2023-2024
Biology, Bachelor of Science
VCU
Community college:
A.S. in Science (Virginia Community College System)
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
Virginia Community College System (A.S. in 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 | ||
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| Explore | Year 1 |
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| Experience | Year 2 |
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Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your associate degree course plan.
- Enroll in the SDV student success course.
- Complete your math, english and CHM 111-112 requirements in your first year.
- Be prepared for academic challenges and utilize tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Explore GRASP financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Explore the VCU Biology department website.
- Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations at your community college.
- Volunteer for community service projects.
- Register to vote.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
- Attend diversity-focused events on your community college campus and in your community (e.g., international festival).
- Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Create LinkedIn profile.
- Complete career assessments through the Virginia Education Wizard.
- Browse information about occupations and job titles associated with biology.
- Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Practice independent living skills such as money and time management, self-care, and personal responsibility.
- Create a weekly and monthly budget.
- Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
- Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
- Visit the VCU Biology department website to become familiar with upcoming course offerings, syllabi, and professors.
- Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
- Explore the accelerated BS to MS programs.
- Meet with your community college advisor to finalize plans to complete your associate degree.
- Be prepared for academic challenges. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Apply to VCU.
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
- Research housing options for next year.
- Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Biology department, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
- Participate in the VCU STEM Transitions: Transfer Success Program after you’re admitted to VCU.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
- Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or VCU Biology department-related events.
- Check out the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and follow @vcuomsa.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Find out about VCU REAL and learn about VCU's REAL graduation requirement.
- Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
- Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
- If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
- 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.
- Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
Recommended courses
2023-2024
Biology, Bachelor of Science
Virginia Community College System (A.S. in Science)
| 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. | ||||
| SDV 100 or 101 | 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 |
| ENG 112 | College Composition II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education |
| MTH 263 | Calculus I | MATH 200 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
| MTH 245 | Statistics I | STAT 210 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| BIO 101 | General Biology I | BIOL/Z 151 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
| BIO 102 | General Biology II | BIOL/Z 152 | 4 | Major |
| CHM 111 | General Chemistry I | CHEM/Z 101 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
| CHM 112 | General Chemistry II | CHEM/Z 102 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
| BIO 206 | Cell Biology | BIOL 300 + BIOZ 391 | 4 | Major |
| Select one: CHM 241 + CHM 245 Organic Chemistry I and Laboratory (both lecture and lab must be taken) OR PHY 201 General College Physics I OR PHY 241 University Physics I | CHEM/Z 301 or PHYS 201 or PHYS 207 | 4 to 5 | Major (Ancillary) | |
| Select one: CHM 242 + CHM 246 Organic Chemistry II and Laboratory (both lecture and lab must be taken) OR PHY 202 General College Physics II OR PHY 242 University Physics II | CHEM/Z 302 or PHYS 202 or PHYS 208 | 4 to 5 | Major (Ancillary) | |
| Complete general education and elective requirements for associate degree | VCU equivalents | 20 | Elective | |
| Community college credits transferred to VCU | 60 to 62 | |||
| 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 | Foreign language (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 | Major (Ancillary) |
| BIOL 200 | Quantitative Biology | 3 | Major |
| BIOL 310 | Genetics | 3 | Major |
| BIOL 317 | Ecology | 3 | Major |
| BIOL 318 | Evolution | 3 | Major |
| BIOL/Z | Capstone requirement. Select one of the following: BIOL 475, BIOL 477, BIOZ 476 | 0 to 3 | Major |
| Major electives | Select from all biology (BIOL and BIOZ) courses applicable to the biology major and biochemistry (CHEM 403) to satisfy the 40 biology credits required for the major. 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. BIOL courses at the 500 level are available to seniors and graduate students only. | 17 to 20 | Major |
| CHEM/Z 301 | Organic Chemistry I + Laboratory (if CHM 241/245 were not taken at community college) | 0 to 5 | Major (Ancillary) |
| CHEM/Z 302 | Organic Chemistry II + Laboratory (if CHM 242/246 were not taken at community college) | 0 to 5 | Major (Ancillary) |
| Physics | Select either PHYS 201 or PHYS 207 (if PHY 201 or PHY 241 were not taken at community college) | 0 to 5 | Major (Ancillary) |
| Physics | Select either PHYS 202 or PHYS 208 (if PHY 202 or PHY 242 were not taken at community college) | 0 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 to 20 | 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 | 58 to 60 | ||
| Minimum credits required for bachelor's degree | 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. | |||