Students are admitted with the intent of obtaining a Ph.D. degree in Microbiology and Immunology. Formal course requirements depend upon the individual student's career goals. Students must maintain a B average to be retained in the program and to continue to receive financial support.

To be awarded a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology, each student must successfully complete the following:

All required course work

Candidacy examination
Covering general course material and consisting of a written test of factual knowledge. The examination is given at the end of the spring semester of the first year, after the student has completed the required basic courses.

Test of competency in English
Demonstrating a high level of English proficiency prior to the admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. Graduates of English-speaking colleges or universities will be expected to have such skill prior to admission. International students whose native language is not English will demonstrate competence by achieving a score of at least 550 in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or its equivalent.

Comprehensive examination
Consisting of a written proposal on a research problem and an oral defense at the beginning of the third year.

Written and oral thesis defense
After completion of the thesis research (usually five years), students will present their final seminar and defend their Ph.D. thesis at the final oral examination.