Microbiology is one of the (scientific) branches of biology that performs studies on microorganisms, those being unicellular, multicellular, or acellular. As a sub-branch itself, microbiology encompasses more, numerous sub-disciplines such as virology, bacteriology, protistology, mycology, immunology, and parasitology.
In this article, we will talk about some of the world’s best microbiology schools.
Top Microbiology Schools in the World
1. Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, founded in the first half of the 17th century. Of course, it is one of the most known universities in the world, whose students excel in various scientific areas – one of them being microbiology. Harvard Medical School, with its Department of Microbiology, offers both undergraduate and graduate microbiology studies, but the only degree that can be earned in microbiology is a PhD degree; undergraduate programs consist of summer programs only.
Graduate studies at Harvard Medical School consist of various PhD programs related to microbiology studies, such as Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Chemical Biology, Immunology, Virology, as well as MD-PhD programs. There are also some popular, secondary programs PhD students can join, such as Harvard Graduate Program in Bacteriology, Harvard Infectious Diseases Consortium, etc.
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, founded in the mid 19th century. As well as in many other areas, this Institute also excels with its microbiology studies, which is probably one of many reasons why this Institute is ranked one of the best schools in the world for years. The Department of Microbiology at MIT offers graduate microbiology studies.
The Microbiology Graduate Ph.D. Program at MIT claims to be designed to provide students with broad exposure to modern areas of microbiology through working with a vibrant, thriving microbiology community. Students of this excellent microbiology school will be faced with subjects such as Methods and Problems in Microbiology, Microbial Genetics and Evolution, etc.
3. University of California, San Francisco
The University of California, San Francisco is a public university in San Francisco, California. This university is a part of the University of California system that is dedicated entirely to health science. Under its Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, this university offers graduate studies in microbiology and some of its sub-branches.
Graduate studies at the University of California, San Francisco offer a PhD program (and degree) in microbiology and some of its sub-branches. The Department of Microbiology and Immunology also offers and sponsors programs such as Graduate School in Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Medical School with Pathogens and Host Defense, Pharmacy School, and a first-year Dental School course.
4. University of Oxford
The University of Oxford –the oldest university in the English-speaking world- is a research university in Oxford England. As one of the most well-known and best-ranked universities in the world, this university also prides itself in its studies of microbiology. The Medical Sciences Division, with its Department of Microbiology, Infection and Tropical Medicine, offers graduate studies in various microbiology sub-branches.
Graduate studies in microbiology offer both master’s and PhD programs, such as MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology, MSc in Integrated Immunology, etc, and, for example, Doctoral Training in Infection Immunology and Translational Medicine. As one of the best microbiology schools in the world, the University of Oxford never fails to mention its achievements throughout history, such as the development of Penicillin and other revolutionary antibiotics, so – whichever program you choose to attend, you can’t go wrong, at least when it comes to microbiology studies.
5. University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego is a top microbiology school. It is a public university in San Diego, California. The Biological Sciences Department at the University of California, San Diego, offers both undergraduate and graduate microbiology studies.
Undergraduate microbiology studies at the Biological Sciences Department consist of the Microbiology major, which encompasses a wide range of topics, such as biotechnology, synthetic biology, microbiomes, etc. This major program promises to provide its students with a solid background in biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and basic microbiology. When it comes to graduate microbiology studies, this department offers a PhD program whose major areas of emphasis are structural biology, cell biology, developmental biology, neurobiology, immunology, microbiology, virology, etc. (basically, every possible –ology in the book).
6. Cornell University
Cornell University is a private Ivy League university in Ithaca, New York. The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is one of the colleges of this university and the parent institution to the Department of Microbiology. This department offers both undergraduate and graduate studies in microbiology.
Undergraduate studies of microbiology are a part of the Biological Sciences program. With Cornell University being among the best microbiology schools in the world, this program promises to provide the training needed to excel in students’ post-graduate careers in academic, biomedical, and industrial labor fields. Graduate studies at this department claim to be one of the few programs in the country in which there is a strong emphasis on prokaryote biology, which is a study of the fundamental properties of Bacteria and Archaea. Sounds fascinating, doesn’t it? If you’re interested in such a thing, you should give it a shot with this PhD program.
7. University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private Ivy League university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded in the first half of the 18th century. The School of Medicine is one of the schools of this university, where its Department of Microbiology can be found. The Department of Microbiology offers graduate studies in microbiology – a PhD degree through the Biomedical Graduate Studies program, to be precise.
The University of Pennsylvania is indeed one of the best microbiology schools since there are many fields to choose from under the Biomedical Graduate Studies program, such as Immunology, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Pharmacology, etc. Under some of these fields, you can also find even more sub-fields, so you have a variety of programs to choose from, depending on your area of interest. The Department also offers pre- and postdoctoral training in various areas, such as in Emerging Infectious Diseases, in HIV Pathogenesis, Vaccination, and Cure, in Virology, in Immunology, etc.
We hope this article on the best microbiology schools in the world was helpful. If you’re looking to study abroad, make sure to check out the Available Programs for International Students.
