Program Overview
The M.S. in Microbiology program provides a comprehensive foundation in microbiology, fostering critical thinking, research skills, and laboratory proficiency. It offers interdisciplinary research opportunities in areas such as host-microbe interactions, environmental microbiology, and biotechnology, preparing graduates for careers in research, industry, and academia. The program emphasizes research training, including laboratory rotations, graduate seminars, and a master's thesis, equipping students with the skills necessary for success in the field.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The M.S. in Microbiology combines a dynamic curriculum in various areas with interdisciplinary research opportunities at the frontiers of microbiology, host-microbe interactions, and environmental microbiology. This program equips graduates for successful careers in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, academic and government research laboratories, and as preparation for doctoral programs, medical school, and health-related professional programs.
Objectives:
- Provide a strong foundation in microbiology theory and practice and sub-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary knowledge.
- Develop critical analysis and interpretation skills of primary literature.
- Foster the ability to integrate knowledge through synthesizing research questions and hypotheses, designing, executing, and interpreting research, and contextualizing contributions to the field of study.
- Enhance competency in laboratory safety and specialized microbiological methods.
- Promote the communication of the meaning and value of scholarship across formal and informal forums.
Outline:
Research Areas:
- Host-microbe interactions, parasitology, and immunology
- Environmental microbiology
- Signal transduction pathways
- Molecular microbiology
- Genomics and bioinformatics
- Microbial ecology and evolution
- Biotechnology
Core Courses:
- MCBS 899 Master's Thesis (6-10 credits)
- Two graduate-level courses at the 800 or 900 level in the area of microbiology
Approved Elective Courses:
- BIOL 804 Plant-Microbe Interactions
- MICR 805 Immunology
- MICR 815 Immunology Laboratory
- GEN 804 Genetics of Prokaryotic Microbes
- GEN 813 Microbial Ecology and Evolution
- GEN 817 Molecular Microbiology
- NR 806 Soil Ecology
- ANFS 933 Design, Analysis, and Interpretation of Experiments
- BCHM 825 Cell Phenotyping and Tissue Engineering Laboratory
- BCHM 853 Cell Culture
- BCHM 854 Molecular Biology Research Methods
- BIOL 811 Experimental Design & Analysis
- BIOL 902 Writing and Publishing Science
- BIOL 950 Scientific Communication
- GEN 812 Programming for Bioinformatics
- GRAD 891 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Preparation
- GRAD 930 Ethics in Research and Scholarship
- LSA 900 College Teaching
- MATH 835 Statistical Methods for Research
- MCBS 901 Introduction to Research in the Life Sciences
- MCBS 913 Applied Bioinformatics
- MCBS 910 Cell Signaling Networks Across the Kingdoms
- NR 905 Grant Writing
- NR 909 Analysis of Ecological Communities and Complex Data
Assessment:
- Thesis and formal defense
- Submission of at least one manuscript for publication to a peer-reviewed journal
- Satisfactory completion of all coursework
Teaching:
- Research opportunities with faculty advisors
- Interdisciplinary research training
- Well-equipped research laboratories and core facilities on campus
- Laboratory rotations upon entry to the program
- Weekly graduate student seminar presentations
- Departmental seminar series of invited speakers
- Teaching experience as a Graduate Teaching Assistant
Careers:
- Research scientists in biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries
- Lab managers in academic research labs, research institutes, and government agencies
- Preparation for doctoral programs and professional health programs (e.g., medical school)
