Most students who are admitted to this program plan to enter industry after they graduate.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and of the College of Natural Science, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Admission

In general, applicants should have had the equivalent of an academic year each of physics, inorganic chemistry, and organic chemistry; one biochemistry course; mathematics through integral calculus; and one or more courses in the biological sciences. Applicants should have proficiency in written and spoken English, a minimum grade–point average of 3.00, and grades of 3.0 or above in science and mathematics courses. Scores on the Graduate Record Examination General Test and a personal letter of professional intent and objectives are required. Although preparation in the fundamentals of microbiology is desirable, interested students with degrees in any of the physical or biological sciences or mathematics are invited to apply for admission to the program. Applicants not possessing all of the requirements may be admitted to the program provisionally and permitted to make up deficiencies on a collateral basis.

Requirements for the Master of Science Degree  in Industrial Microbiology

The student must complete 30 credits under Plan B (without thesis). The specific program of study, including an internship with an industrial partner, will be determined by the student’s guidance committee. At least 7 credits of master's thesis research are required on topics appropriate for an industrial internship and as approved by the guidance committee or program director. The final oral examination, which covers both course work and thesis research, is administered by the student's guidance committee and a representative of the department’s Graduate Committee.

All students in the program will be required to complete a Certificate Program in Basic Business and Communication Skills. The certificate program is organized as a series of week-end workshops covering such topics as project management, business law, intellectual property, management theory, finance, writing skills, presentation skills, information retrieval, interpersonal skills and group work. The certificate program offered by the faculty of The Eli Broad College of Business and the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, will include a case-study approach. It will normally be undertaken during the first year of enrollment and will involve an additional cost to the student beyond usual tuition and fees.

After the completion of the certificate program is approved by The Eli Broad College of Business and by the Associate Dean of the College of Natural Science, the Office of the Registrar will enter on the student's academic record the name of the certificate program and the date it was completed. This certification will appear on the student's transcript upon completion of the requirements for the degree program.