Graduate Student Resources

The Department of Painting + Printmaking is committed to supporting our students, not only in terms of their practice but also in terms of their financial well being. We believe that one of the best ways to prepare an artist for success in their professional practice is to leave them in the best possible financial situation after they earn their degree. We offer a range of support strategies, including Graduate Teaching Assistantships, Graduate Research Grants, Graduate Student Travel Grants, and sponsored residencies with affiliated programs.

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Graduate School Assistantships and Teaching Assistantships

A number of graduate teaching assistantships and fellowships are available to current and incoming graduate students. Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) provide full-tuition waivers and generous stipends in exchange for 15 hours of work per week. GTA assignments include serving as teaching assistants for full-time faculty, teaching independent classes, and providing technical support for the administrative and studio needs of the department—all skills that will aid students in pursuing teaching or other jobs in the arts.

Decisions regarding assistantships are made at the time of acceptance. GTA assignments rotate each semester, and we work with students to match assignments with their interests and skills.

Federal aid

Many students also apply for federal student aid. You must fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To learn more, or to download the FAFSA, please visit the VCU Office of Financial Aid or the FAFSA website. The priority deadline is February 1. Please follow up with our Office of Financial Aid a few weeks after you complete the FAFSA to ensure you are not missing anything.

Research grants

External funding

Independent study

Students considering Independent Studies are encouraged to instead enroll in currently offered PAPR courses to meet their curricular requirements. If a student is having difficulty filling their schedule, they should meet with their advisor to discuss available courses. Independent Study requests must be endorsed by the student’s advisor to ensure all other options have been considered. In most cases, an independent study will only be granted if it is the only option for a student to graduate in the semester that the independent study course is requested.

Please check the VCU Bulletin for the most up to date information regarding curricular requirements.

Overrides

Overrides will not be provided into courses that are full when there are spaces open in other sections of the same class. If all sections are full, students must have the explicit written permission of the instructor as well as the consent of the department to over enroll a full course. These overrides are not guaranteed. We encourage students to check for openings throughout the add/drop period and add the class directly if a space opens up.

Request an override.