BS in Microbiology
(62–67 hours*)
This is the preferred degree for microbiology majors who desire an advanced degree (master's or doctorate) in microbiology.
Program Requirements | View MAP
- Complete one of the following courses:
- Complete the following biology core courses:
MMBIO 151 : Introduction to Microbiology.
(4:3:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Summer |
| PREREQUISITE: | Chem 105 or concurrent enrollment. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Principles of prokaryotic biology emphasizing cell structure, function, and metabolism. Introduction to bacterial genetics, microbial diversity, and microbial ecology. |
MMBIO 240 : Molecular Biology.
(3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring |
| PREREQUISITE: | CHEM 105; Bio 130 or MMBio 151 or PDBio 120. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Fundamentals of protein and nucleic acid structure and their function in the context of the classical experiments that have informed our current models of biology at the molecular level. |
MMBIO 241 : Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory.
(1:0:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBio 240 or concurrent enrollment. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Molecular and cellular biology techniques laboratory. |
MMBIO 261 : Infection and Immunity.
(3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Principles of infectious organisms (principally bacteria and viruses), the diseases they cause, and the role of host immune responses in health and disease. |
- Complete four courses from the following (at least two of which must have a lab component):
MMBIO 360 : Microbial Genetics.
(4:3:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBIO 240 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | How DNA governs complex bacterial functions. Classical and modern approaches to gene discovery, including genetic screens, gene mapping, targeted genetic manipulations, and analyzing gene activity. |
MMBIO 363 : Microbial Ecology.
(3:2:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall |
| PREREQUISITE: | BIO 130; or MMBIO 151; or PDBIO 120 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Natural history of a microbe; its distribution and abundance. Critical influence of scale and perspective in determining underlying mechanisms. |
MMBIO 364 : Bacterial Pathogenesis.
(4:3:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Winter |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBIO 261 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Fundamental principles of bacterial pathogenesis, emphasizing the molecular interactions of medically important bacteria and their hosts. |
MMBIO 461 : Advanced Bacterial Physiology.
(3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Winter |
| PREREQUISITE: | CHEM 481 & MMBIO 151 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Principles of prokaryotic physiology, including cell structure and function, gene regulation, and biochemical processes; focusing on the unique aspects of prokaryotic biology. |
MMBIO 465 : Virology.
(3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBio 261 or equivalent. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Basic principles of virology, emphasizing selected molecular aspects of virus life cycles and disease processes. |
Note: For MMBio 360, 363, and 364, lab registration is automatic and included in the course with the lecture. MMBio 463 and 465 can be taken with or without the MMBio 467 or 466 labs, respectively.
- Complete the following chemistry courses:
CHEM 105 : General College Chemistry.
(4:5:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer |
| PREREQUISITE: | Math 110 (or equivalent) or concurrent enrollment. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Atomic and molecular structure including bonding and periodic properties of the elements; reaction energetics, electrochemistry, acids and bases, inorganic and organic chemistry. |
| NOTE: | Primarily for students in engineering and biological sciences. Three lectures and two recitation sections per week. |
CHEM 106 : General College Chemistry.
(3:4:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Summer |
| PREREQUISITE: | CHEM 105; or CHEM 111 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Continuation of Chem 105 but covering most of the topics in a more quantitative way. Detailed treatment of thermodynamics and equilibria. |
| NOTE: | Three lectures and one recitation section per week. |
CHEM 107 : General College Chemistry Laboratory.
(1:0:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer |
| PREREQUISITE: | Chem 106 or Chem 112 or concurrent enrollment. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Chemical properties, chemical reactions, collection and interpretation of data, preparation of reports. |
| NOTE: | Required for most students needing one year of general chemistry. |
CHEM 351 : Organic Chemistry.
(3:3:1)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring |
| PREREQUISITE: | CHEM 105; or CHEM 111 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Chemical bonds and molecular structure, conformation and configuration, functional classes, reactions and mechanisms, syntheses. |
| NOTE: | Primarily for majors in chemical engineering and the biological sciences. |
CHEM 353 : Organic Chemistry Laboratory--Nonmajors.
(1-2:0:6)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer |
| PREREQUISITE: | Chem 352 or concurrent enrollment (preferred). |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Physical and chemical properties, isolation and purification, characterization, syntheses. |
| NOTE: | For predentistry, premedicine, and other majors who do not intend to take Chem 455. |
CHEM 481 : Biochemistry.
(3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring |
| PREREQUISITE: | CHEM 352M & PDBIO 120; or CHEM 352 & PDBIO 120 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | First-semester biochemistry. Molecular components of cells, chemical structure and function, enzymes, metabolic transformations, photosynthesis. |
| NOTE: | For chemistry majors and students in biological sciences who contemplate pursuing advanced degrees, including medicine. |
- Complete the following:
PHSCS 105 : Introductory Applied Physics.
