Master's Programs

Take your Next Step.

We offer both a Fifth-Year Master’s Program and a MS 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. Our Fifth-Year Master’s Program allows academically strong undergraduate students to swiftly earn a graduate degree. 

lab

Fifth-Year Master's Program

The Fifth-Year Master's Program is designed exclusively for our department’s undergraduate microbiology majors. This program is appropriate for academically strong students who are interested in enhancing their academic and research background before entering the professional world.

Application Deadline: October 1st for Spring admission and May 1st for Fall admission.

lab

MS in Microbiology

Our Microbiology MS degree is designed to provide students with opportunities to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to embark on careers as independent microbiologists. The degree typically takes two years to complete.

Application Deadline: October 1st for Spring admission and May 1st for Fall admission.

Applied Molecular Biotechnology (AMB)

The Microbiology Department offers an accelerated professional MS degree program in Applied Molecular Biotechnology (AMB). AMB combines hands-on laboratory training with lecture-based courses to train students in the latest techniques and concepts of molecular biology and biochemistry, such as PCR cloning, CRISPR, RNAi, protein expression, cell culture and 3D protein structure. 

Learn More Learn More

Meet your Graduate Advisor!

View Advising View Advising
James Holden

Professor; Graduate Program Director

James Holden
My laboratory studies high-temperature anaerobic microorganisms that grow primarily in deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Specifically, I am interested in microbial life in the subsurface biosphere, the search for life on Earth and elsewhere, numerical modeling of microbial metabolism, microbe-mineral interactions, biomarkers, and the application of thermophiles in bioremediation and bioenergy. We employ modern biological tools to link genotypes, phenotypes, and functional responses to integrate cellular behavior within and among organisms. We employ experimental and mathematical methods to investigate the underlying principles of metabolic pathways that then lead to emerging behaviors. Ultimately, we study how individual species and microbial communities respond and adapt to environmental shifts to predict biological diversity and ecosystem dynamics.
Students in my lab gain experience in microbiology, cell culturing of anaerobic bacteria and archaea, bioprocessing, analytical chemistry related to cell growth, genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, modeling, ecology, and scientific writing.
James Holden