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2025-2026

Biology, Bachelor of Science

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science: Life Science (Richard Bland College of William and Mary)
Richard Bland College
Richard Bland College
Associate degree

Associate of Science: Life 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

Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Science: Life 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
  • Attend cultural events at RBC and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU's annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Familiarize yourself with the career services offered at RBC and VCU and explore career pathways on the VCU Career Services website.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
Experience Year 2
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Biology Department.
  • Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
  • Join a professional organization related to biology: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS).
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Continue learning a foreign language or make a plan for undertaking that study at VCU.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Biology department-related events.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs at RBC or VCU to explore your interests.
  • Plan to complete at least two job experiences, (e.g., internships) before your senior year of college.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • 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.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend cultural events at RBC and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU's annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Familiarize yourself with the career services offered at RBC and VCU and explore career pathways on the VCU Career Services website.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Biology Department.
  • Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
  • Join a professional organization related to biology: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS).
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Continue learning a foreign language or make a plan for undertaking that study at VCU.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Biology department-related events.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs at RBC or VCU to explore your interests.
  • Plan to complete at least two job experiences, (e.g., internships) before your senior year of college.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • 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.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2025-2026

Biology, Bachelor of Science

Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Science: Life Science)

Richard Bland College of William and Mary courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
ENGL 101 Rhetoric and Research I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENGL 102 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
ENGL 102 Rhetoric and Research II UNIV 200 3 General education
Language & Ideas Select 1: ENGL 203, 204, 205, 206, 210, 211, 214, 215, 216, PHIL 101, 201, 202, 203, 270, REL 201, 209, 210, 270, COMM 101, 102, 201. VCU equivalent 3 General education
Fine Arts Select 1: ART 201, 202, 231, MUS 103, MUS 123, THEA 201. VCU equivalent 3 General education
Human Experience Select 1: ANTH 103, PHIL 101, 121, 201, 202, 203, PSY 201-202, 217, 218, 240, 250, 292, 295, REL 201, 209, 210, SOC 201, 204, 208, 250, 253. VCU equivalent 3 General education
U.S. & World Cultures Select 1: ECON 201, 202, GEO 101, GEO 103, GOVT 201, GOVT 202, GOVT 203, HIST 101, HIST 102, HIST 191, 192, HIST 201, HIST 202, HIST 240, REL 209, REL 210, REL 219, REL 220, REL 254. VCU equivalent 3 General education
MATH 251 Calculus I MATH 200 4 Major (Ancillary)
MATH 217 Statistics STAT 210 3 Major (Ancillary)
BIO 151 + Lab Biological Science I + Lab BIOL/Z 151 4 Major (Ancillary)
BIO 152 + Lab Biological Science II + Lab BIOL/Z 152 4 Major
CHEM 101 + Lab General Chemistry I + Lab CHEM/Z 101 4 Major (Ancillary)
CHEM 102 + Lab General Chemistry II + Lab CHEM/Z 102 4 Major (Ancillary)
Select one of the following two-semester sequences: CHEM 230-231 Organic Chemistry I-II or PHYS 101-102 College Physics I-II or PHYS 201-202 University Physics I-II CHEM/Z 301-302 or PHYS 201-202 or PHYS 207-208 8 to 10 Major (Ancillary)
Complete requirements for associate degree VCU equivalents 9 to 11 Elective
Richard Bland credits transferred to VCU 60
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Foreign language through the 102 level (by course or placement). (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 Major (Ancillary)
BIOL 200 Quantitative Biology 3 Major
BIOL 300 Cellular and Molecular 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
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
CHEM/Z 301 Organic Chemistry I and Laboratory (or elective if CHEM 230 was taken at RBC) 3 to 5 Major (Ancillary)
CHEM/Z 302 Organic Chemistry II and Laboratory ((or elective if CHEM 231 was taken at RBC) 3 to 5 Major (Ancillary)
PHYS Select either PHYS 201 or PHYS 207 (or elective if PHYS 101 or PHYS 201 were taken at RBC) 3 to 5 Major (Ancillary)
PHYS Select either PHYS 202 or PHYS 208 (or elective if PHYS 102 or PHYS 202 were taken at RBC) 3 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. 3 to 10 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.