Program Requirements

C or better required in Biology 151, Chem 111, Chem 112, and Chem 261. Community College statistics do not transfer as 200-level.

Two Upper Level Labs Required (more allowed). Choose from listed courses, any others require Undergraduate Program Director’s approval.

A BS in Microbiology requires a total of 35 microbiology related credits. So, electives are courses to help meet 35 credits beyond the required core courses in Microbiology. Remember you can use extra labs to help meet the 35 credits.

Our Microbiology minor is available to all undergraduates and requires completion of 15 credits in Microbiology courses numbered higher than 300. Students must choose between MICROBIO 310 or MICROBIO 311. Anyone interested in completing a minor should meet with a faculty advisor to plan their program.

Students must take a minimum of 15 credits of approved courses related to the area of biotechnology. These courses will include an introductory course in biotechnology and/or molecular biology such as ANIMLSCI, BIOCHEM, or BIOLOGY 285 (3 credits) - Cellular & Molecular Biology or the equivalent (see website for details), MICROBIO 385 - Laboratory in Biotechnology (4 credits), a laboratory based independent study or internship (3 credits minimum) and a minimum of 5 credits of biotechnology related courses.

Students enrolled in the Certificate Program will be required to maintain a GPA of 2.50 or higher in courses in the program and no course with a grade lower than a C will be counted toward the Certificate. 

NOTE: No more than 2 courses used to fulfill certificate requirements can be applied to fulfill another credential (e.g. major, minor, or certificate).

Undergraduates interested in this Certificate Program should contact the Program Director and submit an application.

Students in the microbiology major must first apply online for admissions to the Commonwealth Honors College (CHS). Once accepted, contact Department Honors Director, Mitch Walkowicz via email.

Honors Research Guidance Committee 

Prior to applying for Departmental Honors, students are strongly encouraged to identify a Research Sponsor and laboratory in which you will conduct research for your honors thesis. With the assistance of your Research Sponsor, you should form an Honors Research Guidance Committee before the beginning of your senior year and arrange an informal introductory meeting to outline the planned research.

The Honors Research Guidance Committee will consist of your research sponsor, an additional faculty member, and an optional third member. At least one member must be a member of the Department of Microbiology. The Committee will meet periodically to review progress, with a final committee meeting held to evaluate the content and presentation of the Honors Project.

Students should register for Honors Research - MICROBIO 499Y (Fall Term) and Honors Project - MICROBIO 499P (Spring Term) of their senior year. Completion of this two-semester sequence will fulfill the Individually Contracted Honors Thesis or Project requirement of Commonwealth College. 

Microbiology Honors Courses

MICROBIO 391H - The Secret Lifestyle of Microorganisms, Honors Colloquium for Microbiology 310 or 311

A small group tutorial discussion taken with Microbio 310 or 311: the role of science in society combined with discussions of contemporary societal issues involving microbiology such as emerging infectious diseases and microbial biotechnology.

MICROBIO 396ISH - Honors Independent Study in Microbiology

Program participants will undertake an honors section of independent study (research) under the direction of their research sponsor. Beyond the normal expectations for independent study students in the department, the honors section may include preparation of a review of the scientific literature in the field of the research project.

MICROBIO 499Y - Honors Research 

Original microbiological research carried out under the direction of the research sponsor. The honors student will take an active role in the experimental design of the research project. While it is not expected that undergraduate honors student will be fully capable of initiating original research on their own it is hoped that participation in the design and implementation of a research project will help the student acquire the necessary skills to carry out independent research. 

MICROBIO 499P - Honors Project (Capstone Experience) 

The honors project consists of completing and presenting the original research undertaken. The presentation will include but not be limited to an abstract suitable for publication and a research summary in the form of a poster appropriate for presentation at a scientific meeting. A Departmental Poster Presentation Session will be held at the end of the semester. Honors students are also encouraged to present their results at local or national scientific meetings. Students must also complete the Manuscript requirement for CHC.

Check out our current Colloquium options here.

Some students choose to pursue a second major or add Microbiology as a second major.  

Popular majors that students combine with Microbiology are BMB, Biology, and Public Health.  There is significant overlap in foundational courses between Microbiology and BMB, Biology, Psychology/Neuroscience, and, depending on your concentration, Public Health.  That said, officially UMass Academic Regulations, does not allow more than two courses to be applied to any two credentials.  

Also, note that the similarity between BMB and Microbiology in content is so extreme that these two degrees are viewed nearly equivalent by grad programs, med schools, and private industry.  So, is it really worth adding extra stress for the the second major? The answer to that question is up to you. 

It is more ambitious but likely more rewarding to complement a primary major with a dissimilar major across campus.  We have had students purse complementary majors in Art, Music, Anthropology, one of the majors in Isenberg, and even Biomedical Engineering. 

If you have met the requirements for both your primary major and secondary major and have a minimum of 150 credits, you are eligible to receive two bachelor's degrees.  We recommend that this be more of a consequence of interest and happenstance than a goal to work towards. Prioritizing dual degrees may add significant stress and/or reduce opportunities to expand your college education experience.  In our experience we have not seen any particular advantage to have two individual bachelor's degrees.