Student learning outcomes

Upon completing this program, students will know and know how to do the following:

  • Demonstrate broad and core science proficiency
  • Demonstrate competency in at least two sciences or in a non-science area
  • Apply learning to selection and pursuit of professional or graduate career objective
  • Demonstrate proficiency in communication of scientific or research findings
  • Demonstrate ability to apply the scientific method/approach to professional problems
  • Demonstrate appreciation of the interrelation of core sciences to interdisciplinary problems

Special requirements

The Bachelor of Science in Science requires a minimum of 120 credits.

Along with the general education requirements of the undergraduate programs and the College of Humanities and Sciences for a Bachelor of Science degree, this curriculum requires 28 to 33 credits in foundation science and mathematics courses and 36 to 38 credits in supplemental courses in the concentration. In preparation for the required mathematical sciences courses, all students must take the Mathematics Placement Test. Science majors are strongly encouraged to select a minor in an area different from their area of concentration that will complement their career interests and contribute additional upper-level credits to their curriculum.

Science majors declaring the biology concentration may not simultaneously declare a major or minor in biology.

Grade requirements

A minimum grade of C is required in each prerequisite course:

Course Title Hours
CHEM 100Introductory Chemistry (if required through placement test)3
CHEM 101General Chemistry I3
CHEM 102General Chemistry II3
CHEM 301Organic Chemistry3
CHEM 302Organic Chemistry3

A minimum grade of C is required in the following courses before enrollment in advanced BIOL courses:

Course Title Hours
BIOL 151
BIOZ 151
Introduction to Biological Sciences I
and Introduction to Biological Science Laboratory I
4
BIOL 152
BIOZ 152
Introduction to Biological Sciences II
and Introduction to Biological Science Laboratory II
4
BIOL 300Cellular and Molecular Biology3

Degree requirements for Science, Bachelor of Science (B.S.) with a concentration in biology

Course Title Hours
General education
Select 30 credits of general education courses in consultation with an adviser.30
Major requirements
• Major core requirements
INSC 490Capstone Research Experience in Interdisciplinary Science3
• Additional major requirements
CHEM 102
CHEZ 102
General Chemistry II
and General Chemistry Laboratory II
4
ENVS 301Introduction to Meteorology (or upper-level natural or health science elective from list below)3
ENVS 310Introduction to Oceanography (or upper-level natural or health science elective from list below)3
PHYS 202General Physics II4-5
or PHYS 208 University Physics II
Select one of the following:4
Physical Geology
and Physical Geography Laboratory
Physical Geography
and Physical Geography Laboratory
Or a 200-level or higher natural science elective and a 200-level or higher natural science laboratory elective from the list below
• Concentration requirements
BIOL 152
BIOZ 152
Introduction to Biological Sciences II
and Introduction to Biological Science Laboratory II
4
BIOL 300Cellular and Molecular Biology3
BIOL 310Genetics3
BIOZ 310Laboratory in Genetics (or other upper-level biology laboratory)2
BIOL 317Ecology3
• Major electives
Select one upper-level animal or one upper-level plant course, with laboratory, from list below4
Select two upper-level biology electives6
Ancillary requirements
BIOL 151Introduction to Biological Sciences I3
BIOZ 151Introduction to Biological Science Laboratory I1
CHEM 101
CHEZ 101
General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry Laboratory I (both satisfy general education BOK for natural sciences and AOI for scientific and logical reasoning)
4
HUMS 202Choices in a Consumer Society1
MATH 151Precalculus Mathematics (or placement; satisfies general education quantitative foundations)4
MATH 200Calculus with Analytic Geometry I3-4
or SCMA 212 Differential Calculus and Optimization for Business
or STAT 314 Applications of Statistics
PHYS 201General Physics I (either satisfies general education BOK for natural sciences and AOI for scientific and logical reasoning)4-5
or PHYS 207 University Physics I
STAT 208Statistical Thinking3
or STAT 210 Basic Practice of Statistics
Experiential fine arts 11-3
Foreign language through the 102 level (by course or placement)0-6
Open electives
Select any course.21-34
Total Hours120
1

Course offered by the School of the Arts

The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 120.

