Bachelor of Arts in Microbiology

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Kansas

Program Overview

The B.A. in Microbiology at the University of Kansas examines bacteria, viruses, the immune system, and microorganisms' roles in human health and the environment, combining biology, chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, and laboratory science. It is well suited to students interested in microbiology, biotechnology, healthcare, public health, research, or further professional study, with advanced options in immunology, virology, bacterial genetics, and infectious diseases.

Curriculum Structure

First Year: Students establish their scientific foundation through BIOL 150: Principles of Molecular and Cellular Biology, BIOL 152: Principles of Organismal Biology, and BIOL 154: Introductory Biology Lab for STEM Majors, supported by CHEM 130: General Chemistry I and mathematics. This stage develops core knowledge of cellular and organismal biology while introducing students to laboratory work.

Second Year: Students begin specialized microbiology study with BIOL 400: Fundamentals of Microbiology and BIOL 402: Fundamentals of Microbiology Laboratory, while taking BIOL 350: Principles of Genetics, BIOL 370: Introduction to Biostatistics, and CHEM 330: Organic Chemistry I. Together, these courses strengthen students' understanding of microorganisms, genetics, quantitative analysis, and the chemical foundations of biological systems.

Third Year: Students progress into advanced biological and biochemical concepts through BIOL 600: Introductory Biochemistry, Lectures or the BIOL 636: Biochemistry I and BIOL 638: Biochemistry II sequence, alongside upper-level microbiology electives and laboratory courses. Options such as BIOL 503: Immunology, BIOL 504: Immunology Laboratory, BIOL 512: General Virology, BIOL 513: Virology Laboratory, BIOL 518: Bacterial Genetics, and BIOL 519: Bacterial Genetics Laboratory allow students to build specialized expertise.

Fourth Year: The final year brings together advanced microbiology knowledge through BIOL 506: Bacterial Infectious Diseases and BIOL 507: Bacterial Infectious Diseases Laboratory, with BIOL 507 serving as the program's capstone course. Students also complete additional 400-level microbiology coursework, allowing them to deepen their interests in infectious disease, genetics, immunology, or virology.

Focus areas: Microbial genetics, immunology, virology, bacterial infectious diseases, molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, microbiological laboratory science, genetics, and biostatistics.

Learning outcomes: Graduates develop knowledge of microorganisms, including their structure, physiology, genetics, ecology, and evolution; explain microorganisms' roles in human health, disease, biotechnology, and environmental systems; apply molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry principles; conduct and interpret laboratory experiments; analyze scientific data quantitatively; and communicate scientific findings clearly.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation): The University of Kansas Academic Catalog does not state a separate professional or disciplinary accreditation specifically for the B.A. in Microbiology. The degree is offered through KU's College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and includes structured laboratory and capstone requirements.

Reputation (Employability Rankings): KU states that job prospects for microbiologists with a bachelor's degree or higher continue to be strong, while its official program information identifies career pathways in research laboratories, clinical settings, government agencies, and private industry. The official KU program sources do not publish a specific QS, Guardian, or other employability ranking for the B.A. in Microbiology.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in the B.A. in Microbiology at the University of Kansas develop practical laboratory skills alongside their study of microorganisms, with upper-division microbiology courses pairing lectures with dedicated laboratory work. The program includes hands-on training in areas such as Fundamentals of Microbiology, Bacterial Infectious Diseases, Immunology, Virology, and Bacterial Genetics, while KU also provides opportunities for students to participate in authentic faculty-mentored research and course-based undergraduate research experiences.

Key experiential opportunities include:

Microbiology laboratories: The B.A. requires three upper-division lecture-and-laboratory pairings, with options including Immunology + Immunology Laboratory, General Virology + Virology Laboratory, and Bacterial Genetics + Bacterial Genetics Laboratory.
Bacterial infectious disease research: BIOL 507: Bacterial Infectious Diseases Laboratory serves as the program's capstone laboratory course, giving students practical experience focused on bacterial infectious diseases.
Course-based undergraduate research: KU's MicrobioME: a CURE for Staphylococcus aureus gives students in BIOL 507 an authentic research-laboratory experience within the classroom, involving research related to Staphylococcus aureus.
Faculty-mentored research: Students can work with KU faculty on hypothesis-driven research through opportunities coordinated across Molecular Biosciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Computational Biology.
Summer research: KU's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) is a 10-week summer program where undergraduate students work on scientific projects in laboratory research settings under faculty mentorship.
Molecular analysis facilities: KU research facilities support techniques including DNA extraction, DNA quantification, quantitative PCR, thermocycling, gel electrophoresis, fluorescence microscopy, next-generation sequencing, RNA-Seq, and bioinformatics analysis.
Microbial metagenomics: The Center for Microbial Metagenomics Community Analysis (CMMCA) provides access to next-generation sequencing and microbial community analysis capabilities, supported by the KU Genome Sequencing Core and Advanced Computing Facility.
Research opportunities: KU's Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships facilitates undergraduate research opportunities and allows students to identify faculty mentors and pursue research projects with university support.
Field-based facilities: The KU Field Station provides research and educational settings with multiple habitats, indoor and outdoor laboratory areas, classrooms, and field-study environments for science-related learning and research.
Research tools and software: KU research facilities include Qubit and NanoDrop systems for DNA quantification, Bio-Rad iCycler quantitative PCR, Leica fluorescence microscopy, and Image Pro imaging software; the CMMCA also supports bioinformatics analysis of sequencing data.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The B.A. in Microbiology at the University of Kansas prepares graduates for laboratory, healthcare, biotechnology, public health, environmental and research-oriented careers. The degree also provides a strong foundation for professional and graduate education, particularly for students planning to continue into microbiology, molecular biosciences, public health or related biomedical fields.

Career roles: Microbiologist, Clinical Laboratory Scientist, Biomedical Researcher, Pharmaceutical Scientist.
Career services: KU Career Advising helps students search for internships and jobs through Handshake, develop application materials, prepare for interviews and build an overall job-search strategy; international students can also use Interstride for career, internship and immigration support.
Employment & salary: KU's program page reports an approximately $75,000 average salary for microbiologists, citing Lightcast, and notes continued job growth for microbiology careers.
Research opportunities: Students can work with faculty mentors through KU's undergraduate research programs, while the Center for Undergraduate Research provides research support and $1,000 Undergraduate Research Awards each semester for eligible faculty-mentored projects.
Research partnerships: KU's MicrobioME course-based undergraduate research experience gives students the opportunity to contribute to research on Staphylococcus aureus; a student team produced a manuscript from this K-INBRE-funded project.
Research career support: The KU MARC program supports eligible undergraduate students interested in biomedical research through mentored research, academic counselling, graduate-program application assistance, presentations and travel support.
Professional development: KU's STEM career resources connect students with research experiences, internships and employers, with examples including Quest Diagnostics laboratory internships and U.S. Department of Energy undergraduate laboratory opportunities.
Graduation outcomes: Graduates can enter research laboratories, clinical settings, government agencies and private industry, while others continue into graduate programs in microbiology, molecular biosciences, public health and related biomedical fields.
Accreditation: The University of Kansas states that the B.A. and B.S. in Microbiology are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, providing institutional accreditation for the degree.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the B.A., students can pursue graduate study in microbiology, molecular biosciences, public health or related biomedical fields, or use the degree as preparation for professional programs in areas such as medicine and other health professions. KU also provides research and graduate-school preparation through opportunities such as faculty-mentored research and the MARC program.