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It's
an exciting field with challenging
frontiers that include genetic engineering, cancer research, cellular
mechanisms of infection, basic research in cell and molecular biology,
and microbial ecology. Microbiologists today apply new technical
approaches such as gene cloning, electron microscopy, and computer
technology, to such diverse groups of organisms, as bacteria, viruses,
algae, protozoa, fungi, and animal and plant cells.
Microbiologists with the bachelor's degree are needed in areas such as
medical, clinical, public health, marine, environmental, and industrial
microbiology. Students graduating at the bachelor's level are employed
as laboratory technicians in hospitals, the biotechnology industry,
food and drug industries, manufacturing concerns producing biological
products, and state and federal agencies such as the Environmental
Protection Agency or the Department of Agriculture. There is also an
increasing need for graduates with microbiology training in sales,
management, and secondary education.
The Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology is designed to provide a
basic foundation for a career in microbiology. In addition, the program
provides the freedom to construct an interdisciplinary curriculum
through its elective system.
The microbiology faculty conduct undergraduate and graduate research
programs in many areas of microbiology-including cellular and molecular
biology, genetics, immunology, industrial microbiology, marine
microbiology, microbial ecology, mycology, pathogenic bacteriology,
physiology, and virology. Cooperative programs with several other
disciplines on campus permit student participation in interdepartmental
research programs.
Courses
Freshman Year
Biology (8 credits)
Language or culture cluster required (6)
Inorganic Chemistry (8)
Mathematics (6)
General Education Requirements (6)
Sophomore Year
Organic Chemistry (8 credits)
Physics (8)
Introductory Microbiology (4)
Microbiology Elective (3)
General Education Requirements (6)
Free Elective (3)
Junior Year
Genetics (3 credits)
Biochemistry (3)
Immunology (3)
General Education Requirements (6)
Microbiology Electives (3)
Quantitative Analysis (4)
Free Electives (9)
Senior Year
Advanced Microbiology (10 credits)
Microbiology Seminar (1)
Microbiology Electives (6)
Free Electives (10)
General Education Requirements (6)
The program provides flexibility for constructing programs to suit
individual interests, such as medical, cell, or molecular biology. The
curriculum also provides sufficient elective credits to design a minor
such as marine biology, chemistry, premedical, or predental preparation.
The Microbiology Department at The University of Rhode Island provides
a unique opportunity for a combined Cell Biology/Microbiology
concentration. Many courses are available, and the teaching interests
of the faculty are strongly cellular, with research specialties such as
membrane ultrastructure and assembly, cellular immunology, phagocytosis
in response to infection, receptors in E. coli colonization of the
mammalian gut, electron microscopy of ciliated protozoa, and molecular
biology of development in bacteria.
Many students major in one of the biological or health sciences for
preparation to enter the professional colleges. The microbiology
curriculum allows the student of major in microbiology and to use
elective credits to fulfill requirements of the professional colleges.
Since not all applicants to medical schools are admitted, it is wise to
plan for an alternate career. The microbiology curriculum provides this
alternative.
The faculty are active in research and are known and respected
internationally. Excellence is stressed in both teaching and research.
These professors teach the undergraduate courses and are in the
teaching laboratories. They would be glad to advise you and to have you
do research in their laboratories.
The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) is the national
organization for microbiologists. This society is the largest of the
biological societies. The ASM welcomes to full membership anyone who is
interested in its objectives and has a minimum of a bachelor's degree
or equivalent in microbiology or a related field. Any matriculated
student majoring in microbiology or a related field is eligible for
election as a student member.
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