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2021-2022

Forensic Science with a concentration in forensic biology, Bachelor of Science

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Arts & Sciences: Science, Biology Track (Germanna Community College)
Germanna Community College
Germanna Community College
Associate degree

Associate of Arts & Sciences: Science, Biology Track

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.


Students will be prepared to pursue advanced degrees in the physical sciences, biological sciences, forensic science, law, allied health and medicine, to name a few. Students will gain REAL experience by participating in internships and research opportunities within the major.

Career opportunities
The Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science prepares students for graduate study or careers in latent print examination, the analysis of impression evidence; firearm and tool mark analyses; and private analytical laboratories; clinical diagnostic laboratories; drug analysis and toxicology; and trace evidence analysis.
Bachelor-level job titles
  • Chemical Technician
  • Criminal Investigators and Special Agent
  • Fire Investigator
  • Forensic Science Technician
  • Police Identification and Records Officer
  • Police Patrol Officer
  • Secondary School Teacher
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Attorney
  • Chief of Police
  • Crime Scene Investigator
  • Federal Agent
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 210
Science required
  • 5+ additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.0+ cumulative GPA, 2.0+ major GPA
VCU Major Maps

View VCU Major Map for Forensic Science with concentration in Forensic Biology, Forensic Chemistry, Physical Evidence

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Forensic Science with a concentration in forensic biology, Bachelor of Science

Germanna Community College (Associate of Arts & Sciences: Science, Biology Track)

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
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway.
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges and use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus or in your community.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
  • Browse careers related to Forensic Science through the career coach.
  • Work with career services to build resume.
  • 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."
Experience Year 2
  • 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.
  • Use Navigate to remain on your pathway.
  • Prepare for organic chemistry at VCU by reviewing CHM 111-112 notes and textbook.
  • Visit the VCU Forensic Science department website to become familiar with upcoming course offerings, syllabi, and professors.
  • Explore the concentrations of the BS degree: forensic biology, forensic chemistry, and physical evidence.
  • 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 Forensic Science department, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
  • 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 diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Get involved with service-learning opportunities.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement,
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • Run for leadership in your student organization.
  • If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors 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.
  • 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.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway.
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges and use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus or in your community.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
  • Browse careers related to Forensic Science through the career coach.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Work with career services to build resume.
  • 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."

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • 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.
  • Use Navigate to remain on your pathway.
  • Prepare for organic chemistry at VCU by reviewing CHM 111-112 notes and textbook.
  • Visit the VCU Forensic Science department website to become familiar with upcoming course offerings, syllabi, and professors.
  • Explore the concentrations of the BS degree: forensic biology, forensic chemistry, and physical evidence.
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 Forensic Science department, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
  • 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 diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Get involved with service-learning opportunities.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement,
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • Run for leadership in your student organization.
  • If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors 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.
  • 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.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Forensic Science with a concentration in forensic biology, Bachelor of Science

Germanna Community College (Associate of Arts & Sciences: Science, Biology Track)

Germanna 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
Lab Science (I) CHM 111 General Chemistry I CHEM/Z 101 4 Major (Ancillary)
Lab Science (II) BIO 101 General Biology I BIOL/Z 151 4 Major (Ancillary)
HIS History elective (select 1): HIS 101, 102, 111, 112, 121, 122 HIST 3 General education
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
MTH 167 Precalculus with Trigonometry (or MTH 161-162) MATH 151 5 General education
Lab Science (III) CHM 112 General Chemistry II CHEM/Z 102 4 Major
Lab Science (IV) BIO 102 General Biology II BIOL/Z 152 4 Major
Humanities (PHI) PHI 220 Ethics PHIL 201 3 Major
Social Science Social Science (select 1): PSY 200, SOC 200, 211, PLS 211, PLS 241 VCU equivalent 3 General education
MTH 263 Calculus I MATH 200 4 Major (Ancillary)
Science elective BIO 206 Cell Biology BIOL 300 + BIOZ 391 4 Major
Science Capstone Science Capstone Presentation VCU equivalent 1 Elective
Social Science Social Science (select 1): ECO 201, ECO 202, PSY 200, SOC 200, SOC 211, PLS 211, PLS 241 VCU equivalent 3 General education
MTH 245 Statistics I STAT 210 3 Major (Ancillary)
Humanities Humanities/Fine Arts (select 1): ART 101, 102, 106, HUM 100, or REL VCU equivalent 3 General education
Transfer elective PHY 201 General College Physics I PHYS 201 4 Major (Ancillary)
Transfer elective Transfer elective VCU equivalent 1 to 3 Elective
Germanna credits transferred to VCU 60 to 62
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science with a concentration in Forensic Biology
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
CHEM 301 + CHEZ 301 Organic Chemistry I + Laboratory 5 Major
CHEM 302 + CHEZ 302 Organic Chemistry II + Laboratory 5 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 490 Professional Practices in Forensic Science 3 Major
FRSC FRSC electives 6 Major
PHYS 202 General Physics II 4 Major
BIOL 310 Genetics 3 Major
BIOZ 476 Molecular Capstone Laboratory 2 Major
CHEM 403 Biochemistry I 3 Major
FRSC 385 Forensic Serology 3 Major
FRSC/BIOL 438 Forensic Molecular Biology 3 Major
FRSZ/BIOZ 438 Forensic Molecular Biology Laboratory 2 Major
Concentration electives: select 5 credits of 300- to 500-level courses from BIOL/BIOZ, CHEM/CHEZ, or FRSC/FRSZ (see VCU advisor for course options 5 Major
OPen electives 2 to 4 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 58 to 60
Bachelor's degree total 120