Microbiology- M.S., Ph.D.

For information, contact:
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Microbiology
212 Pearson Hall, 513-529-5422
microbiology.MiamiOH.edu

Research and Support Facilities

The department provides excellent research facilities and modern instrumentation that supply resources for flow cytometry, DNA sequencing and analysis, bioinformatics, microarrays, computer facilities, high performance liquid chromatography, fluorescence microscopy, and access to confocal microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy.

Admission Requirements

Admission is based on evaluations of each applicant by the department graduate studies committee and faculty approval. You must provide the admission committee with:

  1. an academic record of undergraduate and graduate performance,
  2. scores of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE),
  3. three letters of recommendation, and
  4. a one to two page statement describing research and career goals.

A personal interview is encouraged for M.S. and Ph.D. applicants. The department accepts students with a good background of college study in the biological sciences and chemistry with a foundation in microbiology.

Research opportunities and facilities are available in the major areas of these disciplines: microbial genetics, immunology, pathogenic microbiology, microbial physiology, microbial ecology, molecular biology, bioinformatics, and animal virology.

Microbiology- Master of Science

Program Requirements

(30 semester hours)

The Master of Science in Microbiology requires a minimum of 30 semester hours in graduate credits.

Thesis Option

Upon graduation, M.S. students pursuing the thesis option will have fulfilled the following requirements:

  • Completed four courses chosen from groups I-III below, representing each group.
  • Completed additional courses in groups I-IV below and/or Research for Master’s Thesis (MBI 700) as deemed appropriate by the advisor and thesis committee.
  • Enrolled in Graduate Seminar (MBI 690) each semester.
  • Passed an oral defense of a thesis proposal, approved by a thesis committee of graduate faculty.
  • Conducted a research project approved by the thesis committee and present the project as a written dissertation and in a public seminar.

Non-Thesis Option

Upon graduation, M.S. students pursuing the non-thesis option will have fulfilled the following requirements:

  • Completed four courses chosen from groups I-III below, representing each group.
  • Completed additional courses in groups I-IV below to complete the 30 semester hours.
  • Enrolled in MBI 690 each semester.
  • Passed a final examination based on one's graduate courses.
Group I - Molecular Biology, Structural Biology, and Bioinformatics
MBI 525Microbial Physiology4
MBI 545Microbial Genetics3
MBI 564Human Viruses3
MBI 585Bioinformatics Principles3
Group II - Medical Microbiology, Microbial Ecology, and Cellular Microbiology
MBI 505Medical Bacteriology4
MBI 514Immunology Principles3-4
or MBI 515 Immunology Principles and Practice
MBI 535Medical Mycology3
MBI 575Microbial Ecology: Exploration of the Diverse Roles of Microorganisms in Earth's Ecology4
MBI 595Bacterial Cellular and Developmental Biology3
Group III - Advanced Courses
MBI 605Advanced Molecular Biology3
MBI 606Advanced Cell Biology3
MBI 672Ecosystem and Global Ecology4
Group IV - Electives
BIO 581Theory of Electron Microscopy3
BIO 582Scanning Electron Microscopy Laboratory2
BIO 583Transmission Electron Microscopy Laboratory3
CHM 532Fundamentals of Biochemistry4
CSE 564Algorithms3
MBI 566Bioinformatics Computing Skills3
MBI 677Independent Studies (Up to six credit hours would count towards the degree)0-6
MBI 750Advanced Topics in Microbiology1-3
STA graduate level courses1-3

Microbiology- Doctor of Philosophy

Program Requirements

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology requires a minimum of 60 semester hours in graduate credits beyond the M.S. degree or its equivalent.

Upon graduation, doctoral students will have fulfilled the following requirements:

  • Completed 3 courses from groups I and II, representing both groups, and 2 courses from group III.
  • Completed additional courses in groups I-IV and/or Research for Doctoral Dissertation (MBI 850) as deemed appropriate by the advisor and dissertation committee.
  • Enrolled in Graduate Seminar (MBI 690) or Molecular Biology Seminar (MBI 650) each semester.
  • Enrolled in a literature-intensive course each academic year.
  • Passed a written and oral comprehensive examination administered by a committee of graduate faculty.
  • Passed an oral defense of a dissertation proposal, approved by a dissertation committee of graduate faculty.
  • Conducted a research project approved by the dissertation committee, presented the project as a written thesis and in a public seminar, and submitted a manuscript based on the project for publication in a refereed journal.
  • Passed an oral examination by the dissertation committee in defense of your dissertation.

Doctoral students entering with an M.S. may bypass some or all of the requirements from courses in groups I-IV by demonstrating proficiency in them.

For Ph.D. students interested in strengthening their teaching credentials, the department offers the opportunity for Ph.D. candidates to teach one semester of an introductory lecture course in microbiology under the supervision of a member of the microbiology faculty. This experience can also count towards the Certificate Program in College Teaching.