Microbiology, MS

Program Requirements

The Department of Biological Sciences administers the MS and PhD degree programs in Microbiology. The Microbiology graduate programs includes a wide variety of disciplines with three major emphasis areas: Cellular and Physiological Microbiology, Microbial Genetics and Molecular Microbiology, and Environmental Microbiology.

Applicants to the graduate degree programs in Microbiology must have a bachelor’s or master’s degree and a background of training in biology, microbiology, chemistry, or related field. Undergraduate work in microbiology is desirable but not necessary. All students are expected to have completed organic chemistry, physics, calculus, general biology and genetics. Deficiencies (less than 18 hours total) may be remedied through appropriate coursework completed during the graduate program. Graduate credit is not normally awarded for remedial coursework. Students with more than 18 hours of deficiencies including those with degrees outside of biology, chemistry, or agricultural sciences are encouraged to contact the Department of Biological Sciences to discuss options for fulfilling coursework requirements in preparation for application to the MS and PhD programs.

Candidates for the MS degree must complete 30 hours of graduate credit, including 24 credits of coursework, six credits of thesis research, an acceptable thesis based on original research, and satisfactory performance in a final oral examination. The 30 credits of graduate coursework will include courses from at least three of the following areas: Genetics, Physiology and Metabolism; Pathogenic Microbiology; Environmental and Ecological Microbiology; Technology; and Bioinformatics, Genomics and Statistics.