Master in Microbiology and Immunology

Biomedical sciences in general, and Microbiology and Immunology in particular, are fundamentally important to public health, policy, and education in the 21st century. Individuals with training in Microbiology and Immunology are needed in the food and pharmaceutical industries, as allied health professionals, for the nation's R&D mission, and in many other sectors. Students who are attracted to Microbiology and Immunology may come from many disciplines and have varied backgrounds and may seek to apply their training to any of several career tracks. The target trainees for this master's program are individuals whose research or academic preparation is not yet sufficient for Ph.D. training, or whose career aspirations require Microbiology and Immunology training less advanced than that expected of Ph.D. students. Our master's degree program will offer matriculates with research and didactic training tailored to meet the needs of each student, while satisfying expectations of master's level graduates of the University of Michigan.

We believe 21st century trainees need familiarity with both host and pathogen, and thus at least introductory immunology and graduate-level microbiology coursework will be required of all master's program students. Other program course requirements will be more flexible, allowing those with academic deficiencies to focus on coursework to enhance their credentials for professional school admission, and enabling those who aspire to do research to gain extensive experience in University of Michigan and/or industrial laboratory settings. To this end, there are several possible options available to students interested in pursuing a Master's degree.