The Microbiology minor focuses on the study of microscopic organisms such as viruses, bacteria, algae, and other organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye. Courses in this minor provide a foundation for understanding how microorganisms grow, develop, and interact with their environments—including us!

Students pursuing many different majors may be interested in adding a Microbiology minor. For example, Biotechnology majors may choose advanced electives such as BIOL-M 350 Microbial Physiology and Biochemistry and BIOL-M 460 Microbial Evolution. Human Biology majors with the Human Health and Disease concentration, as well as pre-med and pre-PA students generally, are often drawn to BIOL-M 380 Microbiology of Infectious Disease, BIOL-M 440 Medical Microbiology Lecture, and BIOL-M 430 Virology Lecture. Students pursuing the B.S.E.S. in Environmental Science in the O’Neill School may be interested in BIOL-M 315 Microbiology Lab, BIOL-L 472 Microbiomes: Host and Environmental Health, and BIOL-M 465 Environmental Microbiology Lab.

The study of microbiology has countless applications in agriculture and fisheries, food science, public health, climate change, remediation of contaminated soil and water, and many other areas of human endeavor. The Microbiology minor provides students with the opportunity to begin investigating the fascinating microscopic world around us.