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Prepare for a Career in Government, Private Research, or University Teaching
The Microbiology graduate program facilitates interdisciplinary interactions and collaborations with departments involved with graduate education in the biological sciences: Biology and Biochemistry.
These close and active interchanges include collaborative research projects by our faculty, and they also provide the opportunity for you to take courses in other programs that enrich your graduate education in Microbiology.
Supported by funding from numerous federal agencies, private foundations, and corporations, the Department’s twelve research-active faculty members conduct highly regarded research that addresses important health, economic, and other societal needs.
Microbiology M.S. and Ph.D. Curriculum and Courses
- MBI 502 Geomicrobiology
- MBI 505 Medical Bacteriology
- MBI 514 Immunology Principles
- MBI 515 Immunology Principles and Practice
- MBI 524 Structural Genomics: Advanced Experimental Techniques.
Facts and Stats
Research Areas
Research areas of particular emphasis among our faculty are Molecular Microbiology, Microbial Pathogenesis, and Environmental Microbiology, which encompass the disciplines of immunology, molecular biology, microbial ecology, microbial genetics, microbial physiology, microbial pathogenesis, bacterial cell biology, bioinformatics, medical mycology, and virology. Working within a well-defined curriculum and employing state-of-the-art research facilities, the faculty prepares a small, select group of approximately 25 graduate students for successful careers as researchers in government and private organizations or as university faculty.
Our doctoral graduates have been appointed to prestigious post-doctoral fellowships in some of the most outstanding research institutions in the U.S. This reflects both the talents and capabilities of our students and the perception of the quality of our doctoral program by those institutions. Our students benefit from the intimacy of our program, the interactions with multiple faculty in related areas of research interest, and close research mentoring by the faculty.
Meet Our Faculty
The faculty offers high-quality M.S. and Ph.D. programs for students interested in Microbiology. Supported by funding from numerous federal agencies, private foundations, and corporations, the Department’s research-active faculty members conduct highly regarded research that addresses important health, economic, and other societal needs.
Assistantships and Associateships Available
There are various levels of financial support available for graduate students in the microbiology department. A limited number of research assistantships are funded by the research grant support of individual faculty members. Most students receive University support in the form of teaching assistantships. All students with financial support enjoy a waiver of tuition, both in-state and out-of-state, but are required to pay the technology fee, half the general fee, and half the metro fee.
The Teaching Fellowships and Graduate Assistantships require no more than 20 hours per week in assisting and teaching microbiology course laboratory sections. The Summer Fellowship carries no teaching obligation. It is intended to give graduate students financial support while they are pursuing their thesis or dissertation research projects during the summer terms. All students appointed to teaching assistantships are eligible for the Summer Fellowships.
Assistantships and associateships are offered to all students admitted into our Master’s or doctoral programs. As such, both admission to the program and financial support are awarded on a competitive basis. All applicants will be considered for financial support unless they express their desire not to receive financial assistance.
Undergraduate Opportunities
Admission Overview and Requirements
Applications for admission in the Fall semester each year are due January 15th. The Microbiology graduate program generally does not consider application for entry in the Spring semester.
Application Materials
- Official Transcripts
- GRE (optional), use code 1463
- International students whose degrees are earned outside the United States must also submit a recent TOEFL score to the Graduate School.
- A TOEFL score below 100 or an IELTS score below 7.5 will reduce the chances of admission.
- Please see English Language Proficiency for a list of countries for which English proficiency exam scores are not required of applicants.
- 3 Letters of Recommendation
- At least 2 should be from science-orientated individuals.
- A brief description of the applicant’s research interests and career objectives.
Application Process
Admission is competitive and based on the evaluation of each candidate’s credentials by the Graduate Admissions Committee and the Faculty of the Department of Microbiology. Screening of applications will begin on January 15 and continue until all available positions are filled. To receive full consideration for the available positions in the Microbiology graduate program, all application materials should be received by that date. However, applications will be accepted after that date and will be considered if there are any assistantships available.
A personal interview is encouraged for M.S. and Ph.D. applicants.
If you are accepted into the program, the Graduate School is notified, and they give the final approval for acceptance into the Microbiology graduate program.
Note: Our department does not require an applicant to be matched with a specific faculty researcher prior to admission. Instead, each of our applicants will rotate through 3 labs in which they have an interest in joining. Assignment to a mutually-agreeable faculty researcher’s lab will occur following the rotation and before the end of the first semester.
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Successful applicants with degrees from institutions in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Western Europe will have completed a bachelor’s degree in the biological sciences/biochemistry, including coursework in biochemistry and some experience in bacteriology, virology, and/or immunology. Additionally, experience in biological research, either as an undergraduate, as a graduate student seeking a master’s degree, or in an employment situation is beneficial to your application, though it is not required.
Successful applicants with degrees from institutions located elsewhere in the world will most likely have completed a master’s degree in the biological sciences/biochemistry, including coursework in biochemistry and some experience in bacteriology, virology, and/or immunology. Coursework and experience that are principally clinical in nature are not likely to constitute adequate preparation for the Graduate Program in Microbiology at Miami University.
Important Note
Academic requirements for entry into the Graduate Program in Microbiology may be more stringent than Miami University’s minimum requirements for admission.
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International applicants with a TOEFL score between 65 and 79 or an IELTS score of 5.5 or 6.0 may apply for conditional admission. To be considered for conditional admission to the Microbiology Graduate Program, you must meet the following criteria:
- You have identified a faculty sponsor in the Department of Microbiology who agrees that he or she will take you into their lab for your research upon full admission. You must contact a faculty member by email and get them to agree, and you must indicate this in your personal statement on your application.
- You must enroll in and pass the ACE-G program at Miami University successfully. Please see the American Culture and English Language Program for details about the ACE-G program. There is no waiver of tuition for the ACE-G program.
- You have agreed to any other requirements stipulated by the Admissions Committee in your specific case. For example, you might have to pass an interview upon passing the ACE-G program, or you might have to demonstrate knowledge in some area of microbiology. If you pass the ACE-G program and meet other agreed requirements, you may enter the Microbiology Graduate Program.
Admission and Funding
This is Where Your Journey to Miami University Begins
Explore what it means to be a graduate student at Miami University, where students prepare to go anywhere and everywhere. We’ll be here to help every step of the way as you prepare for college admission, enrollment, and success.
Contact Us
Graduate Admission
513-529-GRAD (4723)
[email protected]
Department of Microbiology
Luis A. Actis
Chair and Professor of Microbiology
Pearson Hall 97
Oxford, OH 45056
513-529-5424[email protected]