We offer both a MS in microbiology and a PhD in microbiology, as well as an MS in applied molecular biotechnology, making us just one of a handful of universities in the northeastern United States to provide such a professional degree program. In addition, we offer a Fifth-Year Master’s Program that allows academically strong undergraduate students to swiftly earn a graduate degree. The application deadline for all of our graduate programs is December 1.
Student Success
Our graduate enrollment is usually between 35 and 40 students. Most of our PhD graduates during the past ten years have been awarded postdoctoral fellowships at leading academic institutions. A high proportion of the earlier graduates are either faculty members in highly rated university departments or hold senior research management positions in industry.
In recent years, our PhD graduates have had multiple offers of postdoctoral fellowships prior to or shortly after graduation. ASM meetings provide excellent opportunities for our graduates to secure postdoctoral positions or jobs in industry.
Students in our Applied Molecular Biology and traditional MS programs have also been very successful with more than 90 percent placement after graduation. They have gone on to PhD programs, medical and professional schools. The majority are currently working at biotech companies or at research institutions in the Boston area.

Scholarships, Awards & Aid
Application Fee Waivers
- University of Massachusetts Amherst Graduate School
Applicants can see if they're eligible to qualify for a Graduate School application fee waiver.
- Elizabeth Stuart Fund for Graduate Education
For microbiology Ph.D. applicants who are not eligible for the Graduate School fee waiver (above), we offer an additional application fee waiver program for those who are financially disadvantaged.
Financial Aid
Student financial support is available for students enrolled in our PhD program in the form of university fellowships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships. All awards include a waiver of tuition and health insurance.
Travel Award
Graduate students participating in national conferences as first author or presenter are awarded departmental travel funds to the meetings.

Curt Thorne Carry-On Award
Each year the microbiology faculty award the "Curt Thorne Carry-On Award" to a PhD student in the Microbiology Graduate Program. The award was established in 2008 to honor former microbiology faculty member Dr. Curt Thorne. The student is chosen based on contributions to the department and their discipline and for serving as a role model to other students.
Past Winners
- 2025 Yahaira Bermudez
- 2024 Malavika Prithviraj
- 2023 William Rodriguez
- 2022 Emily Bechtold
- 2021 Emily Melzer
- 2020 Srishti Kashyap
- 2019 Kathryn Rahlwes
- 2018 Bryan Salas-Santiago
- 2017 Begüm Topcuoglu
- 2016 Jennifer Hayashi
- 2015 Lucy Stewart
- 2014 Mostafa Elfawal
- 2013 Amy Biddle
- 2012 Jeniffer Concepción
- 2011 Zarath Summers
- 2010 Helene Ver Eecke
- 2009 Katir Patel
- 2008 Nicholas Renzette
David V. Pollack Graduate Teaching and Service Award
Dr. David Vincent Pollack was the son of Carol and Vincent Pollack, and the older brother of Joseph. Dave hailed from Gales Ferry, CT and attended school in Ledyard, CT through high school. He received his BS degree from the University of Connecticut before joining the graduate school here at UMass to pursue a PhD in Microbiology. He was a PhD graduate student in the department of Microbiology from fall 2003 to the time of his sudden passing on December 11th, 2008, just before his thesis defense. He was just 27 years old.
Dave was an avid soccer player and would travel with his best friend, and fellow graduate student, Dmitry Kuksin, to Connecticut each week to play soccer with friends. He followed British Football League and Premier League soccer religiously. He was also a big fan of Dave Matthews and went to many of their concerts.

At age 17, Dave became a volunteer fire fighter with the Ledyard Fire Company and after moving to Amherst, he joined the Amherst Fire Department. At the time of his passing, he was a Lieutenant in the Amherst Fire Department.
Dave was an excellent graduate student in the research lab of Dr. Elizabeth Stuart and collaborated on a Chlamydia vaccine project with the Webley lab. He excelled in every aspect of his graduate work, resulting in a publication and an invention disclosure. At the time of his passing, he was in the process of completing his dissertation narrative and another manuscript. His PhD was bestowed posthumously, and his father Vincent, accepted his degree and regalia at the 2009 Commencement to an extended standing ovation by the entire graduating class and their families.
Dave was an excellent Graduate Teaching Assistant in Microbiology classes, where he treated every student with respect and dignity. He was skillful in communicating difficult principles and concepts and would patiently take the time, using analogies and stories to help students understand. He was also an excellent mentor for new graduate students in the teaching space, ensuring that they also valued the learning differences of each student. Dave was wise beyond his lived years!
He was also a valued citizen of the lab and a beloved member of the department, who was always willing to help, wherever it was needed. On any given day, Dave could be seen walking down the hallways of Morrill Science Center, talking and catching up with fellow graduate students, offering encouragement, helping plan out experiments, chatting with faculty members or helping someone who needed him at that moment. His sage advice was valued among his peers, and he showed up to most of the social events in the department ready to have a good time.
Award Criteria
This award is chosen based on teaching and service contributions to the department, university, and community, honoring his legacy of dedication to research and teaching excellence, as well as his selflessness, humility, maturity, respect for colleagues, undergraduate students, faculty and staff, all while balancing dedicated service to his community.
Past Winners
- 2025 Yahaira Bermudez
- 2024 RoseAnn Vik