Microbiology

Academic advising is done with the program director (Paul Schweiger) until the student finds a faculty mentor for their thesis track research or seminar paper (non-thesis track). 

During their first semester, student are expected to form a Plan of Study committee. In consultation with the faculty mentor and Plan of Study committee, the student will select course work for the remainder of their master's program.  

Examples of Microbiology Thesis Titles

Effects of Oil Contamination on Microbial Community and Function in the La Crosse River Marsh

Evaluation of Copper Alloy Surfaces for Inactivation of Tulane Virus, a Human Norovirus Surrogate, and Human Noroviruses

The Effects of Fly Ash on Municipal Solid Waste Decomposition in Laboratory Bioreactions

Nuclear Localization and Nuclear Export Signals of the Human Parainfluenza Virus Matrix Protein and their Involvement in Nuclear Transit and Virus Release

Morphological Responses to SK-03-92 in Eukaryotic Cells

Effects of the Escherichia coli Small Regulatory RNAs OmrA and OmrB on Global Transcription Following Growth In Human Urine

Development of Monoclonal Antibodies to Determine Sites of Leukocyte Retention in Hibernating  Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrels (Ictidomys Tridecemlineatus)

Characterization and Risk Assessment of a Novel Virus Isolated from White Sucker Fish (Catostomus commersonii) in Wisconsin

Characterization of an Unclassified Virus and Survey for its Presence in Wisconsin Bluegill Populations

Examples of Clinical Microbiology Thesis Titles

The Effects of Genetic Bottlenecks on Replicative Capacity and Mutation Fixation of the Influenza A Virus

Generation of a Murine Herpesvirus 68 Mutant Expressing Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Glycoprotein Peptide 33-41 from within a Latently Expressed Herpesvirus Protein

Upregulation of Outer Surface Protein C Expression by Lyme Disease Spirochetes in Laboratory Medium

Intracellular Penetration of Novel Antimicrobials in Human THP-1 Macrophages Infected With Listeria Monocytogenes Cloning and Mutational Analysis of the Fimb Promoters in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli 

Cloning and Mutational Analysis of the Fimb Promoters in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli 

In Vitro Analysis of Ompr Regulation of the Fimb and Fime Genes of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli    

Regulation of Staphylococcal Superantigen-Like 1 of Community-Associated Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus Aureus in Vitro and in Vivo

Qualitative Analysis of T Cell Responses to Low-Dose Intradermal and Standard-Dose Intramuscular Influenza Vaccination   

Cellular Protein Requirements for Efficient Budding of Human Parainfluenza Virus Type 3

Viral Protein Requirements for Efficient Human Parainfluenza Virus Type 3 Virus-like Particle Formation

Identification of a Novel Late Domain in Human Parainfluenza Virus Type 3 Matrix Protein

Characterization of Antigenomic Promoter Nucleotides 28-43 of Human Parainfluenza Virus Type 3 During Genome Replication

Analysis of Human Parainfluenza Virus Type 3 Antigenomic Promoter bases 13-91 and their Role in Genome Replication

Characterization of the Human Parainfluenza Virus 3 Matrix Protein

Plan A (Thesis) vs. Plan B (Non-thesis) options

With the Thesis option, students complete original research with a faculty mentor for the culminating project. With the Non-thesis, students complete a seminar paper, which is typically a thorough review of a topic relevant to clinical microbiology suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, as the culminating project. Details of the two plans are below.

While the Thesis option may take longer, it is more widely marketable. Employers in research and development (in academic or industry) in particular prefer to hire those with background in original research. The Non-thesis option prepares students best for careers in non-research settings, such as hospital lab supervisor or clinical instructor. 

1.  Plan A:  Master of Science--Thesis Option 

Students electing this plan must earn three to six credit hours in Microbiology 799, Research:  Master's Thesis.  This is accomplished by writing a thesis based on original research and data gathered by the student.  The thesis must be acceptable to the student's Thesis Committee and must conform with the Thesis Guidelines discussed in this document.  Candidates must satisfactorily pass a final oral defense of the thesis and related subject matter. 

