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2025-2026

Forensic Science, Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science in Science (Reynolds Community College)
Reynolds Community College
Reynolds Community College
Associate degree

Associate of Science in Science (G3 program)

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

Program description

The Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science prepares students for graduate study or careers in variety of disciplines in forensics and criminalistics, including body fluids and DNA; controlled substances; crime scene investigation and reconstruction; fingerprints, firearms, tool marks, and other impression evidence; medicolegal death investigation; toxicology; and trace evidence. Students are also highly prepared for private analytical laboratories and clinical diagnostic laboratories.

Career opportunities
The Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science prepares students for graduate study or careers in latent print examination, the analysis of impression evidence; firearm and tool mark analyses; and private analytical laboratories; clinical diagnostic laboratories; drug analysis and toxicology; and trace evidence analysis.
Bachelor-level job titles
  • Autopsy Technician
  • Biologist
  • Chemist
  • Crime Scene Investigator
  • Forensic Chemist
  • Forensic DNA Analyst
  • Forensic Toxicologist
  • Latent Fingerprint Examiner
  • Medicolegal Death Investigator
  • Trace Evidence Examiner
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Attorney
  • Forensic Pathologist
  • Research Scientist
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

Students are guaranteed admission to this degree program with:

  • Completion of the associate degree
  • Minimum GPA of 2.5
  • All courses completed with a "C" grade or better
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
  • MATH 200
  • STAT 210
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

View VCU Major Map for Forensic Science with concentration in Forensic Biology, Forensic Chemistry, Physical Evidence

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

Forensic Science, Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)

Reynolds Community College (Associate of Science 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
  • Attend cultural events at community college and VCU to 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.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
Experience Year 2
  • Submit the NEXT Step Interest Form.
  • 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 Forensic Science department, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Check out the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and follow @vcuomsa.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or VCU Forensic Science department-related events.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • 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
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend cultural events at community college and VCU to 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.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Submit the NEXT Step Interest Form.
  • 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 Forensic Science department, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Check out the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and follow @vcuomsa.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or VCU Forensic Science department-related events.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • 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

Forensic Science, Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)

Reynolds Community College (Associate of Science in Science)

Reynolds Community College courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
Year 1
SDV 101 Orientation to STEM Disciplines UNIV 101 1 Elective
MTH 161 Precalculus I MATH 141 3 General education
ENG 111 College Composition I UNIV 111-112 3 General education
CHM 111 General Chemistry I CHEM/Z 101 4 Major (Ancillary)
History Select one: HIS 101 Western Civilizations pre-1600 CE or HIS 121 United States History to 1877 HIST 101 or HIST 103 3 General education
ITE 152 Introduction to Digital Literacy BUSN 1XX 3 Elective
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
MTH 162 Precalculus II MATH 151 3 Elective
CHM 112 General Chemistry II CHEM/Z 102 4 Major
Humanities/Fine Arts/Literature elective. Select one: ART 101 History of Art, ENG 255 World Literature, or PHI 220 Ethics VCU equivalent 3 General education
MTH 245 Statistics I STAT 210 3 Major (Ancillary)
Year 2
History Select one: HIS 102 Western Civilizations post-1600 CE or HIS 122 United States History since 1865 HIST 102 or HIST 104 3 General education
CHM 241 Organic Chemistry I CHEM 301 3 Major
CHM 245 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I CHEZ 301 2 Major
BIO 101 General Biology I BIOL/Z 151 4 Major (Ancillary)
Social/Behavioral elective (select one): ECO 201 Principles of Macroeconomics or PSY 200 Principles of Psychology ECON 211 or PSYC 101 3 General education
Health/Personal Wellness Elective (select one): HLT 105 Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, HLT 106 First Aid and Safety, or DIT 121 Nutrition I VCU equivalent 1 to 3 Elective
CHM 242 Organic Chemistry II CHEM 302 3 Major
CHM 246 Organic Chemistry Laboratory II CHEZ 302 2 Major
BIO 102 General Biology II BIOL/Z 152 4 Major
Humanities/Fine Arts/Literature elective. Select one (must be from a different category than first Humanities/Fine Arts/Literature Elective)​: MUS 121 Music in Society, ENG 246 American Literature, or PHI 111 Logic I VCU equivalent 3 General education
MTH 263 Calculus I MATH 200 4 Major (Ancillary)
Reynolds credits transferred to VCU 65 to 67
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Concentration in Forensic Biology
Year 3
BIOL 300 Cellular and Molecular Biology 3 Major
FRSC 300 Survey of Forensic Science 3 Major
FRSC 375 Forensic Evidence, Law and Criminal Procedure 3 Major
PHYS 201 or PHYS 207 General Physics I or University Physics I 4 to 5 Major (Ancillary)
Foreign Language 101 (students are eligible for a waiver of VCU's language requirement if they successfully completed through the third level of a foreign language in high school). 0 to 3 Major (Ancillary)
BIOL 310 Genetics 3 Major
FRSC 309 Scientific Crime Scene Investigation 3 Major
BIOZ 476 Molecular Biology Laboratory 2 Major
FRSC 365 Forensic Microscopy 3 Major
PHYS 202 or PHYS 208 General Physics II or University Physics II 4 to 5 Major
Foreign Language 102 (students are eligible for a waiver of VCU's language requirement if they successfully completed through the third level of a foreign language in high school). 0 to 3 Major (Ancillary)
Year 4
CHEM 403 Biochemistry I 3 Major
FRSC 385 Forensic Serology 3 Major
FRSC 490 Professional Practices in Forensic Science 3 Major
Five credits of BIOL/BIOZ, CHEM/Z or approved FRSC/FRSZ courses (with lab, 300- to 500-level) 5 Major
FRSC FRSC elective 3 Major
FRSC 438 and FRSZ 438 Forensic Molecular Biology and Forensic Molecular Biology Laboratory 5 Major
FRSC FRSC elective 3 Major
Credits completed at VCU 54 to 62
Minimum credits required for bachelor's degree 120