The Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics offers a Master of Science degree. The M.S. degree requires a minimum of 30 credits of research and coursework, a qualifying exam for candidacy, and the writing and defense of a thesis. The objective of this program is to provide a broad knowledge base of Microbiological and Molecular Genetic concepts to increase their competitiveness to pursue additional graduate degrees (PhD, MD) or to prepare students for careers in pharmaceutical, biotechnology and related industries.