The Master of Science in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology program provides students with a unique basic science education within the School of Public Health. Graduates of our MS program develop skills and experience to become more competitive applicants for medical school and doctoral programs, as well as qualified researchers in academia, government and industry. This two year program emphasizes coursework in immunology, cell biology, and virology, and enables students to apply their coursework to their thesis research projects completed under a faculty advisor.
Accelerated Progress Option
MS students have the opportunity to complete nearly all credit and course requirements by the end of the fall semester in their second year. This allows students to register part-time in their final term, resulting in significant cost savings. The final term’s emphasis will be on thesis research in the laboratory and thesis writing. Please note that accelerated progress is exclusive to the degree program. Any additional certificate interests may require the full 2 years to graduation. For more information on accelerated progress, please email idm@pitt.edu.
Part-time MS Degree
Many of our MS students are part-time students working as full-time research specialists in laboratories on campus, including the Medical School, School of Arts and Sciences, and Children’s Hospital. They are able to use the education benefit provided by Pitt or UPMC (typically up to 6 credits per term), and perform their thesis research as part of their job responsibilities. This is a great way to further your education while working full-time within the discipline. Please contact the MS program Director if you are interested in exploring this opportunity.
Financial Aid Opportunities
For information, please visit our Financial Aid page.
Careers
Recent graduates hold the following positions:
- R&D scientist, PPD
- Clinical Research Specialist, Novum Pharmaceutical Research Services
- Veterinarian Student, University of Illinois
- Research Associate, Thermo Fisher Scientific
- PhD Student, University of Washington
- Research Associate, University of Pittsburgh
Recent Thesis Titles:
- Analysis of the Regulation of the S. Cerevisiae Gene PIR3 by Non-coding Intergenic Transcription.
- Development of a high throughput cell-based assay to screen for inhibitors of HIV-1 Vpr oligomerization.
- HIV-1 infection induced microRNA expression profile and its downstream effects on cellular transcriptome.
- Defining Dendritic Cells and Macrophages in Lymph Nodes and Gut Mucosa During Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection
Browse further titles in D-Scholarship, the institutional repository for research output at the University of Pittsburgh.
Competencies
Graduates will be able to:
- Describe comprehensive knowledge of the process in the development, testing and considerations for implementation of a successful vaccine
- Explain an ecological perspective on the connections among human health, animal health and ecosystem health
- Discuss the mechanisms of innate and acquired immunity and their roles in health and disease
- Describe the experimental methodologies and analyses and used in modern infectious disease research
- Design, analyze and interpret data from research experiments covering molecular biology, microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases
- Communicate the results of their own independent laboratory-based research
Requirements
- 36 credits, including coursework and research (NOTE: Often times most of these credits can be earned in three terms of full-time study)
- Coursework in immunology, virology, and infectious diseases
- Coursework in public health principles and research ethics
- Advanced coursework molecular biology and virology
- Advanced thesis research in an area of specialization
Full program information:
- Student Handbook
- Admissions