Current Students
If you are a current student, this page is just for you. Explore the information and resources available below to help you make the most of your time at VCU's Robertson School.
Popular Pages
Review the Faculty Directory
Get to know the faculty teaching courses for VCU's Robertson School.
Explore Scholarships and Awards
Review scholarships and awards available to undergraduate students through the Robertson School.
Discover Real-World Learning
Learn about internships, student organizations, and capstone and service-learning courses available to you as an undergraduate student.
Browse Careers
Find out more about career opportunities in advertising, communications, journalism, media production and public relations.
Academic Advising
Robertson School advising staff help mass communication majors, minors and graduate students navigate their programs and university requirements necessary for graduation. Advisers are for assistance only. Ultimately, students are responsible for keeping track of and meeting all the requirements of the school and university, as well as staying informed about procedural changes.
Advisers are available during the fall and spring semesters, with limited availability in summer, to assist you with advising needs. Find your adviser below by concentration, and when you're ready to request an appointment, follow the instructions in Navigate.
Undergraduate advising
Journalism and Public Relations
Undergraduate advising
Media Production and Public Relations
Undergraduate advising
Creative and Strategic Advertising
Graduate program advising and information
Integrated Communication, Media Leadership and Certificate in Media and Leadership
Veronica Garabelli
T. Edward Temple Building, 901 W. Main St., room 1114
garabelliva@vcu.edu
I need help with ...
University Academic Advising provides advising to all first-year mass communications foundation students. University Academic Advising is located on the Monroe Park campus at 900 Park Avenue.
Undergraduate students beyond their first year are advised by staff at the Robertson School. Graduate students have a dedicated Robertson School adviser too. Find your adviser.
Please schedule an appointment through Navigate, and choose the adviser who represents your mass communications concentration.
All mass communications students beyond their freshman year should meet an advising representative in the Robertson School. It is highly recommended students meet with an adviser at least once per semester until graduation.
Please review the following points about the Robertson School override policy before contacting us.
- Majors and minors need to meet enrollment requirements as described in the VCU Bulletin to enroll in a mass communications course. There are no exceptions for prerequisite or GPA waivers. Professors are unable to issue overrides. Students must submit an override request form. Please note that emailed requests will not be processed. Furthermore, VCU policy prohibits students from attending classes that they are not enrolled in.
- Because of classroom space and pedagogical reasons, overrides are not issued to closed sections, particularly when seats remain open in another section. Since size overrides are not issued for closed classes, students need to check the VCU schedule regularly for openings until the add/drop period ends. Furthermore, overrides will not be issued for reasons of convenience such as living arrangements, preferred times, professor preference or work schedule.
Natasha J. Long, coordinator of student services for the Robertson School, is the primary contact for students seeking an override into a MASC course.
The Robertson School's Undergraduate Studies Committee reviews appeals regarding certain requirements including the prerequisites for taking a course, entering a sequence or for graduating with a mass communications degree.
If you're thinking of changing your major to mass communications, we encourage you to give it a lot of thought and research. Learn more about changing your major to mass communications and selecting one of the degree's concentrations in advertising, journalism, media production or public relations.
Career Advising
In the Robertson School's student service center, Maggie McDearmon is our dedicated career development adviser who coordinates internships and activities like resume workshops and job fairs to help undergraduate students brand themselves as polished, young professionals ready to start making a difference.
Student Services
In our student services center, Natasha is our go-to resource for navigating the university's inner workings. She manages course enrollment, handles complex student issues, and coordinates graduation applications to ensure that every student stays on track, clears the administrative hurdles, and crosses the finish line on time.
Quick Links
Undergraduate
- Student resources
- Technical standards
- Declare a Robertson School major or minor
- See graduation requirements
- Submit the graduation application
In addition, the College of Humanities and Sciences Current Student page offers further information about how to withdraw from a class, appeal a grade, see graduation requirements, etc.
Diversity Resources
The Robertson School is committed to diversity in all aspects of its program. Explore the following diversity resources.
- The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ)
- The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ)
- The Native American Journalists Association (NAJA)
- The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA)
- The Association for Women Journalists (AWJ)
- The Poynter Institute
- The Maynard Institute
- The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
- The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)
- The American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As)
- The American Advertising Federation (AAF)
- The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)
- College Scholarships for Asian and Pacific Islander Students from affordablecollegesonline.org