Bachelor of Arts in Biology

Catalog Year 2025-2027

Based on VCCS Curriculum for BIOLOGY

Transfer Guidance

Guaranteed Admission Agreement Requirements

• This agreement does not guarantee your enrollment in any specific major. By meeting the following criteria, you are guaranteed admission into Randolph-Macon College.

• Transfer-oriented associate degrees include the Associate of Arts (AA), the Associate of Science (AS), and the Associate of Arts & Sciences (AA&S) degrees identified by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) as university-parallel transfer degrees.

• A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher for credits earned at the degree-granting institution is required.

• Students are required to earn a C or higher in each community college course applicable to the transfer degree from a VCCS institution.

• Students must meet all requirements to earn a transfer associate degree as determined by their VCCS institution, including a minimum of 60 credits. Additionally, students who were previously enrolled at RMC and transferred back to a VCCS college to complete the transfer-oriented associate degree are not eligible for participation in this program.

• A student may receive a maximum of 75 semester hours through transfer work from two-year and four-year institutions and/or credit-by-examination (e.g., Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate). Additionally, no more than one-half of a student's major or minor coursework may be completed through transfer credit; at least one-half of the semester hours of the major or minor must be taken at Randolph-Macon.

• Please visit the www.TransferVirginia.org portal to find course requirements for different majors (Transfer Tools) and Transfer Guides that outline course requirements for specific majors. (Resource Center)

Important Links & Dates

• University Transfer Center: www.rmc.edu/transfer

• Admission Application: By June 1 for fall admission and December 1 for spring admission at www.rmc.edu/apply

• Financial Aid: www.rmc.edu/financialaid

• FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid: February 1 for fall semester at studentaid.gov

What Should I Consider When Selecting Courses?

• Create a schedule for all required courses, pay attention to prerequisites and when courses are offered, complete your first math and English courses in your first year. For help, see Transfer Steps and Resource Center at www.TransferVirginia.org

• Connect with an advisor at your community college and Randolph-Macon College within your first year. College Connect available in your account of www.TransferVirginia.org

Is This Degree Right For Me?

• As a biology major at RMC, you'll study living organisms in a program uniquely structured to get you up-close to modern research techniques, state-of-the-art equipment, and hands-on opportunities that will ensure you're ready for your career. Under the tutelage of celebrated faculty mentors, you'll learn techniques like tissue culture of cancerous cells and creating plant DNA mutations using CRISPR, and partner with classmates in small classes rich with active learning.

• The Biology department offers two options for students who major in Biology, one leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree (BA) and the second leads to a Bachelor of Science degree (BS). The Biology major that results in a BS degree requires students to complete several additional courses. All students are free to choose either option and can switch at any point prior to graduation, but the BS version of the major is intended primarily for students who wish to pursue graduate school or professional training after college. For assistance with this decision and other considerations, prospective biology majors should meet with a departmental advisor in their career area(s) of interest at or before the beginning of the sophomore year, or immediately upon transfer.

What Is The Impact On My Degree Of Work I Have Already Completed?

• Associate Transfer Degree Completion: RMC divides its general education requirements into four sections: Effective Communication, The Pillars of the Liberal Arts, Cross-Area Requirements, and Wellness. Students admitted to RMC who meet the terms of this GAA will be granted junior status. Students will be considered as having fulfilled RMC's lower division general education requirements, with the following exclusions and exceptions: Students must complete any additional foreign language coursework necessary to satisfy the Effective Communication requirement of two consecutive courses in a foreign language or completion of a foreign language through the intermediate level (212 or 215). Students must complete the college's Cross-Area Requirements, most of which can be fulfilled through major programs and should not significantly increase the time to completion of degree. These requirements include one course that is designated as non-western, one course that is attentive to diversity and inclusion, one course that is experiential in its delivery, and one course that fulfills the collegiate capstone requirement. When applicable, students may apply courses taken for the VCCS transfer-oriented associate degree program to these remaining requirements.

• Associate Degree Concurrent with High School: This program is not applicable to students earning an associate degree concurrent with high school. High school students earning a concurrent associate degree will apply for admission consideration as a first-year student (not transfer student), and transfer credit will be reviewed on a course-by-course basis.

• Credit for Prior Learning: Students having earned credits through prior learning are still eligible for guaranteed admission. VCCS credit for courses completed through Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Armed Services experiences, and other prior learning assessments will not automatically be eligible for individual transfer to RMC; such courses will be evaluated according to RMC's policy on credit-by-examination.

• Catalog Year: For students maintaining continuous enrollment, this entitlement will be in effect for a minimum of four years from the time of the student's first enrollment at the two-year institution. Students must enroll at the four-year institution within one year of completing their associate degree. Students must complete the degree requirements in effect at the time of their matriculation at RMC.

Is This College Right For Me?

• Students enrolled at Randolph-Macon College attend classes primarily Monday-Friday between 8 am - 5 pm with very few evening courses.

• RMC is a residential college, and all students are generally required to live on campus. To learn more about the residential experience and policy for living off campus: https://www.rmc.edu/campus-life/housing-and-dining/housing/policy-for-li...

• The large majority of RMC coursework is offered in-person and on campus. A very limited selection of online courses is offered in summer sessions.

• Learn more about our college at www.rmc.edu

Did You Know That…

• Completing your Associate transfer degree post-high school satisfies all lower division general education requirements and increases the chance of completing your bachelor's degree.

• Exceeding 3 years or 90 credits at your community college means you may have exhausted your financial aid at that college and limited your future financial aid at RMC.

• 60% of transfer applicants are accepted. You have college experience, and that matters. We strive to make your transition to RMC as seamless as possible. In fact, we have been cited as a Phi Theta Kappa Honor Roll institution for our commitment to our transfer students.

• Learn more about applying at https://www.rmc.edu/admissions-and-aid/how-to-apply/.

What Can I Do With This Degree?

• Our program offers high quality instruction that gives our students the tools and experiences they need to win admission to graduate programs and entry into the careers they seek. An RMC Biology BA degree provides you with a strong foundation for careers in medicine, environmental sciences, research, health sciences, and other related fields.

• Explore possible careers, salaries, and job outlook at www.TransferVirginia.org.

Program Successes & Highlights

• RMC faculty and staff often go the extra mile to connect students to real-world opportunities to explore their path. RMC internships include a variety of options that reflect the many career opportunities in the field of biology. RMC students have interned at Chickahominy Department of Health, Bon Secours Memorial Regional Hospital, Pivot Physical Therapy, Shalom Farms, various dental clinics, and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.

• Our science labs are repeatedly ranked by Princeton Review as among the best in the nation. We have eight teaching labs and twelve research labs containing molecular, cellular, and ecological equipment. Other highlights include a confocal microscope, a transmission electron microscope, mouse and greenhouse facilities, and a forested field site for ecological research.

• Biology happens everywhere! As part of our Tropical Biodiversity course, you'll embark on an international journey with fellow students and biology faculty to explore jungle ecosystems, dive through coastal reefs, and encounter native flora and fauna. Most recently, the course took place in Costa Rica where students hiked a volcano, toured a rainforest, and observed a jungle-based scientific research station up close.

Other Than Classes, Are There Other Program Requirements?

• Students are required to complete a capstone experience in their senior year.

• No more than one half of the courses in a major or minor can be transferred; at least one-half of the semester hours of the major or minor must be taken at Randolph-Macon.