Please visit the catalog archive for details about 2022-23 degrees and programs.

 
Page PDF

Microbiology, B.S.

Requirements

Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, the smallest living things on earth, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, and algae. While microorganisms are most known for their ability to cause disease, they are actually ubiquitous on earth and central to many of the essential life processes on this planet. The field of microbiology is a major contributor to human, animal, plant, and environmental health as well as central to the food/beverage, biotechnology, bioremediation, and pharmaceutical industries. This curriculum will examine the diverse roles of microorganisms and cover the fundamentals of microbial diversity, physiology, and genetics. Students will examine the roles and interactions of microbial populations in aquatic, terrestrial, human, animal, and plant systems.

A degree in microbiology can open the door to a wide variety of careers in different industries. Studying microbiology will prepare students to go to medical, dental, veterinary, or graduate school, and also provides them a highly employable career option in healthcare, industry, or government agencies. A degree in microbiology allows students to easily enter the workforce or continue on to a professional or graduate program.

Total Program Credits: 120

Matriculation Requirements:

BIOL 1610 College Biology I BB with C- or higher and approval of Biology Department advisor.

General Education Requirements: 39 Credits
  ENGL 1010 Introduction to Academic Writing CC 3
or ENGH 1005 Literacies and Composition Across Contexts CC (5)  
  ENGL 2010 Intermediate Academic Writing CC 3
  MATH 1050 College Algebra QL 4
or MATH 1055 College Algebra with Preliminaries QL (5)  
Complete one of the following: 3
  HIST 2700 US History to 1877 AS (3)  
and HIST 2710 US History since 1877 AS (3)  
  HIST 1700 American Civilization AS (3)  
  HIST 1740 US Economic History AS (3)  
  POLS 1000 American Heritage SS (3)  
  POLS 1100 American National Government AS (3)  
Complete the following:  
  PHIL 2050 Ethics and Values IH 3
  PHIL 205G Ethics and Values IH GI  
  HLTH 1100 Personal Health and Wellness TE (2)  
or EXSC 1097 Fitness for Life TE 2
Distribution Courses:  
  BIOL 1610 College Biology I BB 4
  CHEM 1210 Principles of Chemistry I PP 4
  CHEM 1220 Principles of Chemistry II PP 4
  Humanities Distribution 3
  Fine Arts Distribution 3
  Social/Behavioral Science 3
Discipline Core Requirements: 53 Credits
  BIOL 1615 College Biology I Laboratory 1
  BIOL 1620 College Biology II 3
  BIOL 1625 College Biology II Laboratory 1
  MICR 3150 Microbial Ecology WE 4
  MICR 3450 General Microbiology 3
  MICR 3455 General Microbiology Laboratory 1
  MICR 3550 Microbial Physiology 4
  MICR 3650 Microbial Genetics 4
  MICR 494R Student Seminar WE 2
  BIOL 492R Professional Development 1
  BIOL 497R Biology Colloquium (0.5 cr, two required) 1
  BIOL 3600 Biological Chemistry 3
  BIOL 3605 Biological Chemistry Lab 1
  BIOL 4500 Principles of Evolution WE 3
  PHYS 2010 College Physics I PP 4
  PHYS 2015 College Physics I Lab 1
  CHEM 1215 Principles of Chemistry I Laboratory 1
  CHEM 1225 Principles of Chemistry II Laboratory 1
  CHEM 2310 Organic Chemistry I 4
  CHEM 2315 Organic Chemistry I Laboratory 1
  CHEM 2320 Organic Chemistry II 4
  CHEM 2325 Organic Chemistry II Laboratory 1
  MATH 1100 Survey of Calculus QL 4
Elective Requirements: 28 Credits
  Choose a minimum of 18 credits from: (Upper division courses are encouraged to meet upper division credit requirements) 18
  MICR 3200 Emerging and Re Emerging Diseases and Zoonoses (3)  
  MICR 4100 Parasitology (4)  
  MICR 4200 Microbiomes (3)  
  MICR 4300 Pathogenic Microbiology (4)  
  MICR 4450 Immunology (3)  
  MICR 4455 Immunology Laboratory (1)  
  MICR 4500 Virology (3)  
  MICR 4505 Applied Virological Methods (3)  
  MICR 4600 Arthropod-Borne Pathogens (3)  
  MICR 490R Special Topics in Microbiology (1)  
  BIOL 3400 Cell Biology (3)  
  BIOL 3405 Cell Biology Laboratory (1)  
  BIOL 3550 Molecular Biology (3)  
  BIOL 3555 Experiments in Molecular Biology (1)  
  BIOL 4550 Molecular Evolution and Bioinformatics WE (3)  
  BTEC 1010 Fundamentals of Biotechnology I Career Survey BB (3)  
  BTEC 2010 DNA Manipulation and Analysis (3)  
  BTEC 2020 Protein Purification and Analysis (3)  
  BTEC 2030 Cell Culture Techniques (2)  
  BTEC 2040 Advanced Nucleic Acid Laboratory (3)  
  BOT 3500 Mycology (4)  
  BOT 4430 Plant Pathology (3)  
  CHEM 3020 Environmental Chemistry (3)  
  CHEM 3025 Environmental Chemistry Laboratory (1)  
  ENVT 1270 Environmental Microbiology (3)  
  Choose 6 credits from: 6
  MICR 489R Student Research (1-4)  
  BIOL 3100 Introduction to Data Analysis for Biologists (3)  
  BIOL 369R Introduction to Undergraduate Research (1)  
  BIOL 4300 Bioinformatics and Genome Analysis (4)  
  Choose 4 credits from BIOL, BOT, BTEC, ZOOL, or CHEM1 4

