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department of Microbiology and Immunology

Educational Programs

 

The Department of Microbiology and Immunology offers programs leading to the PhD and MS degrees in microbiology and immunology. The major objective of these programs is to provide aspiring scholars with the training and fundamental skills necessary to become independent researchers and teachers. This will enable them to meet the needs of academic, governmental, and industrial organizations. A graduate program at Temple University leading to an advanced degree in the biomedical sciences is a scholarly endeavor requiring originality and creativity. As such, it challenges students to think and express themselves independently.  Research opportunities include:

 

  • Molecular and cellular immunology
  • Molecular and biochemical microbiology
  • Eukaryotic and prokaryotic genetics and physiology

Research begins soon after matriculation with a research orientation program. Students perform two-month rotations, usually in three selected laboratories in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, becoming familiar with the research being done in each. They then select an advisor and a graduate research advisory committee to assist in the development and assessment of their thesis research project. The student's research is reviewed semi-annually by the research advisory committee.

 

Students generally take two years of formal class work, which includes basic microbiology, immunology, biochemistry, and molecular genetics. In addition to the Department's own course program, interdisciplinary courses, as well as a variety of courses offered by other departments in the Health Sciences Center, are available. Elective courses taken in the second year include advanced courses in immunology, microbial physiology, and molecular genetics.

 

Since 1965, more than 100 students have graduated with a PhD degree. These individuals have been very successful in seeking and obtaining positions. Approximately 68 percent of the graduates hold academic positions, 20 percent have industrial research positions and 10 percent are directors of clinical microbiology or immunology laboratories. Currently, there are about 120 graduate students at the Health Sciences Center, of whom 47 are enrolled in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. The total student population of the Health Sciences Center is about 2,000.

 

Joint MD/PhD and MD/MS programs are open to students accepted both by the School of Medicine and the Graduate School. To obtain registration material for the graduate program in Microbiology and Immunology, please email micro-immuno-grad@temple.edu.

 

 

Student Funding

 

Full and partial fellowships and scholarships are awarded based on scholastic ability and need. The University deadline for some of these applications is March 15. The Department of Microbiology and Immunology has been awarded a NIH Training Grant that supports several students. Support for immunpharmocology studes is available through a National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) Training Grant. Additional graduate student support is provided by research grants. All PhD students currently in the program are fully supported.