Experience our Coastal Edge
Our location is your advantage! Virginia Wesleyan University is located in Coastal Virginia, a diverse and vibrant region rich in history, culture, natural resources, and thriving industry. Virginia Wesleyan is in world-famous Virginia Beach, Virginia, just miles from the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay, and part of a metropolitan region of 1.7 million people.
Want to do undergraduate research?
Undergraduate research is an integral component of the Virginia Wesleyan liberal arts curriculum. Our local waterways offer students many opportunities to address real-life challenges such as tidal erosion and sea turtle rescue. Many of our students study aboard the Ocean Explorer research vessel, owned in partnership with the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center.
Interested in an internship?
Students at Coastal Virginia's Premier University of the Liberal Arts and Sciences are strategically positioned to experience internships and externships with Fortune 500 companies, state and national government agencies, and arts facilities. VWU students have held internships at organizations such as Norfolk Southern, NATO, the FBI, U.S. Marshals, the Environmental Protection Agency, Delouitt Touche, the Virginia Stage Company and The Virginian-Pilot media group. The community has opened its arms to embrace the experiential needs of our students and often these opportunities have led to full-time employment upon graduation.
Excited by the idea of hanging out at the beach?
VWU's location enables students to live near miles of beaches where biking, surfing, fishing and sunbathing are everyday events. Head down to the Virginia Beach oceanfront and walk along the boardwalk, which hosts an array of festivals and concerts featuring famous musicians and bands from Caribbean to country to beach music. Check out the East Coast Surfing Championships, the Neptune Festival, or the North American Sand Soccer Championship, the world's largest single-weekend sand soccer festival.
There is always something exciting to do in Coastal Virginia!
Regardless of your interests, Coastal Virginia is rich with history, culture and entertainment. Our campus is minutes from an outlet mall, the Virginia Zoo, beautiful state parks, Norfolk Botanical Garden and much more. See a Broadway show or a world-premiere opera in downtown Norfolk or walk the cobblestone streets of historic Jamestown and Williamsburg. Participate in year-round waterfront festivals, visit eclectic restaurants and numerous museums. Explore the decks of the USS Wisconsin, the largest and last battleship ever built by the U.S. Navy. Head to the ballpark for a night of baseball - beautiful Harbor Park is the 12,000-seat home of the AAA Norfolk Tides, affiliate to the Baltimore Orioles. Or check out the Norfolk Admirals, the American Hockey League affiliate to the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning at the Norfolk Scope - also home to Arena Racing USA. Coastal Virginia is an environment that gives a new meaning to life and learning beyond the classroom!