Graduation Requirements:

  1. Complete the required minimum credit hours.
  2. If an AA or AS degree has been earned, a maximum of 64 of these credits may apply toward the BS.
  3. At least 30 credit hours in residence at UVU or satellite sites are required, with 10 hours earned during the last 45 hours.
  4. A minimum of 40 credits must be upper-division (numbered 3000 or above).
  5. A minimum of 40 credits must be in the Biology Department (BIOL, BOT, BTEC, MICR, or ZOOL prefixes), 30 of which must be upper-division. A minimum of nine Department credits must be taken at UVU.
  6. Except for 490R Special Topics courses, a maximum cumulative total of 13 credits in any combination of upper division Departmental courses with an "R" designation may count toward graduation.
  7. Complete Biology Department core courses with a grade of "C-" or higher in each course.
  8. Achieve a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 with a minimum GPA of 2.25 in biology department courses.
  9. Complete the appropriate application for graduation form.
  10. Successful completion of at least one Global/Intercultural course.
Footnotes:
1 Upper division is suggested to meet upper division requirements

Graduation Plan

This graduation plan is a sample plan and is intended to be a guide. Your specific plan may differ based on your Math and English placement and/or transfer credits applied. You are encouraged to meet with an advisor and set up an individualized graduation plan in Wolverine Track.

Semester 1 Course Title Credit Hours
BIOL 1610 College Biology I BB 4
BIOL 1615 College Biology I Laboratory 1
ENGL 1010 Introduction to Academic Writing CC 3
MATH 1050 College Algebra QL 4
Fine Arts 3
  Semester total: 15
Semester 2   Credit Hours
BIOL 1620 College Biology II 3
BIOL 1625 College Biology II Laboratory 1
ENGL 2010 Intermediate Academic Writing CC 3
Humanities 3
Social/Behavioral Science 3
HLTH 1100 or EXSC 1097 Personal Health and Wellness TE or Fitness for life TE 2
  Semester total: 15
Semester 3 Course Title Credit Hours
MICR 3450 General Microbiology 3
MICR 3455 General Microbiology Laboratory 1
History GE 3
CHEM 1210 Principles of Chemistry I PP 4
CHEM 1215 Principles of Chemistry I Laboratory 1
Elective 3
  Semester total: 15
Semester 4 Course Title Credit Hours
CHEM 1220 Principles of Chemistry II PP 4
CHEM 1225 Principles of Chemistry II Laboratory 1
PHIL 205G Ethics and Values IH GI 3
MICR 3650 Microbial Genetics 4
MATH 1100  Survey of Calculus QL 4
  Semester total: 16
Semester 5 Course Title Credit Hours
MICR 3150  Microbial Ecology WE 4
CHEM 2310 Organic Chemistry I  4
CHEM 2315 Organic Chemistry I Laboratory 1
Biology Elective 3
Elective 3
  Semester total: 15
Semester 6 Course Title Credit Hours
MICR 3550  Microbial Physiology 4
CHEM 2320 Organic Chemistry II  4
CHEM 2325 Organic Chemistry II Laboratory 1
PHYS 2010 College Physics I PP 4
PHYS 2015 College Physics I Lab 1
  Semester total: 14
Semester 7 Course Title Credit Hours
Research Elective 3
Elective 3
BIOL 3600 Biological Chemistry 3
BIOL 3605 Biological Chemistry Lab 1
Elective 3
Biology Elective 4
  Semester total: 17
Semester 8 Course Title Credit Hours
BIOL 497R  Biology Colloquium 1
BIOL 492R Professional Development 1
MICR 494R  Student Seminar WE 2
Elective 6
Research Elective 3
  Semester total: 13
  Degree total: 120

Department

Biology

The Biology department is in the College of Science. To find the most up-to-date information, including Program Learning Outcomes for degree programs offered by the Biology department, visit their website.

Biology department

Program Details

Program Learning Outcomes
  1. Apply the process of science through the use of hypothesis testing in the design and completion of scientific experiments
  2. Critically evaluate scientific information
  3. Quantitatively analyze scientific data through graph interpretation, statistical analysis, and problem solving
  4. Effectively communicate scientific information in both written and oral formats.
  5. Explain fundamental microbiological concepts including microbial genetics and molecular biology, ecology and environmental microbiology, and physiology and biochemistry
^ Back to Top