Science, Bachelor of Science (B.S.) with a concentration in professional science

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 29 to 33 credits in foundation science and mathematics courses and 35 to 39 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.

Grade requirements

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

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

Natural science electives

Natural science laboratory electives

Health science electives

Ethics electives

Research, internship electives

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 semester		Hours
Select one of the following CHEM sequences (satisfies general education BOK for natural sciences and AOI for scientific and logical reasoning):		3-4
CHEM 101 & CHEZ 101	General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Laboratory I	-
CHEM 110	Chemistry and Society	-
MATH 151	Precalculus Mathematics	4
STAT 208 or STAT 210	Statistical Thinking (either satisfies general education quantitative foundations) or Basic Practice of Statistics	3
UNIV 101	Introduction to the University	1
UNIV 111 Play course video for Focused Inquiry I	Focused Inquiry I (satisfies general education UNIV foundations)	3
	Term Hours:	14-15
Spring semester
Select one of the following sequences:		4-5
BIOL 101 & BIOZ 101	Biological Concepts and Biological Concepts Laboratory	-
BIOL 151 & BIOZ 151	Introduction to Biological Sciences I and Introduction to Biological Science Laboratory I	-
BIOL 152 & BIOZ 152	Introduction to Biological Sciences II and Introduction to Biological Science Laboratory II	-
CHEM 102 & CHEZ 102	General Chemistry II and General Chemistry Laboratory II	-
PHYS 101 & PHYZ 101	Foundations of Physics and Foundations of Physics Laboratory	-
PHYS 107	Wonders of Technology	-
PHYS 201	General Physics I	-
PHYS 207	University Physics I	-
HUMS 202	Choices in a Consumer Society	1
MATH 200 or SCMA 212 or STAT 314	Calculus with Analytic Geometry I or Differential Calculus and Optimization for Business or Applications of Statistics	3-4
UNIV 112 Play course video for Focused Inquiry II	Focused Inquiry II (satisfies general education UNIV foundations)	3
General education course		3
	Term Hours:	14-16
Sophomore year
Fall semester
Select one of the following BIOL sequences:		4
BIOL 101 & BIOZ 101	Biological Concepts and Biological Concepts Laboratory	-
BIOL 151 & BIOZ 151	Introduction to Biological Sciences I and Introduction to Biological Science Laboratory I	-
BIOL 152 & BIOZ 152	Introduction to Biological Sciences II and Introduction to Biological Science Laboratory II	-
Select one of the following PHYS sequences:		4-5
PHYS 101 & PHYZ 101	Foundations of Physics and Foundations of Physics Laboratory	-
PHYS 107	Wonders of Technology	-
PHYS 202	General Physics II	-
PHYS 208	University Physics II	-
UNIV 200	Advanced Focused Inquiry: Literacies, Research and Communication (satisfies general education UNIV foundations)	3
General education course (select AOI for diversities in the human experience)		3
General education course (select select BOK to satisfy breadth of knowledge requirement and AOI for creativity, innovation and aesthetic inquiry)		3
	Term Hours:	17-18
Spring semester
Select one of the following combinations or a 200-level science with laboratory:		4
ENVS 105 & URSZ 204	Physical Geology and Physical Geography Laboratory	-
URSP 204 & URSZ 204	Physical Geography and Physical Geography Laboratory	-
Select a second introductory science course (with laboratory) in one of the following three areas: biology, chemistry or physics		4
Experiential fine arts (SPCH 321, ARTE 301 or other upper-level option recommended)		1-3
General education course (select BOK to satisfy breadth of knowledge requirement)		3
Open elective		3
	Term Hours:	15-17
Junior year
Fall semester
Select one of the following or upper-level science:		3
INSC 300	Experiencing Science	-
ENVS 368 or ENGL 368	Nature Writing or Nature Writing	-
PHYS 103	Elementary Astronomy	3
PHYZ 103	Elementary Astronomy Laboratory (or Introduction to Pre-Health topics course, or a 200-level science with laboratory)	1
Ethics or other health-related science		3
Foreign language 101, upper-level open elective or minor elective		3
General education course (if no science selection above satisfies AOI for scientific and logical reasoning) or open elective		3
	Term Hours:	16
Spring semester
Select one of the following:		3
BIOL 317	Ecology	-
BIOL 332 or ENVS 330	Environmental Pollution or Environmental Pollution	-
ENVS 315 or PHYS 315	Energy and the Environment or Energy and the Environment	-
ENVS 310 or ENVS 411	Introduction to Oceanography (or upper-level science) or Oceanography	3
Additional course at the 200-level or higher in mathematics, science, teaching mathematics and/or science with adviser’s approval		3
Foreign language 102, upper-level open elective or minor elective		3
Upper-level open elective or minor elective		3
	Term Hours:	15
Senior year
Fall semester
BIOL 341/ANTH 301	Human Evolution (or upper-level science)	4
ENVS 301 or ENVS 401	Introduction to Meteorology or Meteorology and Climatology	3
Additional course at the 200-level or higher in mathematics, science, teaching mathematics and/or science with adviser’s approval		3
Select a second introductory science course (with laboratory) in a second of the following three areas: biology, chemistry or physics		4
Upper-level open elective or minor elective		1-2
	Term Hours:	15-16
Spring semester
INSC 490	Capstone Research Experience in Interdisciplinary Science	3
Research, internship or upper-level service-learning experience		3
Upper-level open electives or minor electives		8-9
	Term Hours:	14-15
	Total Hours:	120-128

