Major map compass icon
2020-2021

Bachelor of Science: Forensic Science with a concentration in forensic chemistry

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science: Science (Thomas Nelson Community College)
Thomas Nelson Community College
Thomas Nelson Community College
Program description

The Department of Forensic Science offers programs leading to bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The Bachelor of Science is for students who plan a career or graduate study in the forensic sciences. The forensic science program provides students with fundamental learning in forensic laboratory analyses and crime scene investigation, with academic emphasis in biology, chemistry and criminal justice. The program offers three concentrations: forensic biology, forensic chemistry and physical evidence. Students will select one of the three concentrations prior to the second semester of their sophomore year. The B.S. in Forensic Science supplies students with the necessary skills for professional careers in forensic laboratories, public and private, basic research laboratories, clinical laboratories, and/or to pursue graduate studies. Students also will be prepared to pursue advanced degrees in the physical sciences, biological sciences, forensic science, law, allied health and medicine, to name a few. The forensic biology concentration requires an additional 33 credits in biology, forensic science and elective credits beyond the core requirements and is well-suited for students interested in graduate study or careers in the forensic biology section of forensic laboratories. Students also will be prepared for work in molecular biology laboratories in both the public and private sectors. Students completing the forensic biology concentration will be eligible for a minor in chemistry. Additionally, students who complete BIOL 317 or BIOL 318 will be eligible for a minor in biology.

Career opportunities
Students will be prepared for graduate study or careers in the chemical analysis of forensic evidence, including areas of drug analysis, toxicology, and trace evidence analysis. Students will also be prepared for work in private analytical laboratories.
Bachelor-level job titles
  • Chemical Equipment Operator and Technician
  • Chemical Technician
  • Fire Investigator
  • Food Science Technician
  • Pharmacy Technician
  • Quality Control Systems Manager
  • Secondary School Teacher
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Chemist
  • Forensic Toxicologist
  • Medical Examiner
  • Psychiatrist
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 201 or higher
  • STAT 314
Science required
  • 5+ additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.0

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: Forensic Science with a concentration in forensic chemistry

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 Forensic Science 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 Forensic Science department website to become familiar with upcoming course offerings, syllabi and professors.
  • 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 Forensic Science 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 Forensic Science 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 Forensic Science department website to become familiar with upcoming course offerings, syllabi and professors.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
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 Forensic Science 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: Forensic Science with a concentration in forensic chemistry

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 PHI 220 Ethics PHIL 201 3 Major
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 Elective
Math/Science CHM 242 + CHM 246 Organic Chemistry I and Laboratory CHEM/Z 302 5 Major
NAS 206 Design and Application of Scientific Research BIOL 392 3 Elective
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 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I 4 Major
MATH 201 Calculus with Analytic Geometry II 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
CHEM 309 + CHEZ 309 Quantitative Analysis and Laboratory 5 Major
CHEM 313 or CHEM 314 Physical Chemistry I or Physical Chemistry I with Math Modules 3 to 4 Major
CHEM 409 + CHEZ 409 Instrumental Analysis and Laboratory 5 Major
CHEZ 313 Physical Chemistry Laboratory I 2 Major
FRSC 300 Survey of Forensic Science 3 Major
FRSC 309 Scientific Crime Scene Investigation 3 Major
FRSC 365 Forensic Microscopy 3 Major
FRSC 375 Forensic Evidence, Law and Criminal Procedure 3 Major
FRSC 400 Forensic Chemistry 4 Major
FRSC 445 Forensic Toxicology and Drugs 4 Major
FRSC 490 Professional Practices in Forensic Science 3 Major
Open electives 0 to 3 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 55
Bachelor's degree total 120