Microbiology (PhD)
Department website: https://ils.utexas.edu/microbiology/
Microbiology offers a focused program of study encompassing disciplines in bacteriology, virology, immunology, genetics, and biochemistry, using both prokaryotic and eukaryotic model systems. Visit the program website for more information.
Graduate Handbook
Graduate handbook information is updated and maintained by each program. Graduate handbooks are available within each program's office and online. Please contact the program with concerns or questions.
Admission
To be admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree, the student must complete their preliminary examination during the spring semester of their second year. This examination consists of a presentation and defense of: (1) a mock National Institutes of Health grant proposal on the topic of their PhD thesis research and (2) a proposed Specific Aims page in NIH format on a topic selected by their committee. Students will be admitted to candidacy after the successful passing of this preliminary examination. The candidate will then be required to convene their first meeting with their dissertation committee by the end of the semester following the successful passing of their preliminary examination.
Total Hours Required: 30
Requirements
Individual programs of study are tailored to the student’s interests, but each student must earn a grade of at least B in the following coursework:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 190 | Topics in Microbiology (any topic) | 1 |
| BIO 290 | Topics in Microbiology (any topic) | 2 |
| Hours chosen from graduate lecture courses approved by the graduate advisor | 3 | |
| MIC 399W | Dissertation | 3 |
| Additional Coursework | 21 | |
| Graduate Natural Sciences Requirements | ||
| Graduate University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Additional Requirements and Policy
- The student must pursue independent, original research under the direction of a faculty member; the results of this research constitute the dissertation, which fulfills the requirements of the required course MIC 399W.
- Each student must serve as a teaching assistant for one fall or spring semester; two six-week summer terms are considered equivalent to a semester.
- A well-qualified student can usually complete the doctoral degree program in five to seven years.