Undergraduate
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Sophister Microbiology courses consist of lectures, laboratory practical classes, tutorials, seminars, research essays and a research project. The Sophister courses run over two years and encompass microbial and molecular genetics, cellular and molecular biology, microbial pathogenesis and medical microbiology, immunology, virology, and applied aspects of microbiology and biotechnology.
In the Junior Sophister year, additional courses are taken in the Department of Genetics and the School of Biochemistry and Immunology.
The Senior Sophister year consists of core courses in Molecular and Cell Biology, in Microbial Pathogenicity, and in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Students are also offered approximately ten optional courses in specialised areas of modern Microbiology, from which they must choose at least three. In addition, students carry out a full-time, nine-week research project, usually in the laboratory of one of the department's research groups. Microbiology graduates find employment in research laboratories in universities, research institutes, industry, hospitals, in the scientific civil service, police forensic laboratories, public health laboratories, quality control laboratories in the food, dairy and beverage industries, as well as areas such as education, scientific publishing, technical sales, technical services, marketing and in management.
The Senior Sophister (4th) Year Advanced Topics in Microbiology
For more information about the Senior Sophister (4th) Year Advanced Topics, click here.
The Senior Sophister (4th) Year Core Courses
Core courses in Microbiology comprise 20 hours of lecture/tutorials in Michaelmas (Semester 1) and Hilary terms (Semester 2). In addition, students carry out a full-time, ten-week research project in Hilary Term, usually in the laboratory of one of the department's research groups.
- Research in Microbiology Projects, Project Talks, Research Essay, Seminars
- Microbial Molecular & Cellular Biology Molecular & Cellular Biology and Seminars
- Microbial Pathogenicity Microbial Pathogenicity and Seminars
- Advanced Topics in Microbiology Advanced Topics in Microbiology
- Problem Solving in Microbiology Problem Solving in Microbiology
Further details for the fourth year curriculum can be obtained from Dr. Sinead Corr, Senior Sophister Course coordinator.
The Junior Sophister Course Handbooks
The Senior Sophister Course Handbooks
Specialising in Microbiology during my degree was an interesting and rewarding experience. The atmosphere in the department is friendly, and the lecturers were knowledgeable and approachable. The 9-week research project gave me invaluable research experience in the laboratory. Employers appreciate the varied and challenging nature of the course, as it gives students a good grounding in many aspects of the industrially-relevant subject of Microbiology. I subsequently undertook a PhD in the Yeast Chromatin Research Group in the School of Microbiology and Genetics and worked as a Technical Support Scientist at Abbott Diagnostics Division in Longford, Ireland. I am currently working as a research scientist at the Stowers Research Institute in Kansas, USA.