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2025-2026

Biology, Bachelor of Science (G3 Pathway)

VCU

Community college:
AA&S or AS in Science (Virginia Community College System)
Virginia Community College System
Associate degree

Associate of Science in Science or Associate of Arts and Sciences in Science

Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.

Program description
The Department of Biology is housed in the School of Life Sciences and Sustainability within the College of Humanities and Sciences.  The department offers four accelerated B.S. to M.S. degree programs, which allow Biology majors to obtain both undergraduate and graduate degrees in approximately five years.

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
  • Environmental Health Specialist
  • Epidemiologist
  • Medical Doctor
  • Researcher
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
Science required
  • 5+ additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
  • No
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 Biology

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2025-2026

Biology, Bachelor of Science (G3 Pathway)

Virginia Community College System (AA&S or AS 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
Explore Year 1
  • Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your associate degree course plan.
  • Check on G3 funding for your AS program.
  • 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 community college financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on your community college campus and in your community (e.g., international festival).
  • 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."
  • Practice independent living skills such as money and time management, self-care, and personal responsibility.
Experience Year 2
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your associate degree course plan.
  • Check on G3 funding for your AS program.
  • 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 community college financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on your community college campus and in your community (e.g., international festival).
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • 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."
  • Practice independent living skills such as money and time management, self-care, and personal responsibility.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
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
Major map compass icon
2025-2026

Biology, Bachelor of Science (G3 Pathway)

Virginia Community College System (AA&S or AS in Science)

Virginia Community College System courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits 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)
Humanities or Fine Arts Select one of the following (UCGS Block II): ART 100, ART 101, ART 102, CST 130, CST 151, MUS 121, MUS 221, MUS 222, MUS 226, HUM 201, HUM 202, HUM 210, HUM 216, HUM 220, HUM 256, HUM 259, PHI 100, PHI 111, PHI 220, REL 100, REL 230, REL 237, REL 240. VCU equivalent 3 General education
Humanities, Fine Arts or Literature Select one of the following (UCGS Block II): ART 100, ART 101, ART 102, CST 130, CST 151, MUS 121, MUS 221, MUS 222, MUS 226, HUM 201, HUM 202, HUM 210, HUM 216, HUM 220, HUM 256, HUM 259, PHI 100, PHI 111, PHI 220, REL 100, REL 230, REL 237, REL 240, ENG 225, ENG 245, ENG 246, ENG 250, ENG 255, ENG 258, ENG 275 (the course must come from a different group than the previous requirement). VCU equivalent 3 General education
Social Science Select one of the following (UCGS Block III): ECO 150, ECO 201, ECO 202, GEO 210, GEO 220, PLS 135, PLS 140, PLS 241, PSY 200, SOC 200, SOC 211, SOC 268 VCU equivalent 3 General education
History Select one of the following (UCGS Block VI): HIS 101, HIS 102, HIS 111, HIS 112, HIS 121, HIS 122 VCU equivalent 3 General education
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 (may include math prerequisites for MTH 263). VCU equivalents 8 Elective
Community college credits transferred to VCU 60 to 62
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
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 Biology transformative learning requirement. Select at least one from all biology (BIOL and BIOZ) courses that are approved as REAL level 3 or 4 transformative learning experiences (see VCU advisor). 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
Credits completed at VCU 58 to 60
Minimum credits required for bachelor's degree 120
VCU offers students four options for accelerated B.S. and M.S. programs: B.S. and M.S. in Biology, B.S. and M.S. in Forensic Science, B.S. and M.S. in Health and Movement Sciences, and B.S. and M.S. in Medical Laboratory 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.