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Microbiology is the branch of biology dealing with the smallest living entities: bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa, and viruses. Also included is immunology, the study of the response of higher organisms to foreign substances.
Because of their rapid growth rate and relative simplicity, microbes are often the best experimental subjects for examining basic genetic and biological phenomena. Microbiology is an excellent major for undergraduate students who want a good general education emphasizing an important and interesting branch of biology.
A Sampling of What Microbiologists Do
Environmental microbiologists identify organisms and research their uses, such as cleaning up oil spills and hazardous wastes. They also develop genetic probes to detect microbial contaminants in the water supply.
Agricultural microbiologists may work on developing disease-resistant crops or producing vaccines that protect livestock from disease. They also identify organisms that can reduce dependence on chemical pesticides.
Medical microbiologists/virologists identify and study the microorganisms that cause diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Lyme disease, and toxic shock syndrome. Immunologists contribute to the better understanding of the immune response and the development of vaccines.
Why
Study Microbiology at Iowa?
Microbiology at Iowa continues to have a solid national reputation. In fact, the last edition of the Gourman Report rates the graduate microbiology program as “strong among schools with similar offerings.” One of the department’s strengths is the number of undergraduate research opportunities available. They can be arranged through faculty members and conducted in the departmental laboratories. Students receive credit for this research by registering for Undergraduate Research in Microbiology or Honors Undergraduate Research in Microbiology.
Besides being fun and interesting, research experience provides an advantage to students applying for science positions in industry or to graduate programs in the sciences.
Faculty
The 38 faculty members in microbiology teach and perform research in the areas of immunology, microbial genetics and physiology, microbial pathogenesis, and virology.
Course
Work
BS in Microbiology
Twenty-one semester hours (s.h.) of microbiology courses are required for the BS degree. Two-semester sequences in inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, biology, and physics also are required, as well as one semester of calculus. Electives make up 16-20 s.h. of the undergraduate program. Students are expected to use these hours to do additional exploring in microbiology and related sciences, as well as to broaden their general educational base.
Depending on your postgraduate plans, additional course work may be suggested in statistics, physical chemistry, or computer science.
Majors are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to pursue research for course credit in one of the many departmental laboratories.
The Department of Microbiology is part of the Carver College of Medicine and is located in Bowen Science Building in the University’s health science complex. The BS degree, however, is granted by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Students must be admitted to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and complete all its requirements, as well as the requirements of the major.
Minor
An undergraduate minor in microbiology requires at least 15 s.h. of credit in microbiology courses with a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 2.00.
Honors
The honors program in microbiology is open to students who maintain a GPA of at least 3.33 overall and in microbiology courses. The program requires 25 s.h. of course work in microbiology, including 6 s.h. in Honors Undergraduate Research in Microbiology. This course constitutes an introduction to experimental research. At the end of the research, students present a written report. Students successfully completing honors work in microbiology are awarded the BS with honors.
Summer
Microbiology Undergraduate Research Program
The department’s faculty invite well-qualified undergraduate students in microbiology and other biological sciences to apply to the Summer Microbiology Undergraduate Research Program.
Fellowships are available to qualified applicants who would like to participate in a nine-week program designed for students interested in science careers. Students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and who have completed their sophomore or junior year toward a bachelor’s degree in a biological science are eligible to apply.
In 2008, each student received a stipend of $3,900, with free housing provided in Mayflower Residence Hall. Additional funds for travel to and from Iowa City are provided.
If you’re interested in the summer program, contact Julie Nealson, 319-335-7980, or e-mail undergrad-micro-info@uiowa.edu.
Student
Activities
Among the hundreds of student groups on campus are those specific to individual fields of study. The active student organization, Microbiology Undergraduate Student Association (MUSA), provides support to students in the program. Each year a group of students in MUSA attends the national meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.
Careers
Graduates with a BS degree in microbiology have a great employment outlook, with many job opportunities available in government, hospitals, public health laboratories, research laboratories, and industrial laboratories (food, dairy, chemical, pharmaceutical, and genetic engineering companies). Students who continue beyond the BS have career opportunities in these same areas, with greater responsibilities and commensurately higher salaries, as well as possibilities for college and university teaching.
Examples of possible positions include:
- Research laboratory technician
- Quality control analyst
- Clinical microbiologist or immunologist
- Food or dairy microbiologist
- Environmental microbiologist
- Recombinant DNA technologist
- Fermentation technologist
- Research scientist
- College professor
- Public health microbiologist
- Doctor of veterinary medicine
- Doctor of medicine
- Dentist
Scholarships
A number of scholarships are available to microbiology students through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Some scholarships are open to first-year students. Those available to upper-level students include the Kathleen K. Beninga Scholarships, awards of $1,000 to currently enrolled full-time undergraduate microbiology majors.
Refer to the Office of Student Financial Aid for
a complete list of available scholarships.
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