The primary goal of the master of science (M.S.) degree program is to give students a solid understanding of the scientific process and to provide the opportunity to obtain advanced training in microbiology. The master's degree is the terminal degree in this program, and completion of this degree does not allow automatic admission to a Ph.D. program.

This program provides the opportunity to tailor a curriculum of advanced coursework and research to fit the needs of each student, with two different tracks (coursework or research tracks, see below). Students may acquire a general overview of microbiology or may focus on a specialized subject area in microbiology such as bacterial physiology, molecular microbiology, food microbiology, environmental microbiology, biotechnology or medical microbiology. The self-tailored program must meet the requirements of the Department of Bacteriology and the Graduate School for the M.S. degree. Full-time students can expect to complete the M.S. degree in about two years. The M.S. program also can accommodate part-time students with consequent increased time to degree.

The coursework track serves students who want to acquire knowledge about current topics in microbiology primarily in a classwork setting. Examples of students who benefit from this track are those currently employed in research, clinical, or biotechnology labs seeking an advanced degree; lawyers and law students who wish to specialize in biotechnology or environmental law; and students preparing for health professions.

The research track serves students who seek to improve scientific research skills. This track is chosen by laboratory technicians who want advanced technical training; students seeking laboratory skills for employment; and students who desire laboratory experience and advanced coursework before applying to Ph.D. programs.

Application Deadlines

• To begin fall semester:
  • Early deadline: March 1 (notification by April 1)
  • Regular deadline: June 1 (notification by July 1)
• To begin spring semester:
  • Deadline: October 15 (notification by November 15)

Although students may apply to begin the program in any semester, summer application is not encouraged. Students pursuing the research option who have found a lab in which to carry out their research may apply for summer admission. Students who plan to pursue the coursework option will be considered for summer admission only if they need to take a prerequisite or general requirement course that is offered in the summer.

Minimum Coursework for Admissions

Students applying to the program should have taken some or all of these courses prior to admission to the program for either coursework or research tracks. Students may correct deficiencies (up to 6 credits) after admission, but these credits do not apply toward the credits of coursework required for the degree, and all deficiencies must be absolved before completion of the master’s degree.

• Biology: two semesters
• Chemistry: four semesters of chemistry including two organic with lab component
• Math: one course in math beyond algebra/trigonometry such as calculus, statistics, or computer science
• Physics: two semesters; exceptions will be considered.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required for admission to the M.S. program, but scores may be submitted. International students whose undergraduate instruction was not in English must provide evidence of English proficiency by taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Resources

Financial aid for students in the M.S. program is not available from the department. Some M.S. students in the research track are supported through their research advisor, but such support is available on a very limited basis.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Major Requirements

MODE OF INSTRUCTION

Mode of Instruction Definitions

CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS

REQUIRED Courses 

The following courses (or equivalent) are required for completion of the M.S. degree for both the coursework and research tracks, and may be fulfilled by courses taken prior to entrance to the M.S. program or as part of the M.S. program.

There are two tracks for the M.S. degree: one involving primarily formal coursework with no research requirement (coursework option), and the other requiring significant laboratory research with a formal written component describing and analyzing the work performed (research option).

Coursework Track¹

• At least nine credits of formal coursework must be at the 600 level or above.
• Research (990), special problems (699, 999), and coordinative internship (399) credits may constitute up to nine credits of the 30 required, but cannot be used to satisfy the requirement for nine credits of formal coursework at the 600 or above level.
• General coursework requirements (see above), can be counted towards the 30 credits if taken after entering the program.
• Seminar credits and one-credit courses graded solely on attendance / participation will NOT count toward the 30 credits. 
• Students may request to have up to eight graduate microbiology or biochemistry course credits taken prior to entering the MS program apply toward the 30-credit minimum. The student must provide verification that those credits were not used to satisfy any degree, major, or University requirements from any prior degree they have earned. Decisions are made by the M.S. program advisor.

Research Track¹

• At least ten credits of formal graduate-level coursework is required; five of these credits must meet at least one of the following criteria.
  1. Graduate course at the 600 level or above
  2. Courses that otherwise adhere to the Graduate School definition of Graduate level classes (courses with the Graduate Level Coursework attribute are identified and searchable in the university's Course Guide.
  3. By approval of M.S. program advisor. See below for a list of commonly-taken courses.
• A minimum of 12 credits of independent research is required, although more are strongly encouraged.
• Seminar credits and one-credit courses graded solely on attendance / participation will NOT count toward the 30 credits.
• Students may request to have up to three graduate microbiology or biochemistry course credits taken prior to entering the MS program apply toward the 10-credit minimum. The student must provide verification that those credits were not used to satisfy any degree, major, or University requirements from any prior degree they have earned. Decisions are made by the M.S. program advisor.

Courses commonly taken by students in the Research Track:

Graduate School Policies

The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.

Major-Specific Policies

Prior Coursework

Graduate Work from Other Institutions

With permission of the program advisor, up to 8 graduate course credits from another university may be applied toward the credit requirements.

UW–Madison Undergraduate

No credits from the UW–Madison undergraduate degree may count toward the credit requirements.

UW–Madison University Special

No credits from the UW–Madison University Special student career may count toward the credit requirements.

Probation

The Graduate School regularly reviews the record of any student who earned grades of BC, C, D, F, or Incomplete in a graduate course (300 or above), or grade of U in research credits. This review could result in academic probation with a hold on future enrollment or in being suspended from the Graduate School.