(3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring |
| PREREQUISITE: | High school algebra and trigonometry. |
| RECOMMENDED: | Concurrent enrollment in Phscs 107. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Applied physics course not requiring calculus. Topics include mechanics, heat, wave motion, sound. |
PHSCS 106 : Introductory Applied Physics.
(3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Summer |
| PREREQUISITE: | Phscs 105 or equivalent. |
| RECOMMENDED: | Concurrent enrollment in Phscs 108. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Continuation of Phscs 105. Topics include electricity and magnetism, atomic and nuclear physics, and optics. |
- Complete one of the following courses:
MATH 112 : Calculus 1.
(4:5:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | Honors also. |
| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer |
| PREREQUISITE: | Math 110 and 111 or equivalent. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Differential and integral calculus: limits; continuity; the derivative and applications; extrema; the definite integral; fundamental theorem of calculus; L'Hopital's rule. |
: Honors Calculus 1.
*MATH 119 : Introduction to Calculus.
(4:4:1)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | Independent Study only. |
| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer |
| PREREQUISITE: | Math 110 or equivalent. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Introduction to plane analytic geometry and calculus. |
STAT 121 : Principles of Statistics.
(3:3:1)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | Independent Study also; Honors also. |
| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer |
| RECOMMENDED: | MATH 110 or equivalent. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Stemplots, boxplots, histograms, scatterplots; central tendency, variability; confidence intervals and hypothesis testing involving one and two means and proportions; contingency tables, simple linear regression. |
: Honors Principles of Statistics.
*Offered through BYU Independent Study.
- Complete at least 10 hours from the following:
BIO 350 : Ecology.
(3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring |
| PREREQUISITE: | PDBIO 120 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Distribution and abundance of organisms and their interactions with the physical and biotic components of the earth. |
BIO 420 : Evolutionary Biology.
(2:2:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBIO 240 & PWS 340 |
| RECOMMENDED: | Concurrent enrollment in Bio 421. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Intensive examination of evolution as the conceptual cornerstone of biology. |
BIO 421 : Evolutionary Biology Laboratory.
(1:0:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBIO 240 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Hands-on applications and analytical tools of evolutionary biology; emphasizing inference methodology and evidence complementing the theoretical constructs introduced in Bio 520, including comparative anatomy, phylogenetic inference, population genetics, species concepts, and human evolution. |
| NOTE: | Concurrent enrollment with Bio 420 is strongly recommended. |
BIO 463 : Genetics of Human Disease.
(3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Winter |
| PREREQUISITE: | PWS 340 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Examining the application of genetics to understanding and treatment of human disease. Functional consequences of mutations; use of model organisms; linkage and association analysis of complex traits; pharmacogenetics; ethical considerations. |
CHEM 482 : Mechanisms of Molecular Biology.
(3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Winter |
| PREREQUISITE: | CHEM 481M; or CHEM 481 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Second-semester biochemistry. Nucleic acid biochemistry and molecular biology: nucleotide metabolism, chromosome and chromatin structure, DNA structure and replication, RNA transcription and gene expression, protein synthesis and regulation, eukaryotic gene systems, signal transduction. |
MMBIO 194A : Freshman Research Initiative 1.
(2:0:6)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall |
| PREREQUISITE: | By application only. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Phage isolation and characterization. |
| NOTE: | For freshmen or sophomore students only. Requires two semester commitment. |
MMBIO 194B : Freshman Research Initiative 2.
(2:0:6)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Winter |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBIO 194A |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Phage genome annotation. Focus on experimental design and data analysis. |
| NOTE: | For freshmen or sophomore students only. Requires two semester commitment. |
MMBIO 417 : Medical Parasitology.
(3:2:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter |
| PREREQUISITE: | Bio 100 or equivalent. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Pathogenesis, diagnosis, and epidemiology of human parasitic diseases. Laboratory included. |
MMBIO 441 : Advanced Molecular Biology.
(3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBIO 240 & CHEM 352 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Molecular biology of gene structure and expression in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. |
MMBIO 442 : Advanced Molecular Biology Laboratory.
(2:0:6)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBIO 241; MMBio 441 or concurrent enrollment. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Laboratory to accompany MMBio 441. |
MMBIO 466 : Virology Laboratory.
(1:0:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Winter |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBio 261; or MMBio 465 or concurrent enrollment. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Laboratory exercises illustrating in vitro behavior of selected viruses. Developing laboratory skills for virus studies. |
MMBIO 467 : Immunology Lab.
(1:0:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBio 261; or 463 or concurrent enrollment. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Laboratory exercises in advanced concepts of immunological processes. |
MMBIO 510 : History of Microbiology and Molecular Biology.
(2:2:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Winter Even Yrs. |
| PREREQUISITE: | Any one 400-level MMBio course. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Exploring the lives and historical settings of major contributors to the development of the sciences of microbiology and molecular biology emphasizing the importance of their ground-breaking discoveries in both basic and applied science. |
MMBIO 513 : Philosophy of Biology.
