The Microbiology Graduate Program (MGP) provides post-graduate education in the basic science disciplines, including microbiology, immunology, and food safety while embracing an integrative approach to science. Students will develop a broad academic foundation with a concentration in at least one science discipline. The general focus will be on microbiology and microbial pathogens of domestic animals and humans, with an emphasis on infectious diseases and host responses. Graduates will find employment in academic, government, and private institutions.
Admission to the program is linked to a commitment by a Microbiology faculty member to mentor the student and assure adequate support for the student to successfully complete the degree. Therefore, Microbiology graduate students have the advantage of a designated graduate advisor from the outset. Limited numbers of Graduate Assistantships are available through the School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences.
School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences
The School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences (ACBS) brings together animal scientists, veterinarians, microbiologists and others to offer the strongest possible programs in research, education and outreach. This school was formed in order to offer more integrated research and educational opportunities in the animal and biomedical sciences.
College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
University of Arizona - Main - Tucson
Eligibility criteria include:
Applicant must be a continuing University of Arizona undergraduate with a minimum CGPA of ≥ 3.3.
Completion of ≥ 75 undergraduate units at the time of application and ≥ 90 undergraduate units at the time of entry into the program.
Completion of ≥ 12 undergraduate major credits at The University of Arizona.
Completion or near completion of general education requirements.
Applications will be accepted from students who have reached an agreement with a faculty member to serve as a mentor and who have applied to the Graduate College in the standard manner. Students in their junior (3rd) year should submit an application to the AMP prior to January 1st.
GRE scores aren't required if applying to the Accelerated MS program.
Graduate status will be granted once the student has completed their undergraduate degree. Then, students are charged at the graduate rate and will be eligible for graduate assistantships. Students who complete 12 graduate units, but not the undergraduate degree, will be considered as graduate students for financial aid and tuition purposes.
Domestic Applicants:
International Applicants:
International applicants will not be considered for conditional admission by this program.
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After acceptance into the Accelerated Masters Program, students register to take a combination of undergraduate and graduate courses during their final year to complete their Bachelor’s degree. During this first year in the AMP, students will meet with their advisors to plan their graduate research. Once the student’s bachelor’s degree has been completed the student will focus on their remaining graduate coursework and their research-based thesis in order to complete the requirements for the Master’s degree.
Once a student is admitted into the AMP they may take up to 12 units of graduate coursework, which may apply toward both their Bachelor’s degree and their Master’s degree. During this time students will be charged at the undergraduate rate and retain undergraduate scholarship eligibility. At least 12 graduate credits must be taken while in graduate status, after completing all degree requirements for the bachelor’s.
The degree program requires ≥ 30 units of specified graduate coursework and includes the following:
ACBS 696A Research Seminar, 2 units, minimum grade required: B. Students should enroll in, and present a seminar, at least once per academic year. Irrespective of registration, however, MGP graduate students are required to attend seminar each semester, unless there is a course scheduling conflict on the days that seminar is scheduled. Attendance will be monitored and recorded in the student’s annual progress report.
MIC 595A Critical Evaluation of Scientific Literature, 3 units
Graded Coursework,12 units (see list below). Decision about these courses is made in conjunction with Major Advisor
MIC 900 Research, 9 units
MIC 910 Thesis, 6 units
Minimum GPA in core coursework: 3.0
Beyond the few required courses, each student will work with his research mentor and graduate committee to develop a curriculum tailored to individual needs. The following list includes courses that have been taken by current/former students in the program. Note: course offerings may be in flux – please refer to the course catalog to make sure that specific courses in the following list are still being offered.
STATISTICS & COMPUTATION
BE 513 Applied Biostatistics 3 units
PSY 510 Statistics Fundamentals 3 units
BIOS 576A Biostatistics for Public Health 3 units
MCB 516A Statistics Bioinfo and Genomic Analysis 3 units
RNR 620 Working with Ecological Data with R 2 units
MICROBIAL GROUPS
MIC 520 Pathogenic Bacteriology (online/hybrid) 3 units
PLP 527R General Mycology (in-person/online) 3 units
PLP 611 Comparative Virology 3 units
MIC 533 Medical and Molecular Virology 4 units
MIC 503R Biology of Animal Parasites 3 units
GENETICS, CELL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
PLP 528R Microbial Genetics (in-person/online) 3 units
MCB 573 Recombinant DNA Methods and Techniques 4 units
BIOC 568 Nucleic Acids, Metabolism, and Signaling 4 units
MCB 539 Methods in Cell Biology and Genomics 3 units
MCB 577 Principles of Cell Biology 4 units
MCB 572A Cell Systems 4 units
FOCUSED COURSES FOR SPECIFIC ACBS MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORIES
MIC 530 Food Microbiology & Biotechnology 3 units
MIC 530L Advanced Food Science & Microbiology Laboratory 2 units
ENVS 525 Environmental Microbiology 3 units
ENVS 526 Environmental Microbiology Lab 2 units
MIC 550 Veterinary Microbiology 3 units
ACBS 556 Aquaculture 3 units
ACBS 543 Research Animal Methods 3 units
MICROBES, IMMUNITY & DISEASE
MIC 519 General Immunological Concepts 4 units
PLP 552 Antibiotics- A Biological Perspective 3 units
IMB 501 Medical Microbiology and Immunology 4 units
IMB 548 Basic and Advanced Immunology 3 units
IMB 565 Principles and Molecular Mechanisms of Microbe-Host Interactions 3 units
IMB 605 Medical Immunology & Infectious Disease (hybrid) 4 units
ENTO 532 Comparative Immunology 3 units
ACBS 566 Principles of Disease 3 units
EPIDEMIOLOGY & PUBLIC HEALTH
EPID 573A Basic Principles in Epidemiology (in-person/online) 3 units
EPID 573B Epidemiologic Methods 3 units
HPS 529 Project Design & Implementation in Global Health (online) 3 units
PHPM 574 Public Health Policy and Management 3 units
EHS 575 Environmental and Occupational Health (online) 3 units
ENTR 548 Healthcare Entrepreneurship 3 units
OTHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES
ENVS 508 Scientific Writing for Environmental, Agricultural and Life Sciences 3 units
SLHS 649 Survival Skills and Ethics 3 units
CMM 696B Research Seminar 1 unit
CHEM 595A Professional Development 1 unit
OTHER SPECIALIZED COURSES
ABS 593A Internship in Applied Bioscience 1-6 units
BIOC 548A Plant Biochemistry and Metabolic Engineering (online) 3 units
ENVS 564 Environmental Organic Chemistry 3 units
ACBS 570 Animals and Ecosystems (hybrid) 3 units
ACBS 571 Risk Assessment, Management, and Communication 3 units
NSC 696B Nutrition Seminar 3 units
MCB 696E Science, Society and Ethics 1 unit
None
Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.
This is an Accelerated Master's Program (AMP).
The Graduate College offers exceptional undergraduate students in selected majors the opportunity to earn both a bachelor's degree and master's degree in as few as 5 years. The Accelerated Master's Program is for the top undergraduates in participating majors who plan to continue in a graduate program in the same, or closely related, UA discipline.
Programs will select from among a qualified pool, based on the following criteria. Individual programs may have more stringent or additional requirements: