<p>Hello.
I am a sophomore in high school; my sole dream is to become a (molecular) virologist and I searched extensively for list of universities that have country's best micorbiology, and virology. I got the random result, so I could not make a right decision. DO you know any university or list of top universities that has best microbiology, and even virology program?</p>
<p>[UW-Madison</a> Dept. of Bacteriology, Madison, WI](<a href=“UW Bacteriology | Error page”>UW Bacteriology | Error page)</p>
<p>Graduate ranking, but helpful nonetheless (click S-rank or R-rank at the top to get ‘overall’ rankings):</p>
<p>[NRC</a> Rankings Overview: Microbiology - Faculty - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“http://chronicle.com/article/NRC-Rankings-Overview-/124745/]NRC”>http://chronicle.com/article/NRC-Rankings-Overview-/124745/)</p>
<p>The top schools in microbiology vary wildly in selectivity, which is always good.</p>
<p>First, pick a university that is the best fit for you in terms of selectivity, finances, size, location, etc.
Second, there are no undergrad rankings in microbiology. The rankings for graduate programs will give you some idea of programs with strong faculties in this field, but they don’t tell you a whole lot about the quality of undergrad teaching, advising, etc. The graduate rankings are complicated by the fact that they include departments that do not offer undergrad programs (usually those at medical schools). While those programs do not offer undergrad majors, they might provide some research opportunities for undergraduates.
Third, finding undergraduate microbiology programs is complicated by the fact that coursework or programs in it will be offered in several different types of departments, depending on the particular university: a) departments of microbiology; b) departments of biology; and, c) departments of molecular biology. To prepare for graduate work in microbiology, you can major in any of these types of departments. However, not every molecular biology or biology department offers a specific concentration track in microbiology. This is the case even though some of those same universities might have a strong graduate program in microbiology. This is not necessarily a problem for you because the undergrad program that is offered most likely will still provide a sound preparation for graduate work in the field. </p>
<p>Here’s a rough ranking of graduate programs in microbiology. Keep in mind that some of these are programs in the university’s medical school. Those marked with an asterisk indicate schools that offer either an undergrad major in microbiology or a concentration track in microbiology within a biology major or a molecular biology major:
Harvard, Stanford<em>, Wisconsin</em>, Johns Hopkins, Washington U, MIT<em>, UCB</em>, Yale, Case Western Reserve, Pittsburgh<em>, Tufts, U Washington</em>, Baylor, Columbia, NYU, Virginia, Duke, Penn, Illinois<em>, Emory, Georgia</em>, North Carolina, Temple, Alabama<em>, UCLA</em>, Michigan<em>, Cornell,</em>, Rutgers<em>, Tennessee</em>, UCI<em>, UCD</em>, Penn State<em>, Rochester</em>, Stony Brook, Texas<em>, Indiana</em>, Florida<em>, iowa</em>, Buffalo, Montana State<em>, Massachusetts</em>, Idaho*</p>
<p>Fourth, don’t worry about virology now. It’s not offered as an undergraduate specialty, though some departments might offer an undergrad course or two in the area.</p>
<p>Some links:
[The</a> American Society For Microbiology](<a href=“http://www.asm.org/]The”>http://www.asm.org/)
[Home[/url</a>]
[url=<a href=“http://www.simhq.org/careers/career_information.aspx]Society”>http://www.simhq.org/careers/career_information.aspx]Society</a> for Industrial Microbiology • Career Information](<a href=“Microbiologycareers.org”>http://www.microbiologycareers.org/)
[CDC</a> Careers, Microbiologists](<a href=“http://www.cdc.gov/about/opportunities/careers/microbiologists.htm]CDC”>http://www.cdc.gov/about/opportunities/careers/microbiologists.htm)
[Microbiology:</a> The Universe in a Single Cell - Biotech, Pharmaceutical, Faculty, Postdoc jobs on Science Careers](<a href=“http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/tools_tips/outreach/loreal_2010/microbiology]Microbiology:”>http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/tools_tips/outreach/loreal_2010/microbiology)</p>
<p>If you’re willing to consider an LAC, take a look at Earlham College, where biology majors are not restricted to the lecture hall and the lab : [Biology</a> | Earlham College](<a href=“http://www.earlham.edu/biology]Biology”>Biology : Earlham College)</p>
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<p>All Earlham students are encouraged to do a semester abroad, and bio majors have been to such places as the Galapagos, Tanzania, Costa Rica, and the Amazon. And original research is being done at Earlham: professor Peter Blair is leading an NIH-grant study on the malaria genome.</p>
<p>That’s all well and good, but how do graduates of tiny Earlham College fare in the post-graduate world? Pretty well, as it turns out: </p>
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<p>I would agree with UW Madison…Medical Micro degree program…the best there is…I was so over prepared for grad school and all my subsequent positions…I was amazed over the years at those in charge of biotech labs and the basic micro mistakes they were making in those labs. Sheesh! And when I ended up in government some 24 years later, at a state lab, I walked right in and knew exactly what they were doing, all from my undergraduate degree years at the UW.</p>
<p>I wanted to add…I’m a virologist…and my training for that took place in a reference lab, while working through graduate school. Basically, virology is the type of thing you can learn by taking low paying jobs in labs…think of these jobs as your form of ‘internship’ for the sciences. But I became highly in demand for my virology skills throughout my career…it was all worth it. There are graduate school labs that work with viruses… but you will have to do some homework on that and get accepted by those schools.</p>