Whether you’re harnessing the healing properties of microbes or conducting research in the fight against COVID-19, understanding how microorganisms affect the body’s immune system can position you for an important career in the health, medicine and biotechnology fields.
Whether you’re promoting health, conducting research, investigating patterns or building a deeper understanding, our programs will position you for an important career in the health, medicine and biotechnology fields.
You’ll pair a deep knowledge of the biomedical sciences and disease systems with hands-on, student-centered laboratory projects designed to test your technical and problem-solving capabilities. We offer a flexible, engaging curriculum that explores the microbial sciences and how they impact human health.
We give you the tools to understand and respond to the current issues facing the scientific and healthcare communities, from the effects of MRSA and other antibiotic-resistant bacteria to the spread of E. coli and other food-borne illnesses.
This major also gives you the option to enroll in the premedical studies program, which fulfills many prerequisites for graduate medical, physician assistant, dental and physical therapy programs.
Learn more about our Designation in Pre-Medical Studies and Advising
The average median salary of a microbiologist. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022)
All students enroll in a two-semester hands-on research experience preformed in a lab setting under the guidance of a faculty mentor which culminates in a formal presentations of their findings. You'll also have additional research opportunities such as the Quinnipiac Interdisciplinary Program for Research and Scholarship (QUIP-RS) and faculty-mentored independent research projects. Third- and fourth-year students also may be hired for internships and part-time summer work in regional biotech and pharmaceutical firms as well as government labs.
With a BS in Medical Microbiology and Immunology, you’ll study how bacteria, viruses and other pathogens interact to help and hinder the body’s ability to fight illness. Our program develops research, medical and laboratory professionals who can respond to infectious diseases and enter the fast-growing biotechnology economy. You’ll pair a deep knowledge of the biomedical sciences and disease systems with hands-on, student-centered laboratory projects designed to test your technical and problem-solving capabilities. Microbiologists work in a variety of settings with a range of roles such as:
With an abundance of career-focused information and resources, the career advisers within the School of Health Sciences support students as they expand their professional networks and attract the attention of prestigious employers.
The behavior of genes that potentially lead to infection and disease in humans — particularly Lyme disease — has long fascinated Christian Eggers, PhD, professor of microbiology. And he shares his passion for research with the many students he’s mentored since joining Quinnipiac’s faculty more than 13 years ago.
Eggers teaches several courses including microbiology, pathogenic microbiology and epidemiology. He also oversees the microbiology seminar and supervises undergraduate and graduate students who collaborate with him on his research.
“We study what B. burgdorferi does when it enters a human host and causes Lyme disease, as well as the evolutionary or genetic mechanisms that make it the bacterium it is… and allow it to build its genome and survive in a host,” he said.
Some of his students have been listed as co-authors on papers he wrote that were published in academic journals, such as Pathogens & Disease and Molecular Microbiology. Others have presented posters at national conferences hosted by the American Society of Microbiology and the 2016 Gordon Research Conference on the Biology of Spirochetes.
He likened his teaching philosophy to the role that parents play. “We know how important modeling is for parents. I feel it is important for a professor to engage with a student in the same way. If I can show students that I’m reading literature, thinking about a problem, making mistakes and rectifying them, they will learn what kinds of things lead to solutions or how critical thinking can be applied to solve problems,” he explained.
Becoming familiar with research methods and getting experience in the lab is especially important for students going on to graduate education and medical school, he noted.
The Department of Homeland Security has determined that this program meets the requirements for STEM designation.
STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) graduates are in high demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be over 1.12 million jobs in STEM occupations in the next 10 years. The Department of Defense also estimates that more than 80% of jobs will require STEM skills over the next decade.
In addition, STEM-designated programs allow certain international graduates to remain and work in the United States for an additional 24 months after graduation on top of the standard Optional Practical Training period (up to 12 months) in order to receive additional training through their work experience.
“My learning experiences in Quinnipiac’s microbiology/immunology program have been informative and engaging. In addition to my classroom experiences, my research with faculty in the microbiology department has complemented my learning, allowed me to refine my interests and prepared me extremely well for my future career endeavors.”
Our undergraduate admissions counselors are here to answer any questions you may have and help you navigate the application process.