College of Humanities & Sciences

Before initiating a change of major, concentration or minor, students should contact the office administering the program of study and carefully review the requirements and prerequisites. Credits previously earned at Virginia Commonwealth University or another university may not be applicable to the new academic program.

To request a program change, students should submit the Change of Major/Concentration Form or the Change of Minor Form. The change becomes official after Records and Registration has received authorization from the appropriate school dean, department chair or program head.

Changes made through the add/drop period will apply toward the current semester. Changes made after the add/drop period are effective for the following fall or spring semester, and changes made during the summer sessions are effective for the following fall semester.

• Students Changing FROM Forensic Science to something else are NOT required to meet with their Forensic Science advisor prior to changing their major. Students should contact the program to which they wish to change directly.

• Students Changing TO Forensic Science from something else are required to meet with the Forensic Science advisor to finalize the change of major process to discuss the professional behavioral expectations associated with the major, their individual progression in required coursework, and impact to graduation timeline.  Students should schedule an appointment with the Forensic Science advisor, Madeline Goldman, at goldmanmb@vcu.edu.

If you are interested in the Forensic Science major, please review this presentation for more information about our major, concentrations, faculty, and behavioral expectations for the field.

Pre-professional programs

Students interested in a pre-professional program may select one of these advising tracks in addition to their current major. Attend a Program Interest Workshop for more information. Contact University Academic Advising with questions.

• Pre-dentistry
• Pre-law
• Pre-medicine
• Pre-optometry
• Pre-physical therapy
• Pre-veterinary medicine
• Pre-occupational therapy
• Pre-radiation science 

 The VCU Bulletin states:

Dual Degrees are the concurrent fulfillment of the requirements of two majors and two degrees. To earn dual degrees, the student must fulfill all the requirements of the degree programs in both majors, the general education requirements of the primary degree, including the University Core curriculum, and complete an additional 30 credit hours above the minimum hour degree requirement of the primary degree.

Therefore to earn a dual degree in Forensic Science and Chemistry you will need to complete CHEM 398 (Chemistry University Capstone) in addition to completing FRSC 490 (Forensic Science University Capstone) while also fulfilling all other courses and electives within both the Forensics Science and Chemistry majors.

A separate graduation application must be filed for each major and degree the student plans to complete. Students should indicate double majors and dual degrees in the appropriate fields on each application.

Please note that students do NOT receive an additional diploma for double majors – the double major is simply noted on the student’s transcript.

VCU Students may ask that their high school foreign language courses be evaluated by completing the Language Verification Form

Transfer students must include an official copy of their high school transcript along with the completed Language Verification Form

Completed Language Verification Forms and Official (unopened) high school transcripts may be delivered or mailed directly to the Office of Student Services in Founder's Hall, Room 102 (827 W Franklin St)

All students entering VCU with prior knowledge of a foreign language who plan to enroll in respective foreign language classes at VCU must first take the Placement Test.

VCU students can take the foreign language placement test in French, German, Latin, Russian, Chinese, and Spanish in the World Studies Media Center Monday-Friday, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm.

VCU students may take the test on a walk-in basis. It takes 20-30 minutes to complete a test.

Please read the Placement Guidelines before taking a placement test.

Bring your student ID.

Native and heritage speakers of languages other than French, German, Spanish, or Russian may be eligible to have the Foreign Language requirement waived. For more information, visit this site.

How do I let the University know I intend to graduate?

Students are notified by email from the Univeristy Registrar that graduation applications are available for the given semester.

Graduation checkout is completely online through eServices.  Completing the online application notifies your Academic Advisor you intend to graduate.  Failure to apply will result in a 1-2 semester delay of graduation.

The University Calendar outlines deadlines for application each semester.

When is Graduation?

University Commencement dates are detailed on the University Calendar.  The Commencement Website is updated each semester.

The Department of Forensic Science graduation ceremony is held the same day as University Commencement exercises in the afternoon, but times vary each semester.  Graduating students will receive an email from the Department Coordinator after completing the application process through eServices.

