Department of Microbiology
Microbiology Graduate Course Offerings
During your first semester, you will take two core courses designed to provide a strong background in cell physiology, biochemistry, and genetics. Subsequent course work is selected to complement your interests and area of research.
Courses in the Department of Microbiology are designed to give you a broad and thorough background in cell physiology, biochemistry, bacterial diversity, and genetics. Below is a list of course requirements in the Ph.D. program:
First Year
- All students need to take the MCB core courses, MCB 501 and 502.
- All students need to take MCB 580 ("Research Ethics and Responsibilities") prior to graduation. It is strongly recommended that this course be taken in the spring semester of the first year of graduate school.
Second–Fifth years
- All students need to take either CHEM 440B (Fall semester; this course if preferred) or BIOCH 346 (Spring semester).
- All students need to take MICR 595 ("Microbiology Graduate Seminar") every semester. This course is a seminar-series based course. Students should attend all departmental seminars (Thursdays at 4 p.m.) and all student seminars (Tuesdays at 4 p.m.). Students are strongly encouraged to attend all Training Grant seminars (4-5 per year) and all School of MCB Distinguished Lectures (4-5 per year).
- Students are strongly encouraged to take MCB 423 ("Evolution in a Microbial World").
- All students need to take three 400-500 level microbiology courses (not counting MCB 423) and three MICR 590 graduate discussion courses that are associated with these courses. Other 400-500 level courses outside Microbiology may be substituted if this is approved by the student's advisor and by the grad student advisors.
- All students should be enrolled in either MICR 590 (Independent research with your thesis advisor's call number: use this course before you pass your prelim) or MICR 599 (Independent research with your thesis advisor's call number: use this course after you pass your prelim).
- Students acting as TAs need to register for 14 credit hours of research and classes to be considered full time; students who are not TAs need to sign up for 16 credit hours of research and classes. The extra credit hours needed after signing up for classes should be assigned to MICR 590 or MICR 599, as appropriate.