Information for Prospective Undergraduates

Microbiology degree

Microbiology degree - 3 years (C500)
Microbiology degree - 4 years (C990) (Life Sciences)

Microbiology degree and the environment 

The Microbiology degree at Aberystwyth University encompasses the study of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses, which we cannot see, but we are always surrounded and even inhabited by. In the Microbiology degree at Aberystwyth University, you will study their role in infectious diseases of humans, other animals and plants, (e.g. E. coli food poisoning, Legionnaires disease, tuberculosis) and in the production of antibiotics, which is well known. However, microorganisms also contribute to the maintenance of soil fertility (e.g. bacteria in nitrogen cycling) and have applications in bioremediation.

As a student on the Microbiology degree at Aberystwyth University, you will study all these aspects of the activity of microorganisms, as well as their role in the spoilage of food and other materials, their use in the brewing, food and biotechnology industries: all the areas which contribute to making them some of the most versatile organisms known.

In the Aberystwyth Microbiology degree, you will study not only how microrganisms affect the welfare of mankind directly by their beneficial and harmful activities, but also how they have often  proved to be the best experimental subjects with which to study basic biological phenomena common to all organisms.

Microbiology degree structure

Microbiology degree Year 1

In the first year of your Microbiology degree you will develop a sound knowledge and understanding of the biological sciences through exploring the interaction of microbes with their environments, genes and evolution, biochemistry and the structure and function of plants, animals and microbes at the organismal, cellular and molecular (genetic and biochemical) levels.  You wil also be trained in research and communication skills.

Microbiology degree Years 2 and 3

In years 2 and 3 of your Microbiology degree you will take a mixture of core and optional modules covering areas such as bacteriology, microbes and disease, microbial ecology, microbial physiology, microbial genetics and plant pathology. Through the optional modules and your final year research project you can develop your own interests in microbiology. The project also provides you with an opportunity to develop further your practical and planning skills in a microbiological research area of your choice.

Detailed Course Structure

Microbiology degree Careers     

Microbiology degree overlaps with many other degree areas of biology, such as genetics, zoology, marine and freshwater biology and molecular biology. As a result, microbiologists can be found working in many different places, not just the obvious ones like hospital laboratories. The aim of the Microbiology degree at Aberystwyth is to provide our graduates with an understanding of the key concepts and principles of modern microbiology and their applications in medicine and industry, including the food and pharmaceutical industries, in diagnostic laboratories and in environmental monitoring and conservation.