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2020-2021

Bachelor of Science: Bioinformatics

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science: Science (Northern Virginia Community College)
Northern Virginia Community College
Northern Virginia 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 200
  • STAT 314/321
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

Northern Virginia Community College (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
  • Register for SDV 100 or SDV 101.
  • Meet with your academic advisor or counselor each semester.
  • Start your math sequence and pass ENG 111-112.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Explore the three different concentrations of the B.S. degree: biological/genomic, computational sciences, and quantitative/statistical sciences
  • Attend diversity-focused events at NOVA and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU's annual intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Browse careers related to Bioinformatics through the NOVA career planning system.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
Experience Year 2
  • Meet with your academic advisor or counselor.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
  • Review VCU's Bioinformatics Department website for course requirements and possible connections with faculty and peers
  • Prepare for organic chemistry at VCU by reviewing CHM 111-112 notes and textbook.
  • 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.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Bioinformatics department-related events.
  • Find out about VCU REAL.
  • Speak with employers that visit campus throughout the year.
  • Plan to complete at least two job experiences (e.g., internships) before your senior year of college.
  • Create a resume.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Register for SDV 100 or SDV 101.
  • Meet with your academic advisor or counselor each semester.
  • Start your math sequence and pass ENG 111-112.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Explore the three different concentrations of the B.S. degree: biological/genomic, computational sciences, and quantitative/statistical sciences
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend diversity-focused events at NOVA and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU's annual intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Browse careers related to Bioinformatics through the NOVA career planning system.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Meet with your academic advisor or counselor.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
  • Review VCU's Bioinformatics Department website for course requirements and possible connections with faculty and peers
  • Prepare for organic chemistry at VCU by reviewing CHM 111-112 notes and textbook.
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.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Bioinformatics department-related events.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Find out about VCU REAL.
  • Speak with employers that visit campus throughout the year.
  • Plan to complete at least two job experiences (e.g., internships) before your senior year of college.
  • Create a resume.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2020-2021

Bachelor of Science: Bioinformatics

Northern Virginia Community College (Associate of Science: Science)

Northern Virginia Community College courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV SDV 100 or SDV 101 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
History Select 1: HIS 101 History of Western Civilization I OR HIS 102 History of Western Civilization II OR HIS 111 History of World Civilization I OR HIS 112 History of World Civilization II OR HIS 121 United States History I OR HIS 122 United States History II HIST 3 General education
MTH 167 MTH 167 Pre-Calculus with Trigonometry (Students taking the two semester sequence of precalculus must take both MTH 161 and 162 for a total of 6 credits) MATH 151 5 Major
CST CST 100 Principles of Public Speaking OR CST 110 Introduction to Communication OR CST 126 Interpersonal Communication SPCH 121 3 Elective
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
MTH 263 MTH 263 Calculus I MATH 200 4 Major
General Education (ITE 115/119) BIO 101 General Biology I BIOL/Z 151 4 Major
Humanities/Fine Arts Select 1: ART 101, ART 102, MUS 121, PHI 101, REL 231 VCU equivalent 3 General education
MTH 245 Statistics I STAT 212 3 Major
Science #1 BIO 102 General Biology II BIOL/Z 152 4 Major
Social/Behavioral Science #1 Select 1: PLS 135 American National Politics OR PLS 211 United States Government I OR PSY 200 Principles of Psychology OR SOC 200 Principles of Sociology OR SOC 211 Principles of Anthropology I VCU equivalent 3 General education
Social/Behavioral Science #2 PLS 241 International Relations I POLI 105 3 General education
Math or Science #1 CHM 111 General Chemistry I CHEM/Z 101 4 Major
Math or Science #2 CHM 112 General Chemistry II CHEM/Z 102 4 Major
Math or Science #3 BIO 206 Cell Biology BIOL 300 + BIOZ 391 4 Major
Humanities/Fine Arts (Select 1): CST 151 Film Appreciation I OR ENG 241 Survey of American Literature I OR ENG 242 Survey of American Literature II OR ENG 243 Survey of English Literature I OR ENG 244 Survey of English Literature II OR ENG 251 Survey of World Literature I OR ENG 252 Survey of World Literature II VCU equivalent 3 General education
Science #2 PHY 231 University Physics I PHYS 207 5 Major
Northern Virginia Credits transferred to VCU 62
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Bachelor of Science: Bioinformatics with a concentration in biological/genomic sciences
Foreign language through the 102 level. (This requirement can be fulfilled by means of completion of the 102-level of a language or waived if the student completed up through the third level of a foreign language in high school. Additionally, language waiver and placement testing options are available for native or heritage speakers of a non-english language.) 0 to 8 General education
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
CHEM 301 Organic Chemistry I 3 Major
CMSC 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 14 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 58
Bachelor's degree total 120
Bachelor of Science: Bioinformatics with a concentration in computational sciences
Foreign language through the 102 level. (This requirement can be fulfilled by means of completion of the 102-level of a language or waived if the student completed up through the third level of a foreign language in high school. Additionally, language waiver and placement testing options are available for native or heritage speakers of a non-english language.) 0 to 8 General education
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
CHEM 301 Organic Chemistry I 3 Major
STAT 314 or STAT 320 Applications of Statistics or Introduction to Statistical Computing 4 Major
CMSC 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 13 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 58
Bachelor's degree total 120
Bachelor of Science: Bioinformatics with a concentration in quantitative/statistical sciences
Foreign language through the 102 level. (This requirement can be fulfilled by means of completion of the 102-level of a language or waived if the student completed up through the third level of a foreign language in high school. Additionally, language waiver and placement testing options are available for native or heritage speakers of a non-english language.) 0 to 8 General education
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
CHEM 301 Organic Chemistry I 3 Major
CMSC 255 Introduction to Programming 4 Major
STAT 314 Applications of Statistics 4 Major
MATH 201 Calculus with Analytic Geometry II 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 13 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 58
Bachelor's degree total 120