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2025-2026

Forensic Science, Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)

VCU

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

Associate of Science in Science

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)

Brightpoint 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
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Schedule an advising appointment with your Brightpoint advisor.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes and use tutoring to get ahead.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Explore financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
  • Explore the different concentrations of the forensic science degree: forensic biology, forensic chemistry, and physical evidence.
  • 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
  • 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 Department of Forensic Science, 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 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
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Schedule an advising appointment with your Brightpoint advisor.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes and use tutoring to get ahead.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Explore financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
  • Explore the different concentrations of the forensic science degree: forensic biology, forensic chemistry, and physical evidence.
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
  • 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 Department of Forensic Science, 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 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)

Brightpoint Community College (Associate of Science in Science)

Brightpoint Community College courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV 100 College Success Skills UNIV 101 1 Elective
ENG 111 College Composition I UNIV 111 3 General education
MTH 161 Precalculus l MATH 141 3 General education
CHM 111 General Chemistry I CHEM/Z 101 4 Major
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
Arts/Humanities Elective (select one from approved BCC list) VCU equivalent 3 General education
Communication or Foreign Language (select one from approved BCC list) VCU equivalent 3 to 4 General education
MTH 162 Precalculus ll MATH 151 3 Major
CHM 112 General Chemistry II CHEM/Z 102 4 Major
Social/Behavioral Science Elective (select one from approved BCC list) VCU equivalent 3 General education
MTH 245 Statistics l STAT 210 3 Major
PHY 201 General College Physics I (Additional Course Option: PHY 241) PHYS 201 4 Major
BIO 101 General Biology I BIOL/Z 151 4 Major
Social/Behavioral Science Elective (select one from approved BCC list) VCU equivalent 3 General education
Literature Elective (select one from approved BCC list) VCU equivalent 3 General education
PHY 202 General College Physics II (Additional Course Option: PHY 242) PHYS 202 4 Major
BIO 102 General Biology II BIOL/Z 152 4 Major
History Elective (select one from approved BCC list) VCU equivalent 3 General education
Approved transfer elective: MATH 263 Calculus I MATH 200 4 Major
Brightpoint credits transferred to VCU 60 to 62
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Concentration in Forensic Biology
CHEM 301 Organic Chemistry 3 Major
CHEZ 301 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I 2 Major
CHEM 302 Organic Chemistry II 3 Major
CHEZ 302 Organic Chemistry Laboratory II 2 Major
FRSC 300 Survey of Forensic Science 3 Major
FRSC 309 Scientific Crime Scene Investigation 3 Major
FRSC 365 Forensic Microscopy 3 Major
FRSC 375 Forensic Evidence, Law and Criminal Procedure 3 Major
FRSC 490 Professional Practices in Forensic Science 3 Major
FRSC FRSC major electives (see VCU advisor for course options) 9 Major
BIOL 300 Cellular and Molecular Biology 3 Major
BIOL 310 Genetics 3 Major
BIOZ 476 Molecular Biology Laboratory 2 Major
CHEM 403 Biochemistry I 3 Major
FRSC 385 Forensic Serology 3 Major
FRSC 438 AND FRSZ 438 Forensic Molecular Biology and Forensic Molecular Biology Laboratory 5 Major
FRSC concentration electives: Five credits of BIOL/BIOZ, CHEM/Z or approved FRSC/FRSZ courses (with lab, 300- to 500-level): see VCU advisor for course options 5 Major
Open elective 0 to 2 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 58 to 60
Minimum credits required for bachelor's degree 120
The accelerated B.S. and M.S. program allows academically talented students to earn both the B.S. and M.S. in Forensic Science in a minimum of five and a half years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Minimum qualifications for entrance to this accelerated program include completion of 60 undergraduate credit hours including CHEM 301, CHEZ 301, FRSC 300 and an overall GPA of 3.3.