2.  Plan B:  Master of Science -- Non-thesis Option

Students electing this plan must earn two credit hours in Microbiology 761, Research and Seminar in Biology.  This is accomplished by researching literature on a special topic and presenting a written seminar paper on the results.  Such papers frequently involve the reanalysis and interpretation of scientific data reported in the existing literature.  Candidates must satisfactorily pass a final oral comprehensive examination concerning the special topic and related subject matter.

Regardless of your track, if you complete coursework prior to completing your research or seminar paper you will need to enroll in Graduate Research Continuation credits (GRC 799). 

Graduate students in Microbiology typically complete their coursework within two years. However, time to completion will also depend on the research project and availability of clinical rotations. 

What if I need more than two years to complete courses?

Many students need to balance family or employment along with their graduate studies. We will help you design a plan of study that allows you to complete your degree over a time frame that works for you - for example by enrolling in classes part-time while you continue working. 

What if I finish my coursework and research credits before completing my thesis?

If you finish all required coursework and research credits before completing your thesis, you must:

• Register for up to two semesters of GRC 799 prior to graduation. This will ensure your continued access to university resources, including an active card key, UWL email, and library privileges. GRC 799 is required for fall and spring terms only. However, to maintain access to university resources during the summer, you must be registered for the following fall. (If you graduate during the summer the fall registration will be dropped.) GRC 799 costs the same as one resident graduate credit. 
  
  
• After registering for GRC 799 two times, you must register for GRC 795 each summer, fall, and spring if you require continued access to university resources, including an active card key, UWL email, and library privileges. If you do not need these things, registration in GRC 795 is not required, even if you require additional time to complete your thesis. GRC 795 costs the same as 50% of one resident graduate credit.
  
  
• If you finish all required coursework and research credits before
  completing your thesis, and fail to register for GRC 799, you will have to register for GRC 798 the term you graduate. The cost of GRC 798 is equal to the cost of three resident graduate credits.

The Graduate Catalog contains the full GRC policy.

In compliance with university policy, the Microbiology Master’s degree requirements must be completed within seven years. If you have not completed your degree within seven years, it is possible to appeal for a time extension.

Employment overview

The combination of classroom education, clinical rotations and research experience will prepare students for a wide variety of employment opportunities including:

• Supervisory positions in clinical microbiology laboratories in medical centers or private reference laboratories (see note below)
• Infection control positions in clinical settings
• Public health
• Marketing and sales in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries
• Teaching at universities and colleges
• Research in academic, government or industry (pharmaceutical and biotechnology) settings

In addition, a degree in Clinical Microbiology provides an excellent background for medical school, veterinary school, or graduate school.

Note: The Clinical Microbiology Master's program is distinct from our Clinical Laboratory Sciences (CLS) B.S. program. If your main goal is to work in a hospital lab, the CLS program, with broader training in Chemistry and Hematology, in addition to Microbiology, may be more appropriate. Hospitals want broadly trained students with a CLS degree who have passed a certification exam. For more information about the UWL Clinical Laboratory Science program, go here .

Students graduating with a Clinical Microbiology M.S. degree can work in clinical diagnostic labs, but these tend to be the larger hospitals where more specialists are employed. You would be expected to sit for a certification exam after being hired. Graduates with a M.S degree in Clinical Microbiology would be qualified to take the Technologist/Scientist certification exam for Microbiology or Molecular Biology after six months of employment. View information for certification.

For current students, the American Society for Microbiology Career Connections website is a good place to look for jobs, as is a "microbiology" search at indeed.com.

What are our grads doing?

• Supervisor in the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory at Marshfield Clinic
• Microbiologist in the Molecular Division of the Washington State Public Health Labs and WI State Lab of Hygiene
• Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)-CDC Fellowship. These paid fellowships train and prepare scientists for careers in public health laboratories and to support public health initiatives. 
• Laboratory Director of the Microbiology Hub - Kericho, Kenya and Associate Biologist, University of Bamako, Mali
• Instructor in the Medical Lab Technologist programs at Minnesota State Southeast Technical and Western Technical College
• Research positions in a Howard Hughes Medical Institute, virology lab at UW-Madison, CDC, and the University of Nebraska Medical Center
• Ph.D. programs at University of Minnesota and the Medical College of Wisconsin
• R&D roles at Harrisvaccines, Luminix, NewLink Genetics, Pathogenica, Lucigen, Abbott Laboratories, Becton Dickinson, Pfizer, and others