How many tickets do I get for the Department ceremony?

The number of tickets students receive each semester varies. In order to ensure each student is able to bring guests, plan to receive a maximum of 4 tickets.

When do I receive my diploma?

May, August, and December diplomas are available for pickup during allotted times or mailed approximately 4 to 6 weeks after the graduation date.

Visit the Records & Registration Website for more details.

Is there a commencement ceremony for students who graduate in August?

No. there is no commencement ceremony help in August. August graduates are included in the December Commencement Program.

August graduates completing 6 or fewer credits in the Summer semester are eligible to apply to "walk" in the May Commencement Exercises. See your advisor for details.

Can I graduate in the Spring and still take a class in the Summer?

Yes, however you must re-enroll as a non-degree seeker or be admitted to another degree program. Courses taken after the awarding of your degree cannot be applied to that program.

Students who repeat courses for which they earned a “D” or “F” grade must complete and submit this form at the beginning of the semester they repeat the course.

More information about the Repeat Course Option policy is located in the Bulletin.

You may make an appointment to bring this form to your advisor to discuss if you’d like, but you may submit the form to Records & Registration on your own.

The Historical Repeat Course Option Form

• May be downloaded from the Records and Registration Website
• May be obtained from the Forms Bins outside the Forensic Science Advising Office (Harris Hall South, 2nd floor)
• May be obtained during an Advising Appointment with Lyndsay

This form should be turned in to the Records & Registration Dropbox in the Student Services Center on the first floor of Harris Hall; the Dropbox is located on the left-hand side adjacent to the computers

Historical Repeat Forms are due before the last week of classes in the semester you are repeating the course. We highly recommend that you turn this form in as soon as you are registered to repeat the course. 

Repeat coursework & Impact on Financial Aid

Under federal regulations, any course that has been passed with a “D” or higher can only be taken one additional time. Repeated attempts after that will not be eligible for financial aid.

Department of Forensic Science Undergraduate Registration & Override Policy

• All courses are open with limited seating throughout the advanced registration period.

• Once a course fills (or a student is unable to register for any reason), students must request an override using the form located at go.vcu.edu/frscoverride.  The form allows students to select the section and reason for which they are requesting an override (size, prerequisite, college/major/level restriction, etc.).

  • This process oftentimes identifies students who have not registered on time but need the course to graduate on time

• Override requests are reviewed and monitored by the Undergraduate Academic Advisor and Associate Department Chair.

1. Students graduating in the semester for which they are registering receive first priority.  After need for “graduating this semester” students is assessed, priority is given to students to facilitate them staying on track with prerequisite course sequencing.

Priority for remaining override consideration is based on concentration as listed below:

2. Priority for all FRSC and FRSZ courses will be given to students who register on time and are taking the class for the first time.

3. Override requests for the following courses are evaluated by the Undergraduate Academic Advisor:

FRSC 300, FRSC 309, FRSC 325, FRSC 365, FRSC 375, FRSC 385, FRSC 391*, FRSC/Z 400, FRSC 410, FRSC 412, FRSC/Z 438, FRSC 445, FRSC 492¹, FRSC 493², FRSC 566*, FRSC 520*

* responsibility for these course overrides is shared with the Department Coordinator

Requests for any of the above courses should be sent through the go.vcu.edu/frscoverride request form.

¹FRSC 492 Independent Study Registration Process

For more information, visit the Independent Study page.

• Student meets with Faculty Mentor to discuss project and sign contract

• Signed contract provided to Undergraduate Director

• Undergraduate Director requests Academic Advisor provide necessary override for student

• Proposal sent to Undergraduate Director by 5pm on the 7th business day following the start of classes for evaluation

• Final Project sent to Undergraduate Director by the first day of final exams for archiving

²FRSC 493 Internship

For more information, visit the Internships page.

• Student obtains internship and completes contract

• Student meets with Undergraduate Director

• Undergraduate Director requests Academic Advisor provide necessary override for student

Override requests for Graduate level coursework (with the exception of FRSC 566 and FRSC 520) are managed by the Department Coordinator.

Students who wish to complete coursework at an institution other than VCU must complete the Request to Take Courses Elsewhere Form

Students taking courses at an Institution outside VCU should consult the Course Equivalency Table.  IB, AP, and other sources of credit are addressed in the VCU Undergraduate Bulletin.

Upon completion, students must request that an official copy of their final transcripts is sent to the

VCU Transfer Center

900 Park Avenue

Box 842532

Richmond, VA 23284-2532

Students repeating coursework must be mindful that in order to qualify for the Historical Repeat Course Option, courses must be repeated at VCU.  Transfer coursework may satisfy the credit, but will not replace the first attempt in your VCU GPA.

Guides for appropriate course sequencing along with projected graduation timelines can be found at this link.

Please note: this is a suggested timeline and will vary depending on each student's progress in the major.  

Not all required courses are listed; listed courses indicate the last possible semester the course can be taken to still meet a particular graduation goal.

The Sequencing Guide can be accessed here.

Depending on a student's chosen concentration, elective credits may be required.

Because a course is on this list does not imply that it is the most applicable choice for you. We encourage you to think about what coursework will best prepare you for your career.

Note: on your Degree Works page, Advanced Credits are now called Concentration Electives.

Courses are not guaranteed to be taught in all semesters; please see notes about availability.

This list was generated based on historical offerings. Course availability is subject to change; this list should be used for planning purposes and schedules should be made in consultation with your advisor.

Pre/co-requisites should be checked in the University Undergraduate Bulletin.

If you wish to register for one of these courses and cannot, please see information on this page about Override Requests.

Click here to access the list of Concentration Elective Options

Yes! Music classes will satisfy your experiential fine arts requirement!

Check out this list of Music Classes for non majors for on-the-stage and in-the-classroom courses open to non-music majors. This is a great opportunity for musically-inclined students to fulfill their experiential arts requirement!

For more information, please contact the Music Department at music@vcu.edu.

How to Register for Classes

Log into eServices using your myVCU portal.  Use this process first.

There is a digital tutorial for Schedule Planner here 

1. Select the Student tab

2. Go to Registration

3. Select Schedule Planner

4. >>Fall 2017

5. >>Monroe Park Campus

6. Use the ‘Add Course’ function to look for the courses listed above

7. Once you’ve added all the courses recommended on your transfer sheet, make sure they all have checks in the boxes next to them to include them in your schedule in the Schedule Planner software

8. Select ‘Generate Schedules’

Possible Error messages:

• “XXXX 000 does not have any available options with the settings you have selected. Click 'View/Edit' in the courses grid to view options”

  • this may happen if the only times for this course overlap with others you’ve selected or if all sections of this course are full

  • what do you do? uncheck the box next to this course name and select ‘Generate Schedules’ again to create a schedule excluding this conflict then use the process listed below to add the conflicting course.

To add a course or make changes to your schedule later, use this process.

There is a digital tutorial for this process here.

1. Select the Student tab

2. Go to Registration

3. Select Look up Classes

4. >>Fall 2017

5. Use the menu to look for the department in which the course is housed

6. Select ‘View Sections’ of the specific course you’re looking for

7. Once you find the section you wish to register for, place a checkmark in the box to the left of that section

8. Select ‘Register’ at the bottom of the page to enroll in the course

Possible Error messages:

• There is a C instead of an open box next to the section you want

  • this section is closed

  • what do you do? look for another section that fits in your schedule. Not an option?  Keep watching until Add/Drop as other students make changes to their schedules - a seat may become available.

To drop a course :

reminder: this must be done before August 30 at 11:59pm to avoid financial and grade implications

this is the end of the add/drop period for the fall semester

1. Select the Student tab

2. Go to Registration

3. Select Add or Drop Classes

4. Use the dropdown menu next to the course you wish to drop to select ‘Web Drop’