Animal and plant courses

Course Title Hours
Animal group
BIOL 309Entomology 14
BIOL 312Invertebrate Zoology3
BIOZ 312Invertebrate Zoology Laboratory1
BIOL 313Vertebrate Natural History3
BIOZ 313Vertebrate Natural History Laboratory1
BIOL 391Topics in Biology (as approved)1-4
BIOZ 391Topics in Biology Laboratory (as approved)1-4
BIOL 402Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy5
BIOL 416Ornithology3
BIOZ 416Ornithology Laboratory2
BIOL 417Mammalogy 14
BIOL 435Herpetology 13
BIOL 445Neurobiology and Behavior 14
BIOL 503Fish Biology 14
Plant group
BIOL 320Biology of the Seed Plant 14
BIOL 321Plant Development3
BIOZ 321Plant Development Laboratory2
BIOL 322Plants, People and Culture3
BIOL 391Topics in Biology (as approved)1-4
BIOZ 391Topics in Biology Laboratory (as approved)1-4
1

These courses include laboratory hours and may be used to satisfy laboratory requirements.

Natural science electives

Course Title Hours
LFSC 301Integrative Life Sciences Research3
LFSC 401Faith and Life Sciences3
PHTX 400Drugs and Their Actions3
Any 200-level or higher BIOL, BNFO, CHEM, CLSE, EGRB, ENVS, FRSC, INSC or PHYS course, except:
Introduction to Research
Biology Capstone Seminar: ____
Biology Capstone Experience
Communicating Research
Presenting Research
Independent Study
Biology Internship
Research and Thesis
Biology Preceptorship: ____
Independent Study
Independent Study
Undergraduate Teaching Assistantship in Bioinformatics
Directed Study
Independent Study
Chemistry Internship
Engineering Seminar
Independent Study in Engineering
Research Seminar in Environmental Studies
Independent Study
Environmental Studies Internship
Professional Practices in Forensic Science
Forensic Science Independent Study
Forensic Science Internship
Capstone Research Experience in Interdisciplinary Science
Seminar in Conceptual Physics
Independent Study

Natural science laboratory electives

Course Title Hours
BIOL 205Basic Human Anatomy 14
BIOL 309Entomology 14
BIOL 320Biology of the Seed Plant 14
BIOL 402Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy 15
BIOL 417Mammalogy 14
BIOL 435Herpetology 13
BIOL 445Neurobiology and Behavior 14
BIOL 503Fish Biology 14
BIOZ: any 200-level or higher course
BNFO 380Introduction to Mathematical Biology 14
BNFO 420Applications in Bioinformatics 13
BNFO 440Computational Methods in Bioinformatics 13
CHEZ: any 200-level or higher course
EGRB 307Biomedical Instrumentation 14
EGRB 308Biomedical Signal Processing 14
EGRB 310Biomechanics 14
ENVZ 335Environmental Geology Laboratory1
FRSZ: any 200-level or higher course
PHIZ 206Human Physiology Laboratory1
PHYS 202General Physics II 14
PHYS 208University Physics II 15
PHYZ 320Modern Physics Laboratory1
1

Courses have a combined lecture and lab and will satisfy both natural science lecture and laboratory requirements.