ADVISOR / COMMITTEE

Every graduate student is required to have an advisor. To ensure that students are making satisfactory progress toward a degree, the Graduate School expects students to meet with their advisor on a regular basis.

CREDITS PER TERM ALLOWED

15 credits (recommended: only 8–10 credits per semester, or 4–5 credits per summer term)

Time Constraints

Master’s degree students who have been absent for five or more consecutive years lose all credits that they have earned before their absence. Individual programs may count the coursework students completed prior to their absence for meeting program requirements; that coursework may not count toward Graduate School credit requirements.

Grievances and Appeals

These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:

• Bias or Hate Reporting  
• Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
• Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Policies and Procedures
  • Office of the Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs
• Dean of Students Office (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
• Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
• Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
• Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
• Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
• Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
• Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
• Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences: Grievance Policy
 

In the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS), any student who feels unfairly treated by a member of the CALS faculty or staff has the right to complain about the treatment and to receive a prompt hearing. Some complaints may arise from misunderstandings or communication breakdowns and be easily resolved; others may require formal action. Complaints may concern any matter of perceived unfairness.

To ensure a prompt and fair hearing of any complaint, and to protect the rights of both the person complaining and the person at whom the complaint is directed, the following procedures are used in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Any student, undergraduate or graduate, may use these procedures, except employees whose complaints are covered under other campus policies.

1. The student should first talk with the person at whom the complaint is directed. Most issues can be settled at this level. Others may be resolved by established departmental procedures.
2. If the student is unsatisfied, and the complaint involves any unit outside CALS, the student should seek the advice of the dean or director of that unit to determine how to proceed.
   1. If the complaint involves an academic department in CALS the student should proceed in accordance with item 3 below.
   2. If the grievance involves a unit in CALS that is not an academic department, the student should proceed in accordance with item 4 below.
3. The student should contact the department’s grievance advisor within 120 calendar days of the alleged unfair treatment. The departmental administrator can provide this person’s name. The grievance advisor will attempt to resolve the problem informally within 10 working days of receiving the complaint, in discussions with the student and the person at whom the complaint is directed.
   1. If informal mediation fails, the student can submit the grievance in writing to the grievance advisor within 10 working days of the date the student is informed of the failure of the mediation attempt by the grievance advisor. The grievance advisor will provide a copy to the person at whom the grievance is directed.
   2. The grievance advisor will refer the complaint to a department committee that will obtain a written response from the person at whom the complaint is directed, providing a copy to the student. Either party may request a hearing before the committee. The grievance advisor will provide both parties a written decision within 20 working days from the date of receipt of the written complaint.
   3. If the grievance involves the department chairperson, the grievance advisor or a member of the grievance committee, these persons may not participate in the review.
   4. If not satisfied with departmental action, either party has 10 working days from the date of notification of the departmental committee action to file a written appeal to the CALS Equity and Diversity Committee. A subcommittee of this committee will make a preliminary judgement as to whether the case merits further investigation and review. If the subcommittee unanimously determines that the case does not merit further investigation and review, its decision is final. If one or more members of the subcommittee determine that the case does merit further investigation and review, the subcommittee will investigate and seek to resolve the dispute through mediation. If this mediation attempt fails, the subcommittee will bring the case to the full committee. The committee may seek additional information from the parties or hold a hearing. The committee will present a written recommendation to the dean who will provide a final decision within 20 working days of receipt of the committee recommendation.
4. If the alleged unfair treatment occurs in a CALS unit that is not an academic department, the student should, within 120 calendar days of the alleged incident, take his/her grievance directly to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. The dean will attempt to resolve the problem informally within 10 working days of receiving the complaint. If this mediation attempt does not succeed the student may file a written complaint with the dean who will refer it to the CALS Equity and Diversity Committee. The committee will seek a written response from the person at whom the complaint is directed, subsequently following other steps delineated in item 3d above.

Other

The M.S. in Bacteriology program does not provide funding for any student in the program and financial support for master's students is limited. Because the program is flexible, students are able to work part or full-time at jobs on or off campus while enrolled. Students in the research option may be paid as research assistants by their research mentor if funds are available.

Graduate School Resources

Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career. 

1. The department’s goal is to ensure that every student demonstrates understanding of the central principles of microbiology and the necessary skills for a professional career in microbiology.
2. The department’s goal is to ensure that every student demonstrates the ability to articulate and critique the approaches and findings in the microbiology literature.
3. The department’s goal is to ensure that every student demonstrates capability to identify sources, generate, and assemble data or evidence pertaining to questions in microbiology.
4. The department’s goal is to ensure that every student demonstrates effective writing and speaking skills.
5. The department’s goal is to ensure that every student demonstrates personal and professional ethics.

Faculty: Professors Katrina Forest (Chair), Jean-Michel Ané, Cameron Currie, Timothy Donohue, Richard Gourse, Charles Kaspar, Katherine McMahon, Michael Thomas, Jade (Jue) Wang, Karen Wassarman, Jae-Hyuk Yu; Associate Professors Daniel Amador-Noguez, Briana Burton, Federico Rey, Garret Suen; Assistant Professors Karthik Anantharaman, Kerri Coon, David Hershey, Erica Lois-Wunderlich Majumder. In addition, many faculty members from other departments supervise training of graduate students.