2023-2024
Biology, Bachelor of Science
VCU
Community college:
Associate of Science: Mathematics and Sciences (Biology) (College of Southern Maryland)
Associate degree
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. The department also has three accelerated B.S. to M.S. degree programs, which allow Biology majors to obtain both undergraduate and graduate degrees in approximately five years. For these programs, students may choose to pursue an M.S. in either Biology, Forensic Science, or Health and Movement Science.
Biology students may specialize their study 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 for 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 Scientist
- 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
Telephone: (804) 827-1349
Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu
VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist
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
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
Transfer major map
2023-2024
Biology, Bachelor of Science
College of Southern Maryland (Associate of Science: Mathematics and Sciences (Biology))
| MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING | GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY | DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY | EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS | PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE | ||
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| Explore | Year 1 |
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| Experience | Year 2 |
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Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Review steps to enroll at CSM.
- Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use learning support services to get ahead.
- Start your ENG and MTH sequence.
- Meet with your academic advisor each semester.
- Submit the FAFSA on time.
- Cultivate relationships with your professors.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations.
- Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
- Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
- Review VCU's Biology Department website for course requirements and possible connections with faculty and peers.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
- 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
- Build a LinkedIn profile.
- Browse careers related to Biology through the Career Coach.
- Explore the community college’s Focus 2 Career resource to look into building a career and financial future.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and VCU and explore Career Pathways on the VCU website.
- Take a career assessment through the Career Coach.
- 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).
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use learning support services to get ahead.
- Research financial aid options for VCU.
- Explore the accelerated B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Forensic Science program.
- Meet with your academic advisor each semester.
- Submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- 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.
- Research housing for next year.
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
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.
- Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
- 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.
- Attend Career & Internship Fairs at community college to explore your interests.
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.
- Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
Recommended courses
2023-2024
Biology, Bachelor of Science
College of Southern Maryland (Associate of Science: Mathematics and Sciences (Biology))
| Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students who earn this associate degree before enrolling at VCU will be eligible for a waiver of VCU's general education requirements. | ||||
| ENG 1010 | Composition and Rhetoric Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 1020 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. | UNIV 111-112 | 3 | General education |
| FYS 1010 | First Year Seminar | UNIV 101 | 3 | Elective |
| BIO 1060 | Principles of Biology I | BIOL 151 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| BIO 1060L | Principles of Biology I Lab | BIOZ 151 | 1 | Major |
| CHE 1200 | General Chemistry I | CHEM 101 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| CHE 1200L | General Chemistry I Lab | CHEZ 101 | 1 | Major (Ancillary) |
| BIO 1070 | Principles of Biology II | BIOL 152 | 3 | Major |
| BIO 1070L | Principles of Biology II Lab | BIOZ 152 | 1 | Major |
| CHE 1210 | General Chemistry II | CHEM 102 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| CHE 1210L | General Chemistry II Lab | CHEZ 102 | 1 | Major (Ancillary) |
| MTH 1150 | Precalculus Algebra with Trigonometry | MATH 151 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
| Arts/Humanities | Select from approved list of general education courses | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education |
| CHE 2200 | Organic Chemistry I | CHEM 301 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| CHE 2200L | Organic Chemistry I Lab | CHEZ 301 | 1 | Major (Ancillary) |
| ENG 1020 | Composition and Rhetoric | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education |
| Arts/Humanities | Select from approved list of general education courses | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education |
| Social/behavioral science | Select 1: POL 1010, PSY 1010, or SOC 1010 | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education |
| MTH 1200 | Calculus I and Analytic Geometry | MATH 200 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
| CHE 2210 | Organic Chemistry II | CHEM 302 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| CHE 2210L | Organic Chemistry II Lab | CHEZ 302 | 1 | Major (Ancillary) |
| MTH 1015 | Introduction to Statistics | STAT 210 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| BIO 2040 | Principles of Genetics | BIOL 310 | 3 | Major |
| BIO 2040L | Principles of Genetics Lab | BIOZ 310 | 1 | Major |
| Social/behavioral science | Select from approved list of general education courses | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education |
| CSM credits transferred to VCU | 60 | |||
| Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your GPA Doesn't Transfer With You Although you worked hard to earn your grades at your current institution, they will only be considered by VCU for an admission decision. Once you enroll at VCU, your GPA will reset to 0.0, and your new GPA will be determined by your level of success in your classes at VCU. | |||
| 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 6 | General education | |
| BIOL 200 | Quantitative Biology | 3 | Major |
| BIOL 300 | Cellular and Molecular Biology | 3 | Major |
| BIOL 317 | Ecology | 3 | Major |
| BIOL 318 | Evolution | 3 | Major |
| BIOL/Z | Select 0-3 credits from the following: BIOL 475, BIOZ 476, BIOL 477 | 0 to 3 | 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. | 17 to 20 | Major | |
| PHYS | Select either PHYS 201 or PHYS 207 | 4 to 5 | Major (Ancillary) |
| PHYS | Select either PHYS 202 or PHYS 208 | 4 to 5 | Major (Ancillary) |
| Upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses) Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. | 4 | Elective | |
| Open electives | 14 to 16 | Elective | |
| REAL | The REAL requirement may be satisfied by successfully completing a 300-level (or higher) course that has received a REAL attribute of Level 2, 3 or 4 or through an approved “REAL” co-curricular experience that has received a REAL attribute of Level 3 or 4. See VCU advisor for options. | 0 | Major |
| Credits completed at VCU | 60 | ||
| Bachelor's degree total | 120 | ||
| VCU offers students three options for accelerated B.S. and M.S. programs: B.S. and M.S. in Biology, B.S. and M.S. in Forensic Science, and B.S. and M.S. in Health and Movement Sciences. These accelerated programs allow academically talented students to earn both the B.S. in Biology and M.S. degree in a minimum of five and a half years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Please consult with a VCU advisor for information about minimum qualifications for entrance to the accelerated programs. | |||