Health science electives

Course Title Hours
AFAM/ANTH/INTL/GSWS 309Gender and Global Health3
AFAM 310Black Health Matters: Social Determinants of Health in the African American Community3
GSWS 392Gender and Health Across the Life Span3
HPEX 325Pathology and Pharmacology in Athletic Training3
HPEX 345Nutrition for Health and Disease3
HPEX 350Nutrition3
HPEX 353Disease Trends, Prevention and Control3
HPEX 373Structural Kinesiology3
HPEX 374Musculoskeletal Structure and Movement4
HPEX 375Physiology of Exercise3
HPEX 440Chronic Disease and Exercise Management3
PSYC 401Physiological Psychology3
PSYC 412Health Psychology3
PSYC/GSWS 414Psychology of Women's Health3
SCTS 300Introduction to Science and Technology Studies3
SCTS 301Illness Narratives3
SCTS 392Revolutions in Science I3
SCTS 393Revolutions in Science II3
SCTS 397Genetics and Society: 1865 to the Present3
SCTS 398Medicine and Public Health: ____3
SOCY 344Medical Sociology3

What follows is a sample plan that meets the prescribed requirements within a four-year course of study at VCU. Please contact your adviser before beginning course work toward a degree.

Freshman year
Fall semesterHours
MATH 151 Precalculus Mathematics (or placement) (satisfies general education quantitative foundations) 4
STAT 208
Statistical Thinking
or Basic Practice of Statistics
3
UNIV 101 Introduction to the University 1
UNIV 111 Play VideoPlay course video for Focused Inquiry I Focused Inquiry I (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) 3
General education course 3
 Term Hours: 14
Spring semester
CHEM 101
CHEZ 101
General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry Laboratory I (both satisfy general education BOK for natural sciences and AOI for scientific and logical reasoning)
4
HUMS 202 Choices in a Consumer Society 1
MATH 200
Calculus with Analytic Geometry I
or Differential Calculus and Optimization for Business
or Applications of Statistics
3-4
UNIV 112 Play VideoPlay course video for Focused Inquiry II Focused Inquiry II (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) 3
General education course (select BOK to satisfy breadth of knowledge requirement and AOI for diversities in the human experience) 3
 Term Hours: 14-15
Sophomore year
Fall semester
BIOL 151
BIOZ 151
Introduction to Biological Sciences I
and Introduction to Biological Science Laboratory I
4
CHEM 102
CHEZ 102
General Chemistry II
and General Chemistry Laboratory II
4
PHYS 201
General Physics I (satisfies general education AOI for scientific and logical reasoning)
or University Physics I
4-5
UNIV 200 Advanced Focused Inquiry: Literacies, Research and Communication (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) 3
Experiential fine arts (SPCH 321 or other upper-level option recommended) 1-3
 Term Hours: 16-19
Spring semester
BIOL 152
BIOZ 152
Introduction to Biological Sciences II
and Introduction to Biological Science Laboratory II
4
PHYS 202
General Physics II
or University Physics II
4-5
General education course (select BOK to satisfy breadth of knowledge requirement and AOI for creativity, innovation and aesthetic inquiry) 3
Open elective 3
 Term Hours: 14-15
Junior year
Fall semester
BIOL 300 Cellular and Molecular Biology 3
BIOL 317 Ecology 3
ENVS 105
Physical Geology (or 200-level science)
or Physical Geography
3
URSZ 204 Physical Geography Laboratory 1
Foreign language 101 or upper-level minor elective 3
Open elective or upper-level minor elective 2-3
 Term Hours: 15-16
Spring semester
BIOL 310 Genetics 3
ENVS 301 Introduction to Meteorology (or upper-level science elective) 3
BIOZ 310 Laboratory in Genetics (or other upper-level biology laboratory) 2
Foreign language 102 or upper-level minor elective 3
Open elective or upper-level minor elective 3
Open elective 3
 Term Hours: 17
Senior year
Fall semester
ENVS 310 Introduction to Oceanography (or upper-level science elective) 3
One upper-level animal or upper-level plant course, with laboratory 4
Open electives or upper-level minor electives 9
 Term Hours: 16
Spring semester
INSC 490 Capstone Research Experience in Interdisciplinary Science 3
Open electives or upper-level minor electives, as needed 5-6
Upper-level biology electives 6
 Term Hours: 14-15
 Total Hours: 120-127

The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 120.