Bachelor of Science [B.S] [Microbiology] From University of Massachusetts

Because it focuses on the study of viruses, bacteria, and the immune system, microbiology has a long history of close contact with medicine and other health professions. The recent explosive growth of biotechnology depends heavily on using microorganisms to produce biomedical and industrial products, and so has created a large demand for correspondingly trained personnel at both the B.S. and more advanced levels. The revolutionary advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms of basic biological phenomena have been largely accomplished using microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria. This has drawn microbiology to the center of such basic life science fields as molecular genetics and cell biology, as the principles and approaches developed using microorganisms prove applicable to all levels of biology.

Career Opportunities

Microbiology is one of the most rapidly developing sciences. With progress in both basic and applied aspects of the field, employment opportunities at the B.S. level have increased in number and the outlook for the future appears bright. Although it is difficult to make accurate predictions, it is likely that major future developments in microbiology will be in the areas of basic research, health, environment, and in the application of biotechnology to agriculture and to the pharmaceutical and food industries. The need for microbiologists at various levels of the educational and governmental systems will parallel developments in these areas.
Successful completion of the major is an excellent preparatory route for admission into an M.S. or Ph.D. program, as well as the professional schools of medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine.