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Microbiology Graduate Program Requirements

Entrance Requirements

Incoming students are expected to have completed a bachelor's degree and to have a good background of college study in the biological sciences and chemistry with a foundation in microbiology.

Students who do not meet the minimum course requirements may be required to make up any deficiencies with appropriate undergraduate courses or by directed readings accompanied by examinations.

Other requirements include:

formal application to Miami University Graduate School
official GRE scores
official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate course work
official TOEFL scores, if applicable
three (3) letters of recommendation, either online or by mail
a brief description of the applicant's research interests and career objectives

Please see our application procedures for instructions on how to submit these requirements.

Note: the minimum requirements for admission to graduate studies at Miami University are:

an earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution, usually in Biology, Microbiology or a closely related discipline
a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75 (on a 4.00 scale) or a 3.0 average for the last four semesters of study for the bachelor's degree, except in special circumstances where Conditional Standing may be granted
(please see the Miami University Bulletin / Admission for Graduate Students, for full details)

Note for international applicants:

Successful international applicants typically already hold a Masters degree from an accredited institution, usually in Biology, Microbiology or a closely related discipline
International students whose degrees are earned outside the United States must also submit a recent TOEFL score or acceptable alternative. See the Miami University Graduate School website for additional information regarding the English Language Proficiency requirements.
Additional information regarding admission requirements for international student applicants is available on the Miami University Graduate School International Admissions web page.

Program Requirements

Master of Science in Microbiology

The student, advisor and thesis committee members identify at least four graduate-level courses that will support and complement the research interests of the student by choosing at least one course from each of these categories at the 500- or 600-level:

Medical Bacteriology (MBI 505), Immunology (MBI 515), or
Medical Mycology (MBI 535).
Microbial Physiology (MBI 525) or Microbial Ecology (MBI 575).
Microbial Genetics (MBI 545), Advanced Molecular Biology (MBI 605), or
Bioinformatics (MBI 585).
Human Viruses (MBI 564), Advanced Cell Biology (MBI 606), or
Bacterial Cell Biology (MBI 595).

In addition, M.S. students must also fulfill must take Graduate Seminar (MBI 690) every semester, and a minimum of four hours of didactic courses (600 level or above). Additional course work may be recommended by the student's advisor or the thesis committee to complement the student's research project.

As this is a research-based degree, M.S. students must conduct an approved research project, present the project as a written thesis, and pass an oral examination in defense of the thesis.

Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology

The Ph.D. degree requires a minimum of 60 semester hours in graduate credits beyond the M.S. degree or its equivalent (30 semester hours). Students entering with an M.S. must complete courses to ensure proficiency in each of the four groups required for the M.S. degree program. Students entering with only a baccalaureate degree must complete courses as stated for the M.S. degree program as part of the 30-hour requirement to meet the equivalency of the M.S. degree.

In addition to the four courses chosen from the pairs as indicated above for the M.S. degree, students must take Graduate Seminar (MBI 650 or 690) every semester and a minimum of nine hours of advanced coursework at the 600- or 700-level appropriate for further development of their research interests. The advisor, dissertation committee and student may add specific coursework as they deem appropriate to provide depth in the student's area of concentration; the emphasis of the program is, however, on research leading to the dissertation.

In addition to the coursework, doctoral students must also fulfill the following requirements:

Pass a written and oral comprehensive examination
Pass an oral defense of your dissertation proposal
Conduct an approved research project, present the project as a written dissertation and in a public seminar, and submit a manuscript based on the project for publication in a refereed journal
Pass an oral examination in defense of the dissertation
Teach one semester of an introductory lecture course in microbiology under the supervision of a member of the microbiology faculty

Please send questions and comments to:
Director of Graduate Studies