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2025-2026

Biology, Bachelor of Science

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science: Mathematics and Sciences (Biology) (College of Southern Maryland)
College of Southern Maryland
College of Southern Maryland
Associate degree

Associate of Science: Mathematics and Sciences (Biology)

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

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
Explore Year 1
  • 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 the community college’s Focus 2 Career resource to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Browse careers related to Biology through the Career Coach.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
  • 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 Year 2
  • Join a professional organization related to biology.
  • Research housing for next year.
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • 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.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
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
  • Explore the community college’s Focus 2 Career resource to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Browse careers related to Biology through the Career Coach.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
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
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Join a professional organization related to biology.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2025-2026

Biology, Bachelor of Science

College of Southern Maryland (Associate of Science: Mathematics and Sciences (Biology))

College of Southern Maryland courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits 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 Literature 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
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 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 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
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
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 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.