Major map compass icon
2020-2021

Bachelor of Science: Biology

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science: Science (Thomas Nelson Community College)
Thomas Nelson Community College
Thomas Nelson Community College
Program description
The Department of Biology offers programs leading to baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees; the doctoral degree is offered through the Ph.D. in Integrative Life Sciences program. Students may specialize within many areas, such as molecular and cellular biology, genetics, aquatic and terrestrial ecology, systematics, physiology, neurobiology, and developmental biology. Students also may develop an interdisciplinary focus to their degree program, for example within areas such as bioinformatics, cancer biology, forensic science and environmental science.
Career opportunities
The four-year curriculum in biology prepares students for employment in laboratory or field programs in private industry or government agencies and for teaching in secondary schools. This curriculum also prepares students graduate study in biology and for admission into schools of medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine, and into allied health programs.   
Bachelor-level job titles
  • Biological Technician
  • Clinical Research Coordinators
  • Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
  • Fish and Game Wardens
  • Food Science Technician
  • Health Educator
  • Museum Technician and Conservator
  • Park Naturalist
  • Secondary School Teacher
  • Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products 
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Attorney
  • Medical Doctor
  • Researcher
  • Scientific Publication Journalist or Editor
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
Highest level of math required
  • MATH 200
Science required
  • 5+ additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)

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: Biology

Thomas Nelson 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
  • Attend New Student Orientation.
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Use Navigate to schedule an appointment with your advisor.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Start your math sequence and pass ENG 111-112.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Attend cultural events at community college and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Browse careers related to Biology through the Virginia Wizard.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
  • Take a career assessment through the Virginia Wizard.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and VCU and explore Career Pathways on the VCU website.
Experience Year 2
  • Meet with your academic advisor.
  • 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.
  • Explore the VCU Biology department website to become familiar with upcoming course offerings, syllabi and professors.
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing for next year.
  • Join a professional organization related to biology: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS).
  • 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.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Biology department-related events.
  • 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.
  • Create a draft resume and bring it to career services advisor or workshop for review.
  • 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
  • Attend New Student Orientation.
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Use Navigate to schedule an appointment with your advisor.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Start your math sequence and pass ENG 111-112.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend cultural events at community college 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 Biology through the Virginia Wizard.
  • 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
  • Take a career assessment through the Virginia Wizard.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and VCU and explore Career Pathways on the VCU website.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Meet with your academic advisor.
  • 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.
  • Explore the VCU Biology department website to become familiar with upcoming course offerings, syllabi and professors.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing for next year.
  • Join a professional organization related to biology: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS).
  • 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.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Biology department-related events.
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.
  • Create a draft resume and bring it to career services advisor or workshop for review.
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: Biology

Thomas Nelson Community College (Associate of Science: Science)

Thomas Nelson Community College courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV 100 College Success Skills 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 MATH 141 3 General education
Laboratory Science CHM 111 General Chemistry I CHEM/Z 101 4 Major
History Select 1: HIS 101, 102, 111, 112, 121, 122 HIST 3 General education
Wellness elective Wellness elective VCU equivalent 1 Elective
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
MTH 162 PreCalculus II MATH 151 3 Major
Laboratory Science CHM 112 General Chemistry II CHEM/Z 102 4 Major
Humanities Select 1: PHI 101, 111, 220; ART 101, 102; MUS 121; REL 231, 232 VCU equivalent 3 General education
Math/Science BIO 101 General Biology I BIOL/Z 151 4 Major
MTH 245 Statistics I STAT 210 3 Major
Humanities Select 1: ENG 200-level literature; PHI 101, 111, 220; ART 101, 102; MUS 121; REL 231, 232 VCU equivalent 3 General education
Social Science Select 1: PSY 200, SOC 200, 211, PLS 135, 241 VCU equivalent 3 General education
Laboratory Science BIO 102 General Biology II BIOL/Z 152 4 Major
Math/Science CHM 241 + CHM 245 Organic Chemistry I and Laboratory CHEM/Z 301 5 Major
Social Science Select 1: ECO 120, GEO 210, PSY 200, PSY 230, SOC 200, 211, PLS 135, 241 VCU equivalent 3 General education
Laboratory Science BIO 206 Cell Biology BIOL 300 + BIOZ 391 4 Major
Math/Science CHM 242 + CHM 246 Organic Chemistry II and Laboratory CHEM/Z 302 5 Major
NAS 206 Design and Application of Scientific Research BIOL 392 3 Major
Thomas Nelson credits transferred to VCU 65
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
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
MATH 200 or STAT Calculus I or any upper-level statistics 3 to 4 Major
PHYS Select either PHYS 201 or PHYS 207 4 to 5 Major
PHYS Select either PHYS 202 or PHYS 208 4 to 5 Major
BIOL 200 Quantitative Biology 3 Major
BIOL 310 Genetics 3 Major
BIOL 317 Ecology 3 Major
BIOL 318 Evolution 3 Major
BIOL/BIOZ Select 1-4 credits from the following: BIOL 475, BIOZ 476, BIOL 477 1 to 4 Major
Select from all biology (BIOL and BIOZ) courses applicable to the biology major and biochemistry (CHEM 403). All majors must complete at minimum three additional upper-level biology lab courses. The laboratory experiences may be fulfilled by a separate laboratory section (BIOZ) or by laboratory hours included in a lecture-based (BIOL) course. Not all courses are offered each semester. 13 to 16 Major
Upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses) Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. 0 to 6 Elective
Open electives 3 to 18 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 55
Bachelor's degree total 120