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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
General requirements include: 3 letters of recommendation, curriculum vitae, statement of purpose, GRE score, and unofficial transcripts of all colleges and universities attended are to be submitted electronically through the online application.
Once an applicant has been recommended by the program committee, the applicant will be notified by telephone or email. At that time official transcripts will need to be sent to the following address: Microbiology Graduate Program Director, School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Arizona, P.O. Box 210090, Room 201 Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences Building, 1117 E. Lowell St, Tucson, AZ 85721.
Required test(s): GRE
Minimum GRE Verbal: 151
Minimum GRE Quantitative: 153
Minumum GRE Written: 4.0
Minimum TOEFL: 550
Minimum IELTS: 7
Limited numbers of Graduate Assistantships (GTA) and Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA) are available through the School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences. The GTA positions are provided on a semester-by-semester basis and generally require the recipient to assist in teaching laboratory courses in the core curriculum of the undergraduate Microbiology major. The GRA positions are generally supported by research grants acquired by the major professor and are provided during semesters when the student does not have formal teaching assistant duties. Since faculty support is required, applicants are accepted only upon commitment of a MGP faculty member to provide supplemental financial to assure successful completion of the graduate degree. MGP students may also apply for a wide range of graduate student scholarships and fellowships offered by the University of Arizona.
Domestic Applicants:
International Applicants:
International applicants will not be considered for conditional admission by this program.
4832
NRC Taxon(a) for this program: Microbiology
63
The PhD degree is conferred on individuals who have demonstrated proficiency in research, experimental design, and scientific achievement in a microbiology discipline. The degree also requires two semesters of teaching as a graduate assistant. The degree is not granted merely as a certificate of faithful performance of a prescribed program of study and research.
The PhD degree requires completion of a minimum of 63 credit hours of graduate coursework and includes the following:
ACBS 696a (Research Seminar). Students should enroll in this class, and present a seminar, at least once per academic year. Irrespective of registration, 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.
Graded Coursework in major,18 units
Graded Coursework in minor, 9 units
MIC 595A Critical Evaluation of Scientific Literature, 3 units
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 900 Research, 18 units
MIC 920 Dissertation, 18 units
Minimum GPA in core coursework: 3.0
Core coursework: The Microbiology program provides maximum flexibility in planning programs of study for MS and PhD candidates, and no uniform core of coursework is required. The student's Plan of Study is developed and approved by the student's Graduate Advisory Committee in accordance with the student's research interests and career goals. The PhD degree is conferred upon individuals who have demonstrated proficiency in research, experimental design, and scientific achievement in a micro discipline. The degree is not granted merely as a certificate of faithful performance of a prescribed program of studies and research.
Language requirements: English proficiency is one of the conditions for admission for all applicants whose native language is not English. Applicants must submit a minimum TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 550 paper based (PB), 79 internet based (iBT), or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) composite score of 7 (no subject area below a 6).
Applicants may request, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send an official TOEFL score report directly to The University of Arizona. Contact TOEFL Services to request the mailing of your score report. The University of Arizona institution code is 4832.
Other requirements: Students entering the program with a strong foundation of coursework in microbiology, pathology, epidemiology, parasitology, and/or other health science disciplines will have greater flexibility in preparing a plan of study within the program. An acceptable thesis and a final oral examination are also required. The candidate should generate sufficient data from the thesis research to write at least two full-length manuscript (not a note, brief communication, or review suitable for publication in a refereed journal in the field of specialization. This manuscript must be submitted for consideration prior to the final examination, unless this is waived by agreement of the student's mentor and Graduate Advisory Committee.
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
Selection of at least one minor is required. It may be in another graduate program, or in the MGP. Minor coursework should present a unifying theme to the remainder of the student's program. Dissertation work in absentia must be recommended by the GAC and ACBS Director and approved by petition to the Graduate College.
A Minor in the MGP will consist of nine hours of graded coursework with one member of the graduate student’s committee being part of the MGP. Students considering a Minor in MGP should first schedule a meeting with the MGP director.
Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.
| Program-level Information | |
|---|---|
| Application Acceptance Rate | 21% |
| Med. Time-to-degree (years) | 4.50 |
| Department-level Information | |
| Enrollment Percent Male | 21% |
| Enrollment Percent Female | 79% |
| Enrollment Percent International | 16% |
| Enrollment Percent URM | 32% |