The Microbiology Program provides students with the training and research experience necessary to pursue careers in academic research, industry, university-level teaching, and other biology-related areas.

• Research rotations offer incoming graduate students an opportunity to sample a variety of research programs in Microbiology.  Students are exposed to different research questions, experimental organisms, approaches, and techniques.  They get to know other students, postdocs, and professional staff in their rotation laboratories, and observe how those laboratories operate.  Research rotations (typically 3) help students identify a laboratory in which to pursue their thesis research. 
• We teach students how to critically evaluate scientific literature in our famous and popular 8-week "Paper Bashing" course, which students take in their first semester.
• We provide basic training in Genetics, Biochemistry, Genomics and Bioinformatics, and Cell Biology in our Core Curriculum, taken by all students during their first year.
• Our program offers advanced students a wide selection of 8-week Advanced Courses on diverse topics requested by students, such as Microscopy, Molecular Evolution, Microbial Diversity, Quorum Sensing, Microbial Development, Signal Transduction, Biofilms, and Pathogenesis.
• We provide instruction and lots of practice on organizing and giving oral presentations.
• We believe teaching experience to be an important component of graduate training.  All graduate students are provided with instructional mentoring and gain valuable teaching experience as Associate Instructors.
• Our Grant Writing course and Preliminary Examination format teach students how to organize and write research papers and proposals.
• Realizing that students enter graduate school with very different career goals, we offer personalized advising and help achieving those goals.  Career options are discussed in a Research Ethics and Career Development Course, and each student's thesis advisory committee works with the student to define clear graduate school and career goals and design strategies to meet them.