Graduation Requirements

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To earn a bachelor’s degree in microbiology, all undergraduate students must complete the university’s general education requirements, degree specific requirements set by the Department of Veterinary Pathology, and university total credit hour and writing intensive class requirements.

General Education Requirements

All general education requirements must be completed with a grade of C- or better. Courses taken to fulfill the general education requirements cannot be taken using the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading system.

  • English Exposition and Argumentation  (3 credits)

            English 1000 or 1000H or transferable equivalent

  • Math and Quantitative Reasoning (3 credits)

            Math 1050, 1100, 1160, STAT 1200, or transferable equivalent

This requirement can also be satisfied by completing a calculus course (Math 1320, 1400, 1500/1500H, 1700/1700H, or 2300/2300H) that provides back-credit for Math 1100 or 1160 or by passing the proctored Math Placement Exam http://mathplacement.missouri.edu/ with a sufficient score.   

  • Writing Intensive Course (3 credits)

Three credits of writing intensive-designated coursework from anywhere in the University curriculum or from an English Composition I transfer course equivalent from a Missouri regionally-accredited institution (ENGLSH 1010W). This course may also be applied toward the Distribution of Content requirement.           

  • American History or Government (3 credits)

The following courses will satisfy this Missouri requirement. Designated courses may also be used toward the distribution of content requirement.

1100/1100H: Survey of American History to 1865
1200/1200H: Survey of American History since 1865
1400: American History (no longer offered but still accepted for AP credit)
2210: Twentieth Century America
2440: History of Missouri
4000: Age of Jefferson
4220: U.S. Society Between the Wars 1918-1945
4230: Our Times: United States since 1945
1100/1100H: American Government
2100/2100H: State Government            

  • Distribution of Content (27 credits)

The distribution of content requirement of 27 credits is designed to provide a breadth and depth of knowledge in three broad areas of study. There are three different areas of distribution; 9 credit hours are required in each area. At least one course numbered 2000 or above is required in two of the three areas of distribution.

The distribution of content must include:

  • Nine credits of Biological Science, Physical Science, and/or Mathematical Science. Please note that:
  • At least one biological or physical science and its related laboratory component must be taken.
  • Two different areas of science must be represented.
  • PHYSCS 1210 and BIO_SC 1500 can be used to fulfill the science distribution of content requirement.
  • Nine credits of Behavioral and/or Social Science including courses from at least two different departments in these areas. Note that designated courses for the American History or Government requirement may also be counted toward the distribution of content requirement.
  • Nine credits of Humanities and/or Fine Arts including courses from at least two different departments in these areas.

Requirements for the Microbiology Major

The following courses are required for the microbiology major.  All courses must be taken for a letter grade (satisfactory/unsatisfactory grades will not count toward the major).  A grade of C- or higher is required for each class and an overall GPA of 2.0 for these courses is also required.

  • PHYSCS 1210 College Physics I or PHYSCS 2750 University Physics I
  • PHYSCS 1220 College Physics II or PHYSCS 2760 University Physics II
  • BIO_SC 1500 Introduction to Biological Systems with Laboratory
  • MATH 1400 Calculus for Social and Life Sciences I or MATH 1500 Analytical Geometry and Calculus I
  • CHEM 1320 College Chemistry I
  • CHEM 1330 College Chemistry II
  • CHEM 2100 Organic Chemistry I
  • CHEM 2110/2130 Organic Chemistry II and Organic Laboratory I
  • BIOCHM 3630 General Biochemistry or BIOCHM 4270 Biochemistry I
  • V_PBIO 2001 or V_PBIO 2010 and 2011 Fundamentals of Microbiology with lab or BIO_SC 3750 and BIO_SC 3760
  • V_PBIO 3551 Introduction to Immunology I
  • V_PBIO 3554 Introduction to Virology or V_PBIO 3345 Fundamentals of Parasitology
  • V_PBIO 3600 Bacterial Genetics and Genomics
  • V_PBIO 4970 and 4970H Microbiology Undergraduate Research Capstone or V_PBIO 4980 Microbiology Senior Seminar (Capstone)
  • MICRO 3200 Medical Microbiology and Immunology
  • Microbiology Electives (15 credit hours selected from the following):
    • ANTHRO 3560W Plagues and People
    • BIOCHM 4272 Biochemistry II
    • BIO_SC 2300 Cell Biology
    • BIO_SC 4976 Molecular Biology
    • ENV_SC 4312 Environmental Soil Microbiology
    • F_S 2172 Elements of Food Microbiology
    • F_S 4370 Food Microbiology
    • F_S 4375 Food Microbiology Laboratory
    • P_HLTH 3450 Introduction to Epidemiology OR P_HLTH 3760 Infectious Disease and Public Health Approaches (only 1 of these will count as a major elective) 
    • PLNT_SC 4500 Biology and Pathogenesis of Plant Microbes 
    • V_PBIO 2950 and 2950H Undergraduate Research In Microbiology†
    • V_PBIO 3345 Fundamentals of Parasitology*
    • V_PBIO 3500W Issues in Vector-borne and Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • V_PBIO 3554 Virology*
    • V_PBIO 3557 Microbial Pathogenesis
    • V_PBIO 3560 Microbial Physiology  
    • V_PBIO 3650 Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
    • V_PBIO 3658 Public Health Microbiology
    • V_PBIO 3700 Medical and Veterinary Entomology
    • V_PBIO 3900W Beneficial Microbes
    • V_PBIO 4600W Host-Associated Microbiomes and Disease
    • V_PBIO 4950 and 4950H Advanced Undergraduate Research**†      

    *One of these 2 courses must be taken as a major requirement; the other can be taken as a major elective.
    **Can be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
    †A maximum of 6 credit hours combined total can be applied to fulfill major electives.

If all degree requirements are met, microbiology majors who enroll in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine prior to receiving their baccalaureate degree will be eligible to receive the BSM degree at the end of their second year in the professional curriculum. The following course substitutions for required core courses will be accepted:

  • V_PB5552 Veterinary Bacteriology and Mycology I and V_PB5553 Veterinary Bacteriology and Mycology II for MICRO 3200 Medical Microbiology and Immunology
  • V_PB5511 Veterinary Immunology 1 and V_PB5512 Veterinary Immunology 2 for V_PBIO 3551 Introduction to Immunology
  • V_PB5557 Veterinary Parasitology for V_PBIO 3345 Fundamentals of Parasitology

The following courses will be accepted as major electives: 

  • V_PB5554 Veterinary Virology
  • V_PB5555 Veterinary Epidemiology and Biostatistics
  • V_PB5558 Veterinary Public Health

University Requirements for Graduation

  • Satisfactory completion (grade of C- or better) of a 3 credit upper division writing intensive class in the microbiology major.  Acceptable classes are:

    ANTHRO 3560W Plagues and People
    HLTH_SCI 3900W Introduction to the Research Process and Evidence Base                                
    V_PBIO 3500W Issues in Vector-borne and Emerging Infectious Diseases
    V_PBIO 3900W Beneficial Microbes
    V_PBIO 4600W Host-Associated Microbiomes and Disease

  • Additional electives to meet the 120 credit hour minimum for graduation.  These electives can be taken using the satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading system if in compliance with university academic policies.