Microbiology B.S. - Microbial Ecology
General Degree Requirements
To earn a baccalaureate degree, all students must complete successfully, in addition to any other requirements, the University of Montana General Education Requirements. Please refer to the General Education Requirements page for more information.
Additional requirements for graduation can be found on the Degree/Certificate Requirements for Graduation page.
Unless otherwise noted in individual program requirements, a minimum grade point average of 2.00 in all work attempted at the University of Montana-Missoula is required for graduation. Please see the Academic Policies and Procedures page for information on how your GPA is calculated.
Courses taken to satisfy the requirements of a major, minor, or certificate program must be completed with a grade of C- or better unless a higher grade is noted in the program requirements.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE - MICROBIOLOGY; MICROBIAL ECOLOGY CONCENTRATION
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa. The concentration in Microbial Ecology emphasizes microbial structure and function as well as interactions and relationships with the environment and other organisms. Students may continue their studies at the graduate level and seek research careers in government or private laboratories.
Course Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Biology/Microbiology Lower-Division Core | ||
| Complete all of the following courses: | ||
| BIOB 160 | Principles of Living Systems | 3 |
| BIOB 161N | Principles of Living Systems Lab | 1 |
| BIOB 170N | Principles of Biological Diversity | 3 |
| BIOB 171N | Principles of Biological Diversity Lab | 2 |
| BIOB 260 | Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| BIOB 272 | Genetics and Evolution | 4 |
| Upper-Division Microbiology Core Courses | ||
| Complete all of the following courses: | ||
| BIOE 370 | General Ecology | 3 |
| BIOM 360 | General Microbiology | 3 |
| BIOM 361 | General Microbiology Lab | 2 |
| BIOM 410 | Microbial Genetics | 3 |
| BIOM 411 | Experimental Microbial Genetics Lab | 1 |
| BIOM 415 | Microbial Diversity Ecology & Evolution | 3 |
| BIOM 450 | Microbial Physiology | 3 |
| BIOM 451 | Microbial Physiology Lab | 1 |
| Biochemistry | ||
| Complete either one semester or one year of Biochemistry courses: | 4-6 | |
| Biochemistry | ||
| Advanced Biochemistry I and Advanced Biochemistry II | ||
| Additional Upper-Division Depth Courses in Microbiology | ||
| Complete 7-9 credits from the following courses (labs must be taken if available). 7 credits if BCH 480/BCH 482 was taken; 9 credits if BCH 380 was taken. | 7-9 | |
| Immunology and Immunology Laboratory | ||
| Phylogenics and Evolution | ||
| General Ecology Lab (equivalent to 271) | ||
| Aquatic Microbial Ecology | ||
| Freshwater Ecology | ||
| Stream Ecology | ||
| Lake Ecology | ||
| Host-Microbe Interactions | ||
| General Parasitology and General Parasitology Lab | ||
| Virology | ||
| Ecology of Infectious Diseases | ||
| Advanced Undergraduate Research | ||
| Plant Physiology and Plant Physiology Lab | ||
| Mathematics | ||
| Complete all of the following courses: | ||
| M 162 | Applied Calculus | 4 |
| or M 171 | Calculus I | |
| STAT 216 | Introduction to Statistics | 4 |
| Chemistry | ||
| Complete one of the following Chemistry sequences: | 10-20 | |
Introductory: | ||
| Introduction to General Chemistry | ||
| Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry and Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry Lab | ||
Advanced: | ||
| College Chemistry I and College Chemistry I Lab | ||
| College Chemistry II and College Chemistry II Lab | ||
| Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Lab | ||
| Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry II Lab | ||
| Physics | ||
| Complete one of the following Physics sequences: | 5 | |
Algebra- and Trigonometry-based Physics: | ||
| College Physics I and College Physics I Laboratory | ||
Calculus-based Physics: | ||
| Fundamentals of Physics with Calculus I and Physics Laboratory I with Calculus | ||
| Additional Science Requirement | ||
| Complete 6 credits from the following courses: | 6 | |
| Analytical Chemistry-Quantitative Analysis | ||
| Introduction to Computer Science | ||
| Interdisciplinary Computer Science I | ||
| Soils, Water and Climate | ||
| Hydrogeology | ||
| Calculus II | ||
| Multivariable Calculus | ||
| College Physics II | ||
| College Physics II Laboratory | ||
| Statistical Methods I | ||
| Statistical Methods II | ||
| Computer Data Analysis I | ||
| Computer Data Analysis II | ||
| Advanced Writing Requirement | ||
| Complete the equivalent of a full writing course (either three 1/3 writing courses or one 2/3 writing course + one 1/3 writing course or one complete writing course). The Microbiology degree requires one 2/3 writing course (BIOM 411). The Advanced Writing Requirement is completed with one more course chosen from any of the courses on the list below. | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 79-93 | |
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The lower-division core should be completed before attempting most upper-division major courses. AP Biology credit with a score of 3 may be substituted for either BIOB 160/BIOB 161N or BIOB 170N/BIOB 171N.
Advanced Writing Distributed Model Courses for Biological Sciences
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 1/3 Advanced Writing Courses | ||
| BCH 482 | Advanced Biochemistry II | 3 |
| BIOB 410 | Immunology | 3 |
| BIOB 425 | Advanced Cellular & Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BIOB 483 | Phylogenics and Evolution | 3 |
| BIOE 403 | Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | 4 |
| BIOE 428 | Freshwater Ecology | 0,5 |
| BIOM 402 | Pathogenic Microbes | 3 |
| BIOO 320 | General Botany | 5 |
| BIOO 434 | Plant Physiology Lab | 1 |
| BIOO 470 | Ornithology | 4 |
| BIOO 475 | Mammalogy | 4 |
| 2/3 Advanced Writing Courses | ||
| BCH 486 | Biochemistry Research Lab | 3 |
| BCH 499 | Senior Thesis/Capstone | 3-6 |
| BIOB 411 | Immunology Laboratory | 2 |
| BIOB 499 | Undergraduate Thesis | 3-6 |
| BIOE 342 | Field Ecology | 5 |
| BIOE 371 | General Ecology Lab (equivalent to 271) | 2 |
| BIOM 411 | Experimental Microbial Genetics Lab | 1 |
| BIOM 499 | Undergraduate Thesis | 3-6 |
| Complete Advanced Writing Course | ||
| BIOH 462 | Principles of Medical Physiology | 3 |
| BIOM 420 | Host-Microbe Interactions | 3 |