Required and Offered Courses

First Year:

All graduate students at UTMB enroll in the Basic Biomedical Science Curriculum (BBSC). The BBSC is a one-year curriculum which all students must complete before entering the Microbiology & Immunology (M&I) Graduate Program. See table below for courses. Once the BBSC requirement has been satisfied, students enter our program to complete specific courses, also listed below.

Second Year:

Laboratory rotations begin and instruction is carried out through lectures, seminars, individual or small group dialogues with faculty and visiting investigators, independent study, and independent scholarly research. Studies in the area of specialization are supplemented by advanced level courses in one or more associated areas.

BBSC Core Curriculum

  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology & Genetics
  • Ethics of Scientific Research
  • Introduction to Biostatistics and Experimental Design
    in Basic Sciences
  • 4 Modular Courses

M&I Required Courses

The training program is flexible and the department will assist the student in tailoring course schedules to fit individual student needs. Other courses can be used to fulfill course requirements. Students should refer to the Graduate School Bulletin for descriptions of courses offered by other programs.

Following completion of the program requirements, students will take the qualifying exam, which allows them to be admitted into PhD candidacy. The qualifying exam consists of writing and orally defending an NIH-style research proposal of which the student is the sole producer. The proposal can be written on any subject. The Microbiology & Immunology Graduate Program strives to have all students entered into candidacy by the end of their second year.