Graduate Studies in Microbiology and Immunology

PhD program

The goals of the PhD program in Microbiology and Immunology are to prepare students to become highly qualified researchers who will make significant contributions to the areas of bacteriology, virology, and immunology and to educate those who will teach the next generation health care professionals and research scientists.

Graduates of the PhD program in Microbiology and Immunology will be able to:

• master fundamental concepts of Microbiology and Immunology and apply these to design and perform experiments that extend our knowledge in the field 
• critically read and evaluate current literature
• effectively communicate scientific information to a professional audience or in a classroom setting
• manage and prepare successful grant proposals
• produce and publish original research data in respected peer reviewed journals
• successfully find employment or postdoctoral training in an area related to their field of study

Where will this degree take you?

With a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology you may find employment in private pharmaceutical, biochemical, or biotechnology companies; or in government agencies. You may also choose to continue your academic training as a postdoctoral fellow.

Recent graduates have been awarded postdoctoral fellowships at universities and research organizations such as the University of Tennessee Health Science Center; University of Lausanne, Switzerland; University of Rochester Medical School, NY; Rosalind Franklin Medical School,  and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY.

Many graduates are currently serving as faculty members at colleges and universities including Columbus State University, University of Georgia, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Texas A&M Prairie View, Mississippi State University, Mississippi College, Tougaloo College, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and University of Tromsø, Norway. Other graduates are serving the United States government at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service. 

MD-PhD program

The goal of the MD-PhD program is to train medical students to become physician-scientists.

The MD-PhD program is a seven-year program consisting of the first three years of medical school, three years of graduate studies and a final year of medical school. Acceptance to the MD-PhD program at UMMC requires prior admission to the medical school.

Graduates from the MD-PhD program in Microbiology and Immunology are currently in residency programs at UMMC and Stanford University School of Medicine. Read about a recent MD-PhD graduate, Dr. Bernadette DeRussy, in the article "DeRussy takes MD-PhD path to pathology."

For more information about the MD-PhD program, click here.