Coursework Track

Coursework Track students gain their knowledge mostly in a classroom setting. With a large selection of courses and supportive advising, students can tailor their education to fit their career goals. Additional milestones, such as the ethics workshop, ensure a well-rounded education.

All requirements can be found on the Bacteriology M.S. page in the UW – Madison Guide.

Courses / Credits

A minimum of 30 credits of graduate-level coursework is required, with courses selected by the student and M.S. program advisor with the following guidelines and in accordance with Graduate School Requirements (see requirements). A cumulative grade point average of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) must be maintained for continuation in the program. Coursework option certification form can be found here.

15 credits of coursework must be from the pre-approved electives list.
Research (990), Special Problems (699, 999), and Independent Study (899) credits may constitute up to nine credits of the required 30. If a student enrolls in any of these courses, they will be required to complete 15 credits of additional graduate-level coursework.
Seminar credits and one-credit courses must be approved by the program advisor.

General coursework requirements can be counted towards the 30 credits if taken after entering the program.
The remaining credits have to be (micro)biology related courses and numbered 300 and above. All 30 credits have to have some connection to microbiology (science content- microbiology, biochemistry, chemistry, math, infectious disease, public health, etc.) or microbiology careers (teaching classes, diagnostics, biotechnology, writing, science communication, etc.). If a student makes a compelling reason for a non-microbiology class being important to their progress, we will consider it.

Prior Coursework Policy

Graduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions

With permission of the program advisor, up to 7 credits from another institution may be applied toward degree requirements. The course must focus on central processes of microorganisms and be outside the core requirements of the Bacteriology MS Program. The student must have earned a B or better in the course. Decisions are made by the MS program advisor. Credits earned ten or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree are not allowed to satisfy requirements.

Undergraduate Credits Earned at UW-Madison or Other Institutions

With permission of the program advisor, up to 7 credits from UW-Madison or another institution may be applied toward degree requirements. The course must focus on central processes of microorganisms and be outside the core requirements of the Bacteriology MS Program. The student must have earned a B or better in the course. These credits are not allowed to count toward the 50% graduate coursework minimum unless numbered 700 or above from UW-Madison. Decisions are made by the MS program advisor. Credits earned ten or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree are not allowed to satisfy requirements.

Credits Earned as a University Special student at UW–Madison

With permission of the program advisor, up to 9 credits of courses numbered 300 or above may be applied toward degree requirements. The course must focus on central processes of microorganisms, and the student must have earned a B or better in the course. These credits are not allowed to count toward the 50% graduate coursework minimum unless numbered 700 or above or are taken to meet the requirements of a capstone certificate and has the “Grad 50%” attribute from UW-Madison. Decisions are made by the MS program advisor. Credits earned ten or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree are not allowed to satisfy requirements.

Coursework Milestones

student and professor talking at a table

Orientation Advising Session

During or before orientation, students will met with their respective advisor. In the orientation session, students review any outstanding prerequisites, discuss options for the first semester of coursework, briefly go over program requirements, and get suggestions on courses to take during their time in the program.

The orientation advising form will be used to facilitate the conversation with the advisor. When complete, this form should be submitted to the program coordinator. This is a requirement for both track options.

Ethics Workshop

The Ethics Workshop has the goal of fostering ethical and professional conduct. This workshop will be incorporated into the Masters Degree Seminar (MICROBIO 875), and will occur every year in the fall semester. This is a requirement for both track options.

Advisor Check In Meetings

Students will have an annual check in meeting to discuss progress towards their degree. The purpose of the meeting is to evaluate that the coursework completed and planned is aligned with future goals and to ensure the student is on track to graduate. To facilitate this process, the student will complete the Coursework Certification Form and Meeting Form (Year 1, Year 2) and upload it to their box folder at least 1 week before the meeting. The meeting and forms must be complete by March 1 for fall admits and October 1 for spring admits. Please email masters@bact.wisc.edu to set up the meeting.

Seminar Assessment, Research Poster Assessment or Research Poster

Students must attend one microbiology seminar or poster session of their choice and submit a written report that formulates new questions, ideas, and concepts based on the seminar or poster (report format and rubric found here). Alternatively, students who have completed independent research credits may present a poster summarizing their research (poster format and rubric found here). Reports and posters can be sent to and will be reviewed by the M.S. program co-director and advisor for coursework track students.

Bacteriology Departmental Seminar information can be found here.

Additional Seminars can be found at Today@UW Calendar.

This requirement must be complete by the end of your first year in the program.

Independent Research Study (Optional)

Students in the coursework option are encouraged to participate in laboratory / field / special problems experiences as part of their graduate studies, through independent study on campus or an off campus internship. Research (990), Independent Study (899), Special Problems (699, 999), and internship (399) credits may constitute up to nine credits of the 30 required but cannot be used to satisfy the requirement of 15 credits of Grad50% coursework.

Coursework Track Certification Form

The coursework track certification form helps assist the student, advisor, and program organize the student’s progress to degree completion. It is a helpful tool to be used each semester to track progress. The semester the student anticipates graduating, the form should be completed and sent to the program coordinator.

Coursework Certification Form

Sample Two-Year Plan

Coursework Track

This sample two-year plan is a tool to assist students and their advisor(s). Students should use it —along with their current transcript and Course Search & Enroll tools —to make their own plan based on their individual interests, career direction, and research (if applicable). Plans may vary considerably from student to student, depending on their individual preparation and circumstances. Part-time students will have a different plan and should anticipate more time to graduation.

The example plans assumes that student will:

Have completed their prerequisites prior to matriculating in the program
Have not completed the required program courses (Micro 303, Micro 470, Micro 526 and Biochem 501) prior to matriculating in the program
Be enrolling as a full-time student for fall and spring terms during their time in the program