urdesai@vcu.edu

Shijun Zhang, Ph.D.
Graduate Program Director, Department of Medicinal Chemistry
szhang2@vcu.edu