The Department of Microbiology and Immunology offers graduate programs leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. In the first year students spend much of their time in courses, including molecular biology and genetics, cell biology, biochemistry, integrative biology, immunology, and microbiology. Students also rotate through three research laboratories to gain hands-on experience and to meet faculty, staff and fellow graduate students. All students must pass a written and oral preliminary examination at the end of their first year following which they select a research advisor and begin a research project. Advanced-level courses in immunology, genetics, microbial physiology, molecular biology, microbial pathogenesis, mycology, and parasitology are offered in the second year.
All students participate in departmental seminars and journal clubs each year.
In their third year, Ph.D. candidates must pass a comprehensive exam, which consists of writing and orally defending a mock NIH grant proposal. Requirements for completing the Ph.D. degree include submitting a minimum of two manuscripts for publication, on their dissertation project, in internationally recognized, peer-reviewed journals. The average time to complete the Ph.D. is five years. The department is fully-equipped for modern research in the wide range of research fields that correspond to faculty interest, and faculty engage in numerous collaborative projects locally, nationally and internationally. Molecular and genetic approaches are being applied to the study of parasites including Plasmodium.