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

Accelerated B.S. and M.S.

The accelerated B.S. and M.S. program allows qualified students to earn both the B.S. in Science with a concentration in professional science and M.S. in Medical Laboratory Sciences categorical concentration in a minimum of five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Students in the accelerated program may count up to 10 hours of graduate courses toward both the B.S. and M.S. degrees. Thus, the two degrees may be earned with a minimum of 144 credits rather than the 154 credits necessary if the two degrees are pursued separately.

Students holding these degrees will be adequately trained to enter the medical laboratory workforce. A severe shortage of medical laboratory professionals is occurring throughout the United States and has worsened with the COVID pandemic demands for laboratory testing.

Entrance to the accelerated program

Interested undergraduate students should consult with their adviser as early as possible to receive specific information about the accelerated program, determine academic eligibility and submit (no later than two semesters prior to graduating with a baccalaureate degree, that is, before the end of the spring semester of their junior year) an Accelerated Program Declaration Form to be approved by the graduate program director. Limited spaces may be available in the accelerated program. Academically qualified students may not receive approval if capacity has been reached.

Minimum qualifications for entrance to this accelerated program include completion of 90 undergraduate credit hours including UNIV 111, UNIV 112 and UNIV 200; CHEM 101 and CHEZ 101, CHEM 102 and CHEZ 102, CHEM 301 and CHEZ 301, or CHEM 309 and CHEZ 309; 12 credits of biology; MATH 151 or higher; general education requirements; and an overall GPA of 3.0. 

Once enrolled in the accelerated program, students must meet the standards of performance applicable to graduate students as described in the “Satisfactory academic progress” section of the Graduate Bulletin, including maintaining a 3.0 GPA. Guidance to students admitted to the accelerated program is provided by both the undergraduate adviser for the science program and the faculty adviser to the graduate program.

Admission to the graduate program

Entrance to the accelerated program enables the student to take the approved shared courses that will apply to the undergraduate and graduate degrees. However, entry into an accelerated program via an approved Accelerated Program Declaration Form does not constitute application or admission into the graduate program. Admission to the graduate program requires a separate step that occurs through a formal application. In order to continue pursuing the master’s degree after the baccalaureate degree is conferred, accelerated students must follow the admission to graduate study requirements outlined in the VCU Bulletin.

Degree requirements

The Bachelor of Science in Science with a concentration in professional science degree will be awarded upon completion of a minimum of 120 credits and the satisfactory completion of all undergraduate degree requirements as stated in the Undergraduate Bulletin.

A maximum of 10 graduate credits may be taken prior to completion of the baccalaureate degree and will substitute for required major course credits for the undergraduate degree. These courses are shared credits with the graduate program, meaning that they will be applied to both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements.

The graduate medical laboratory sciences courses that may be taken as an undergraduate, once a student is admitted to the program, and may be counted toward both B.S. and M.S. degrees are:

Recommended course sequence/plan of study

What follows is the recommended plan of study for students interested in the accelerated program beginning in the fall of the first year, prior to admission to the accelerated program in the second year. Each of the specialty areas of the categorical concentrations is outlined below.

Clinical chemistry specialty

Hematology specialty

Immunohematology specialty¹

Microbiology specialty