(2:2:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall Even Yrs. |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBio 360 or 363 or 461 or equivalent. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Epistemological, metaphysical, and ethical issues in the biological sciences. Philosophical questions concerning the theory of evolution, debate between evolution and creationism, fitness, adaptationism, the units of selection, systematics, sociobiology, and evolutionary ethics. |
MMBIO 515 : RNA-Mediated Gene Regulation.
(2:2:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall Odd Yrs. |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBio 441 or equivalent. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Current advances in studies on RNA processing, including RNA splicing and editing, riboswitches, ribozymes, and the role of small RNAs in RNA interference and regulation of gene expression. |
MMBIO 557 : Genes and Cancer.
(2:2:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Winter Odd Yrs. |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBio 441 or equivalent. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Molecular basis of human cancers, emphasizing oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, chromosomal instability, hereditary cancers, chemical and physical carcinogens, and viral carcinogenesis. |
MMBIO 565 : Molecular Virology.
(2:2:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Winter Odd Yrs. |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBio 465 or equivalent. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Molecular mechanisms of virus architecture, attachment and entry pathways, replication strategies, oncogenesis, evolution, and mechanisms of pathogenesis. |
NDFS 361 : Food Microbiology.
(3:2:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBIO 221 & MMBIO 222 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms in foods and their control. Beneficial microorganisms in food systems. Influence of the food system on growth and survival of microorganisms. |
PDBIO 360 : Cell Biology.
(3:3:1)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBIO 240 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Fundamentals of cell structure and function with reference to analytical methods used by cell biologists. Practice in designing, executing, and interpreting relative experiments. |
PDBIO 362 : Advanced Physiology.
(3:3:1)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBIO 240 & PHSCS 106; or MMBIO 240 & PHSCS 220 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Integrated approach to organ system and cellular physiology. Problem solving/calculations. |
| NOTE: | Requires background in chemistry and molecular biology. Students without this background should take PDBio 305. |
PDBIO 363 : Advanced Physiology Laboratory.
(1:.5:1.5)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring |
| PREREQUISITE: | PDBio 362 or concurrent enrollment; or instructor's consent. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Experiments and exercises in advanced physiology emphasizing human physiology. Computer simulations of muscle function, endocrine disease, and human physiology. Emphasizes problem solving and calculations. |
PWS 340 : Genetics.
(2:2:1)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBIO 240 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Genetic mechanisms, their fundamental nature, interactions, and applications to human affairs. Genetics in quantitative terms. Extensive practice in problem solving. |
PWS 514 : Soil Microbiology.
(2:2:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Winter Odd Yrs. |
| PREREQUISITE: | Chem 105 and 106; or equivalents. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Ecology and role of soil microorganisms in biogeochemical cycles, decomposition of organic matter and waste materials, and bioremediation of contaminated soils and water. |
- Note: Only 3 hours of MMBio 399R and 494R combined will count toward major hours.
or courses not chosen under item 3 above:
MMBIO 360 : Microbial Genetics.
(4:3:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBIO 240 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | How DNA governs complex bacterial functions. Classical and modern approaches to gene discovery, including genetic screens, gene mapping, targeted genetic manipulations, and analyzing gene activity. |
MMBIO 363 : Microbial Ecology.
(3:2:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall |
| PREREQUISITE: | BIO 130; or MMBIO 151; or PDBIO 120 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Natural history of a microbe; its distribution and abundance. Critical influence of scale and perspective in determining underlying mechanisms. |
MMBIO 364 : Bacterial Pathogenesis.
(4:3:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Winter |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBIO 261 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Fundamental principles of bacterial pathogenesis, emphasizing the molecular interactions of medically important bacteria and their hosts. |
MMBIO 461 : Advanced Bacterial Physiology.
(3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Winter |
| PREREQUISITE: | CHEM 481 & MMBIO 151 |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Principles of prokaryotic physiology, including cell structure and function, gene regulation, and biochemical processes; focusing on the unique aspects of prokaryotic biology. |
MMBIO 465 : Virology.
(3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter |
| PREREQUISITE: | MMBio 261 or equivalent. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Basic principles of virology, emphasizing selected molecular aspects of virus life cycles and disease processes. |
- Pass the Biology Major Field Exam.
- Complete an exit interview.
Recommended Courses
ENGL 316 : Technical Communication.
(3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | Honors also. |
| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer |
| PREREQUISITE: | Junior or senior status. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Effective processes of written, oral, and visual technical communication, including collaborative processes. Writing for academic and professional audiences. |
| NOTE: | Carries GE Advanced Written and Oral Communication credit. |
MATH 113 : Calculus 2.
(4:5:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | Honors also. |
| WHEN TAUGHT: | Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer |
| PREREQUISITE: | Math 112 or equivalent. |
| DESCRIPTION:  | Techniques and applications of integration; sequences, series, convergence tests, power series; parametric equations; polar coordinates. |
Note: Students desiring a minor in chemistry must take Chem 223 and 2 hours of Chem 353.
*Hours include courses that may fulfill university core requirements.