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:
- an academic record of undergraduate and graduate performance,
- scores of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE),
- three letters of recommendation, and
- 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
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MBI 525 | Microbial Physiology | 4 |
| MBI 545 | Microbial Genetics | 3 |
| MBI 564 | Human Viruses | 3 |
| MBI 585 | Bioinformatics Principles | 3 |
Group II - Medical Microbiology, Microbial Ecology, and Cellular Microbiology
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MBI 505 | Medical Bacteriology | 4 |
| MBI 514 | Immunology Principles | 3-4 |
| or MBI 515 | Immunology Principles and Practice | |
| MBI 535 | Medical Mycology | 3 |
| MBI 575 | Microbial Ecology: Exploration of the Diverse Roles of Microorganisms in Earth's Ecology | 4 |
| MBI 595 | Bacterial Cellular and Developmental Biology | 3 |
Group III - Advanced Courses
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MBI 605 | Advanced Molecular Biology | 3 |
| MBI 606 | Advanced Cell Biology | 3 |
| MBI 672 | Ecosystem and Global Ecology | 4 |
Group IV - Electives
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 581 | Theory of Electron Microscopy | 3 |
| BIO 582 | Scanning Electron Microscopy Laboratory | 2 |
| BIO 583 | Transmission Electron Microscopy Laboratory | 3 |
| CHM 532 | Fundamentals of Biochemistry | 4 |
| CSE 564 | Algorithms | 3 |
| MBI 566 | Bioinformatics Computing Skills | 3 |
| MBI 615 | Communicating Science: Papers, Proposals, and Presentations | 2 |
| MBI 677 | Independent Studies (Up to six credit hours would count towards the degree) | 0-6 |
| MBI 750 | Advanced Topics in Microbiology | 1-3 |
| STA graduate level courses | 1-3 | |
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.