Microbiology B.A./B.S.

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The Microbiology curriculum coupled with appropriate electives provides an excellent education base for students moving directly into the job market, for students headed toward medical, dental, medical technology, and veterinary programs, and for students going into graduate programs in the biological sciences. Students can choose from General or Medical Microbiology options and they can choose electives in prokaryotic microbiology, eukaryotic microbiology, biotechnology/genetic engineering, and infectious diseases.

Students in microbiology may obtain either the BA or BS degree. The requirements for a microbiology major, in addition to those requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences, are listed below:

BA/BS requirements

BIOL 198 - Principles of Biology Credits: 4
BIOL 450 - Modern Genetics Credits: 4
BIOL 455 - General Microbiology Credits: 4
BIOL 541 - Cell Biology Credits: 3
¹ BIOCH 521 - General Biochemistry Credits: 3
CHM 210 - Chemistry I Credits: 4
CHM 230 - Chemistry II Credits: 4
² CHM 350 - General Organic Chemistry Credits: 3
CHM 351 - General Organic Chemistry Laboratory Credits: 2
³ MATH 220 - Analytic Geometry and Calculus I Credits: 4
⁴ PHYS 113 - General Physics I Credits: 4
PHYS 114 - General Physics II Credits: 4
Choose one from the following:
STAT 325 - Introduction to Statistics Credits: 3
STAT 340 - Biometrics I Credits: 3
STAT 701 - Fundamental Methods of Biostatistics Credits: 3
STAT 703 - Introduction to Statistical Methods for the Sciences Credits: 3
MATH 221 - Analytic Geometry and Calculus II Credits: 4
MATH 551 - Applied Matrix Theory Credits: 3
MATH 615 - Introduction to Digital Image Processing Credits: 3
CIS 111 - Introduction to Computer Programming Credits: 3
CIS 200 - Programming Fundamentals Credits: 4
⁵Courses specified under one of the following options (below): General microbiology, Medical microbiology

General Microbiology option

BIOL 520 - Evolution Credits: 3
OR
BIOL 521 - Evolution of Infectious Diseases Credits: 3
BIOL 675 - Genetics of Microorganisms Credits: 3
BIOL 687 - Microbial Ecology Credits: 3
⁵Eleven credits chosen from the Microbiology Major Electives, including at least 5 credits of labs.

Medical Microbiology option

BIOL 670 - Immunology Credits: 4
Two of the following:
BIOL 530 - Pathogenic Microbiology Credits: 3
BIOL 545 - Human Parasitology Credits: 3
BIOL 675 - Genetics of Microorganisms Credits: 3
BIOL 730 - General Virology Credits: 3
⁵ Ten credits chosen from the Microbiology Major Electives, including at least 5 credits of labs.

Microbiology Major Electives

AGRON 645 - Soil Microbiology Credits: 3
AGRON 646 - Soil Microbiology Laboratory Credits: 1 (1 lab credit)
BIOL 365 - Practicum in Biology Credits: 1-4 (1-2 lab credit hours)
BIOL 410 - Biology of the Cancer Cell Credits: 2
BIOL 441 - Human Body I Credits: 4 (1 lab credit)
BIOL 461 - Phage Hunters I Credits: 3 (2 lab credits)
BIOL 462 - Phage Hunters 2 Credits: 2 (0 lab credits)
BIOL 495 - Topics in Biology Credits: 1-6 (1-3 credit hours)
OR
BIOL 697 - Topics in Biology Credits: 1-6 (1-3 credit hours)
BIOL 520 - Evolution Credits: 3
BIOL 521 - Evolution of Infectious Diseases Credits: 3
BIOL 530 - Pathogenic Microbiology Credits: 3 (1 lab credit)
BIOL 545 - Human Parasitology Credits: 3
BIOL 546 - Human Parasitology Laboratory Credits: 1 (1 lab credit)
BIOL 580 - Molecular Biology of Genes and Genomes Credits: 3
BIOL 604 - Biology of the Fungi Credits: 3 (1 lab credit)
BIOL 609 - Cellular and Molecular Biology of Human Diseases Credits: 3
BIOL 670 - Immunology Credits: 4
BIOL 671 - Immunology Lab Credits: 2 (2 lab credits)
BIOL 675 - Genetics of Microorganisms Credits: 3
BIOL 676 - Molecular Genetics Laboratory Credits: 3 (3 lab credits)
BIOL 687 - Microbial Ecology Credits: 3
BIOL 695 - Internship in Biology Credits: 1-3 (1-3 credit hours and 1-3 lab credits)
BIOL 698 - Research in Biology Credits: 1-8 (1-3 credit hours and 1-3 lab credits)
BIOL 705 - Eukaryotic Genetics Credits: 3
BIOL 707 - Advanced Cell Biology Credits: 3
BIOL 730 - General Virology Credits: 3
BIOL 734 - Introduction to Genomics and Bioinformatics Credits: 4
FDSCI 600 - Food Microbiology Credits: 2
FDSCI 601 - Food Microbiology Lab Credits: 2 (2 lab credits)
Up to 5 credit hours from the following list can be applied to the microbiology major elective requirement:
ASI 540 - Principles of Animal Disease Control Credits: 3
ASI 720 - Anaerobic Bacteriology Credits: 2
BIOCH 522 - General Biochemistry Laboratory Credits: 3 (3 lab credits)
BIOCH 571 - Medical Biochemistry Credits: 3
BIOCH 756 - Biochemistry I Laboratory Credits: 2 (2 lab credits)
BIOCH 766 - Recombinant DNA Laboratory I Credits: 1 (1 lab credit)
BIOCH 767 - Recombinant DNA Laboratory II Credits: 1 (1 lab credit)
BIOCH 775 - Molecular Biophysics Credits: 3
DMP 754 - Introduction to Epidemiology Credits: 3
DMP 770 - Emerging Diseases Credits: 3
PLPTH 500 - Principles of Plant Pathology Credits: 3 (1 lab credit)
PLPTH 585 - Crop Diseases Credits: 2 (1 lab credit)
PLPTH 610 - Biotechnology Credits: 3

Footnotes

¹Upon consultation with a Division of Biology advisor a student may substitute:

BIOCH 755 - Biochemistry I and BIOCH 765 - Biochemistry II for BIOCH 521 General Biochemistry

²Upon consultation with a Division of Biology advisor a student may substitute:

CHM 531 - Organic Chemistry I and CHM 550 - Organic Chemistry II for CHM 350 General Organic Chemistry
CHM 532 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory for CHM 351 General Organic Chemistry Laboratory

³Prerequisites for MATH 220 are MATH 100 - College Algebra and MATH 150 - Plane Trigonometry or four semesters of high school algebra and one semester of trigonometry plus appropriate math placement exam scores.

⁴Upon consultation with a Division of Biology advisor a student may substitute:

PHYS 213 - Engineering Physics I and PHYS 214 - Engineering Physics II for PHYS 113 General Physics I and PHYS 114 General Physics II.

⁵Classes required under each option total 20 credits. For each option, classes applied to the specific option requirements and those chosen from the major elective list must be different classes.

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