Department of Biology

College of Humanities and Sciences

Current StudentsGive

Apply to Graduate

Here you will find all the information you needs as an undergraduate VCU biology student on when and how to apply to graduate.

When to Apply

Apply to graduate at the beginning of the semester that you will be completing all degree requirements (including all required courses).

Instructions

Please read the following instructions carefully if you are expecting to graduate this semester.

The following three steps must be completed in order for your graduation application to be filed:

  1. Complete the graduation application
  2. Fill out the departmental exit survey
  3. Complete the departmental Google checkout

Make sure to read all of the instructions below and follow them closely.

Graduation Application

Follow the instructions to complete the Records and Registration graduation application.

Biology Exit Survey and Graduation Checkout

Next, complete the Department of Biology Undergraduate Exit Survey and Graduation Checkout. Upon completion of the survey, you will automatically be rerouted to the Graduation Checkout Google form. Note, you will also need to access your Degree Works audit.

Follow these tips for the Graduation Checkout Google form:

  • The name that you enter into the first and last name fields in the Google Checkout form will be how it appears in the Department of Biology graduation presentation. Make sure you spell it correctly. We are not going to double check your spelling. We do not list middle names in the program.
  • For minor(s): Check your degree audit to make sure you minor(s) is listed correctly, if applicable. If a minor needs to be added or removed, please complete a change of minor form.

We will not be able to submit your graduation application until your minor is correctly listed.

Foreign Language Reminder

Check your degree audit to make sure your foreign language is fulfilled. If you still need to complete a foreign language waiver process, please complete it as soon as possible. We will not be able to submit your graduation application until your foreign language waiver is processed.

Degree Audit

Check your degree audit through Degree Works to make sure all degree requirements are completed or in progress, and check your credits. Everything on Degree Works should either show as completed or in progress.

  • Biology major area: You should have a minimum of 40 credits of biology and all course requirements should be completed or in progress. Check to make sure duplicate credits are not counting here.
  • Upper-level area: You should have a minimum of 45 upper-level credits. Check to make sure duplicate credits are not counting here.
  • Total credits: You should have a minimum of 120 total credits. Check to make sure duplicate credits are not counting here.
  • GPA: Your cumulative and major GPA must be a 2.0 or higher at the time of graduation.

Please complete all pages of the degree audit, including information about to-be-completed courses (if applicable) and graduation ceremony information.

If anything looks incorrect on your degree audit (such as a course is missing, course not slotting where you think it should, etc.) please email bioadvising@vcu.edu right away to resolve the issue. It is important that your degree audit accurately reflects completion of degree requirements. All boxes should be green with a check mark or blue with a single squiggly line to indicate it is in progress.

If you are unsure of duplicate credits, please check with a biology adviser. Every semester we have students who cannot graduate due to duplicate credits. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Review Process

Your responses to the above will be submitted to the Department of Biology advising office and will be reviewed by an adviser, who will then electronically submit your application if it is approved.

Completion of the VCU Intent to Graduate and Department of Biology Graduation Checkout does not automatically mean a student has been approved for graduation. You will receive an email from the advising office to update you on the status of your application. This could take several weeks. The adviser will not be able to submit your application unless your major, minor and foreign language are correctly recorded on your degree audit. Fix these issues as soon as possible if they exist.