Concentrations: Ecology and Environmental Biology, Microbiology, Neuroscience
Major requirements and their VCCS equivalents (and RBC equivalents if applicable)
NOTE: The word "AND" between VCCS course numbers indicate JMU credit will be awarded for the completion of the VCCS sequence.
JMU Course: BIO 140, 140L, 150, 150L, Foundations of Biology I and II
- VCCS equivalents: BIO 101, 102
- RBC equivalents: BIO 101, 102
JMU Course: CHEM 131, 131L, 132, 132L, General Chemistry I and II
- VCCS equivalents: CHEM 111, 112
- RBC equivalents: CHEM 101, 102
- NOTE: Labs must be in-person, supervised experiences.
JMU Course: MATH 235, Calculus I
- VCCS equivalents: MTH 263
- RBC equivalents: MATH 251
- NOTE: Calculus is no longer required; depending on what your goals are, you may choose to take another statistics course at JMU in place of calculus.
JMU Course: MATH 220, Elementary Statistics
- VCCS equivalents: MTH 155 or MTH 245
- RBC equivalents: MATH 217
JMU Course: PHYS 140, 140L, 150, 150L, College Physics I and II
- VCCS equivalents: PHY 201, 202 or PHY 241, 242
- RBC equivalents: PHYS 101, 102
JMU Course: CHEM 241, Organic Chemistry I and CHEM 242, Organic Chemistry II (see note)
- VCCS equivalents: CHM 241 and 242 and 243 and 244
- RBC equivalents: CHEM 230 and 231
- NOTE: Students who complete a full year of organic chemistry at the community college will receive credit for the both CHEM 241 and 242 at JMU. Labs must be in-person, supervised experiences. Please note that the major only requires CHEM 241; students may elect to take CHEM 242 but there are other course options if they choose not to. Both courses must be taken at VCCS/RBC to receive credit at JMU.
JMU Course: BIO 245, 245L General Microbiology
- VCCS equivalents: BIO 150 or 205 or NAS 185
- RBC equivalents: BIO 211
- NOTE: For the Microbiology concentration.
JMU Course: PSYC 160, Life Span Human Development
- VCCS equivalents: PSY 230 or 231 and 232
- RBC equivalents: PSY 250
- NOTE: Required for students pursuing teacher licensure.
JMU Course: EDUC 200, Foundations of American Education
- VCCS equivalents: EDU 200
- RBC equivalents: No equivalent
- NOTE: Required for students pursuing teacher licensure.
Advising Notes
Please Read: This major guide is a list of all possible major courses offered in the Virginia Community College System. Not all courses may be offered at your community college, and you are not required to complete all these courses in order to transfer. Rather, it’s designed to help you meet JMU major requirements before you transfer, and be better prepared to progress through the major once you arrive at JMU. Please be sure to read the advising notes for additional information on the major.
- Students who transfer in with an approved associate degree are considered to have met all of JMU's general education requirements. These students will have only math and science courses left to complete their degree at JMU. Because of course sequencing and the rigor of the curriculum, students with associate degrees should be prepared to spend up to 3 years at JMU to complete their degree.
- Students seeking teacher licensure in biology must also complete the pre-professional secondary education program that leads to a one-year Master of Arts in Teaching degree (5-year program). All education students must apply and be admitted to Teacher Education. See the admission requirements and use the links below to learn more about the application process.
For more information:
