Microbiology Major Requirements
Microbiology Undergraduate Major Handout as of May 2026
If you need this file in an alternative format, please contact micro.grad@osu.edu.
Major Program Policies
- The major consists of a minimum of 30 semester hours of courses approved by a microbiology advisor
- A minimum grade of "C-" is required in every course counting toward the major
- A minimum of 6 credits of major electives must at the 4000-level or higher
- A maximum of 3 credits of coursework using the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grading basis can be applied towards the major
- A minimum grade point average of 2.00 (“C”) in the 30 credit hours counting towards the major is required for graduation
Please consult your assigned academic advisor for questions concerning:
- General Education (GE) Requirements for a BS degree
- Enrollment Windows and How to Schedule Classes in general
- Adding and Dropping courses
- Major Requirements
- Most other general questions concerning your academic progress
Join the American Society for Microbiology Student Chapter at OSU! Contact President Ren Wolfenden for questions.
Major Requirements
Required Prerequisites
Students must complete all major prerequisites based on their first semester of enrollment at OSU. Students admitted to OSU prior to Autumn 2022 should contact their academic advisor for further guidance.
- Students Admitted to OSU Autumn 2022 or Later
Honors courses or more advanced courses can substitute when available
Major Core Requirements (21 credits)
Students must complete all core courses below:
- Biochemistry 4511 [Introduction to Biological Chemistry]
- Microbiology 4100* [General Microbiology]
- Microbiology 4110 [Pathogenesis and Immunobiology]
- Microbiology 4120 [Microbial Physiology and Diversity]
- Microbiology 4130 [Microbial Genetics]
- Microbiology 4140 [Microbial Genetics Laboratory]
*Non-majors who earn an A or A- in Micro 4000.01 or 4000.02 can request to use this coursework in place of Micro 4100. Students must work with an advisor since this is not automatically approved and to ensure all major requirements are met.
Major Electives (9+ credits)
Students must select a minimum of 9 credits of major electives from the coursework below. At least 3 of the 9 credits must specifically come from Group 1 courses and there is no minimum requirement for Group 2 courses.
A minimum of 6 credits of major electives must be at the 4000-level or higher.
A maximum of 3 credits of coursework using the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grading basis can be applied towards the major
- Group 1
- Microbiology 2000 [Introduction to MicrOHbIOlogy Research]
- Microbiology 2100 [Wild Yeast: From Isolation to Fermentation]
- Microbiology 3704 [HIV: From Microbiology to Macrohistory]
- Microbiology 4145 [Introduction to Industrial Microbiology and Bioprocessing Laboratory]
- Microbiology 4150 [Immunobiology Laboratory]
- Microbiology 4193 [Individual Studies]
- Microbiology 4591S [DNA Fingerprinting (Service Learning Course)] (uses S/U grading basis)
- Microbiology 4800 [Advances in Microbial Biotechnology]
- Microbiology 4891 [Progress in Biotechnology]
- Microbiology 5122 [Immunobiology]
- Microbiology 5129 [Cellular and Molecular Biology of Pathogenic Eukaryotes]
- Microbiology 5130 [Biology by the Numbers]
- Microbiology 5147 [Eukaryotic Pathogens]
- Microbiology 5149 [Introductory Virology]
- Microbiology 5155 [Environmental Microbiology]
- Microbiology 5161 [Bioinformatics and Molecular Microbiology]
- +Microbiology 5270 [Microbial Natural Products: Discovery, Biosynthesis, and Antibiotic Activity]
- Microbiology 5536 [Food Microbiology Lecture]
- Microbiology 5546 [Food Microbiology Laboratory]
- Microbiology 4998/4998H [Undergraduate Research in Microbiology] (uses S/U grading basis)
- Microbiology 4999/4999H [Undergraduate Research in Microbiology - Thesis] (uses S/U grading basis)
- Group 2
- Biology 2200/Microbiology 2200 [Genome Biology]
- Microbiology 3798.05 [HIV in Context: East Africa (Study Abroad)] (currently inactive)
- Biochemistry 5621 [Introduction to Biological Chemistry Laboratory]
- +CBE 5765 [Principles of Biochemical Engineering]
- Earth Sciences 5160 [Geomicrobiology]
- +ENVENG 5120 [Bioremediation of Groundwater and Soil]
- +ENR 5263 [Biology of Soil Ecosystems]
- Molecular Genetics 4500.01 or 4500.02 [General Genetics]
- Molecular Genetics 4501 [General Genetics Laboratory]
- Molecular Genetics 4606 [Molecular Genetics]
- +Molecular Genetics 5800 [Organelle Biology]
- Plant Pathology 5010 [Phytobacteriology]
- Plant Pathology 5020 [Introduction to Plant Virology]
- Plant Pathology 5040 [Science of Fungi: Mycology]
Courses with + are offered irregularly, including less often than once each academic year.