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2020-2021

Bachelor of Science: Bioinformatics

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science: Science (Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway))
Brightpoint Community College
Associate degree

Associate of Science: Science

Program description

The bioinformatics curriculum blends foundational courses in biology, math, chemistry and computer science with a core of hands-on, problem-solving bioinformatics courses.  It allows undergraduates an unusual opportunity to learn molecular biology by actually doing it--reading scientific papers, doing "wet-lab" experiments, creating bioinformatics programs, and designing individual and team research investigations.  The program includes the Life Sciences general education, specific training in the collateral coursework and bioinformatics core, and focused training in the chosen concentration.

Career opportunities

Our students learn how to use bioinformatics tools to solve scientific problems through project-based courses.  These experiences mimic what doing molecular/computational science is actually like and provide excellent training for technician-level  jobs (universities, institutes, biotech or IT industry), for training in graduate school or in the health professions.  Students interested in a health profession usually specialize in the Biological/Genomic Concentration.  Some students are interested in working close to the health system, while others are more interested in the programming/data analyst route.  The technical, analytical and communications skills practiced in the program can transfer to other occupations as well.  Students with the MS degree typically have greater opportunities than those with the Bachelor's degree, as the Masters allows the student to gain more relevant skills, content knowledge and project experience.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Agricultural & Food Technician
  • Bioinformatics Technician
  • Biological Data Analyst
  • Biological Technician
  • Clinical Research Associate (CRA)
  • Computational Biologist
  • Computer Programmer
  • Genomic Data Scientist
  • Mathematical Technician
  • Operations Research Analyst
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Biostatistician
  • College Professor
  • Microbiologist
  • Software Developer
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements

Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better

Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
  • MATH 151 or STAT 210
  • MATH 200
Science required
  • 5+ additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.0
VCU Major Maps

View VCU Major Map for Bioinformatics with concentration in Biological/Genomic Sciences; Computational Sciences; Quantitative/Statistical Sciences

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2020-2021

Bachelor of Science: Bioinformatics

Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) (Associate of Science: Science)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Attend Tyler Orientation.
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway.
  • Register for SDV course.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Visit the Academic Resource Center on either campus.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester and cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Meet with VCU STEM Transitions Transfer Coordinator to discuss options and create a plan for a successful transition to VCU.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus or in your community.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Browse careers related to bioinformatics through the career coach.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Create LinkedIn profile.
  • Understand how you will fund your education. Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Take a career assessment through the career coach.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Use SDV 100 to create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Create, upload and update your resume to the College Central Network.
Experience Year 2
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Bioinformatics Department.
  • Participate in the STEM Transitions: Transfer Success Program after you’re admitted to VCU.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options at VCU.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Find out about VCU REAL.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs at community college or VCU to explore your interests.
  • Plan to complete at least two internships (job experiences) before your senior year of college.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Attend Tyler Orientation.
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway.
  • Register for SDV course.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Visit the Academic Resource Center on either campus.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester and cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Meet with VCU STEM Transitions Transfer Coordinator to discuss options and create a plan for a successful transition to VCU.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus or in your community.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Browse careers related to bioinformatics through the career coach.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Create LinkedIn profile.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Understand how you will fund your education. Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Take a career assessment through the career coach.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Use SDV 100 to create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Create, upload and update your resume to the College Central Network.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Bioinformatics Department.
  • Participate in the STEM Transitions: Transfer Success Program after you’re admitted to VCU.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options at VCU.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Find out about VCU REAL.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs at community college or VCU to explore your interests.
  • Plan to complete at least two internships (job experiences) before your senior year of college.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2020-2021

Bachelor of Science: Bioinformatics

Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) (Associate of Science: Science)

Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV 100 or SDV 101 College Success Skills or SDV 101 Orientation to STEM UNIV 101 1 Elective
ENG 111 College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
MTH 161 Precalculus I (or MTH 263 Calculus I) MATH 141 (or MATH 200) 3 General education
CHM 111 General Chemistry I CHEM/Z 101 4 Major
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
Foreign Language or CST 100 SPA 101, FRE 101 or CST 100 (students who have not completed 3 years of same language in high school should complete language for this requirement) VCU equivalent 3 General education
MTH 162 Precalculus II (or MTH 264 Calculus II) MATH 151 (or MATH 201) 3 Major
CHM 112 General Chemistry II CHEM/Z 102 4 Major
Social/Behavioral Social/Behavioral Science elective (select 1): PSY 200, SOC 200, SOC 211 (PSY 230 will be accepted if Associate degree is completed) VCU equivalent 3 General education
MTH 245 Statistics I STAT 210 3 Major
PHY 201 or PHY 241 General College Physics I (if taking MTH 161-162) or University Physics I (if taking MTH 263-264) PHYS 201 or PHYS 207 4 Major
BIO 101 General Biology I BIOL/Z 151 4 Major
Social/Behavioral Science Social/Behavioral Science elective (select 1): PSY 200, SOC 200, SOC 211, ECO 201, ECO 202 (PSY 230 will be accepted if Associate degree is completed) VCU equivalent 3 General education
ENG Any 200-level ENG literature course (select 1): ENG 241, 242, 243, 244, 251, 252 ENGL 3 General education
PHY 202 or PHY 242 General College Physics II or University Physics II PHYS 202 or PHYS 208 4 Elective
BIO 102 General Biology II BIOL/Z 152 4 Major
History elective History elective (select 1): HIS 111, 112, 121, 122 HIST 3 General education
Humanities or foreign language Select 1: PHI 220, SPA 102, FRE 102, REL 230, PHI 101, REL 100 (students who have not completed 3 years of same language in high school should complete language for this requirement) VCU equivalent 3 General education
Transfer elective CHM 241 Organic Chemistry I CHEM 301 3 Major
John Tyler credits transferred to VCU 61
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Bachelor of Science: Bioinformatics with a concentration in biological/genomic sciences
MATH 200 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I (if not taken at John Tyler) 0 to 4 Major
BIOL 300 Cellular and Molecular Biology 3 Major
BNFO 201 Computing Skills and Concepts for Bioinformatics 3 Major
BNFO 300 Molecular Biology Through Discovery 3 Major
BNFO 301 Introduction to Bioinformatics 3 Major
BNFO 420 Applications in Bioinformatics 3 Major
CSMC 255 Introduction to Programming 4 Major
STAT 314 or STAT 321 Applications of Statistics or Introduction to Statistical Computing 4 Major
BIOL/BNFO 540 Fundamentals of Molecular Genetics 3 Major
BIOL/BNFO 541 or BIOZ 476 Laboratory in Molecular Genetics or Molecular Capstone Laboratory 2 Major
CHEM 302 Organic Chemistry II 3 Major
CHEM 403 Biochemistry I 3 Major
Select 10 credits of concentration electives (see VCU advisor for course options) 10 Major
Open electives 11 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 59
Bachelor's degree total 120
Bachelor of Science: Bioinformatics with a concentration in computational sciences
MATH 200 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I (if not taken at John Tyler) 0 to 4 Major
BIOL 300 Cellular and Molecular Biology 3 Major
BNFO 201 Computing Skills and Concepts for Bioinformatics 3 Major
BNFO 300 Molecular Biology Through Discovery 3 Major
BNFO 301 Introduction to Bioinformatics 3 Major
BNFO 420 Applications in Bioinformatics 3 Major
STAT 314 or STAT 321 Applications of Statistics or Introduction to Statistical Computing 4 Major
CSMC 255 Introduction to Programming 4 Major
CMSC 256 Data Structures and Object-Oriented Programming 4 Major
CMSC 302 Introduction to Discrete Structures 3 Major
CMSC 355 Fundamentals of Software Engineering 3 Major
CMSC 401 Algorithm Analysis with Advanced Data Structures 3 Major
Select 9 credits of concentration electives (see VCU advisor for course options) 9 Major
Open electives 10 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 59
Bachelor's degree total 120
Bachelor of Science: Bioinformatics with a concentration in quantitative/statistical sciences
MATH 200 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I (if not taken at John Tyler) 0 to 4 Major
BIOL 300 Cellular and Molecular Biology 3 Major
BNFO 201 Computing Skills and Concepts for Bioinformatics 3 Major
BNFO 300 Molecular Biology Through Discovery 3 Major
BNFO 301 Introduction to Bioinformatics 3 Major
BNFO 420 Applications in Bioinformatics 3 Major
CMSC 255 Introduction to Programming 4 Major
STAT 314 Applications of Statistics 4 Major
MATH 201 Calculus with Analytic Geometry II (if not taken at John Tyler) 0 to 4 Major
MATH 307 Multivariate Calculus 4 Major
MATH 310 Linear Algebra 3 Major
STAT 321 Introduction to Statistical Computing 3 Major
Select 8 credits of concentration electives (see VCU advisor for course options) 8 Major
Open electives 10 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 59
Bachelor's degree total 120