Program in Microbiology and Immunology Institute for Biomedical Sciences The George Washington University

A Doctoral Program in Microbiology and Immunology

The Microbiology and Immunology program at George Washington University (GWU) provides students with multidisciplinary training to prepare for successful careers as independent research scientists.

The program is designed for doctoral research in a wide variety of fields related to molecular virology, molecular parasitology, and immunology of infectious disease.

Students have the chance to conduct dissertation research under the mentorship of esteemed faculty and take part in groundbreaking research initiatives addressing some of the world's most pressing disease challenges, ranging from HIV/AIDS to human hookworm disease.

Recent key areas of focus in the program have included host-pathogen relationships, autoimmunity and inflammation, T lymphocyte development and activation, cancer immunology, molecular parasitology, genetic and parasite epidemiology, molecular retrovirology, and microbial genomics and proteomics.

Multidisciplinary Faculty Includes Experts from Top Institutions

The program's distinguished faculty includes members of the GWU faculty, as well as experts from other leading Washington, D.C.-area institutions, including the Children's Research Institute of the Children's National Medical Center, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine

The Microbiology and Immunology program is one of 3 Ph.D. programs offered through the Institute for Biomedical Sciences, which coordinates doctoral biomedical programs at the George Washington University Medical Center's (GWUMC) School of Medicine.

The Microbiology and Immunology program is housed in the GWUMC's Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine (MITM). The department serves as a base for extensive research initiatives and projects to develop vaccines and diagnostics for parasitic and bacterial diseases around the world.

Researchers in the department collaborate with other labs in places such as China, Thailand, Brazil, and Honduras, and the department works jointly with the non-profit Albert B. Sabin Vaccine Institute to help save lives by facilitating tropical disease control efforts in developing countries.

First-Year Students Immersed in Core Curriculum

IBS students at George Washington University take a first-year core curriculum of rigorous coursework, complemented by practical career skills courses focusing on topics such as scientific writing, speaking, biomedical ethics, and careers in the biomedical sciences.

Research Rotations

Research rotations are also a central component of the first year of study. Students take part in 3 research rotations that are 11 weeks long and offered in the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Following completion of the rotations, students select faculty mentors and labs in which they will go on to complete their dissertations.

In addition to expanding students' research skills and experience, the rotations give students familiarity with research projects taking place in the institute. Students are expected to be in the lab for 30 hours per week.

Seminars Provide Additional Learning Opportunities

The program offers a highly informative research seminar series featuring distinguished speakers and investigators, and students also can benefit from regular seminars and special lectures at GWU's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and Children's Research Institute of the Children's National Medical Center.

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees 1
• Doctoral Degrees 6
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? Not reported
• Evening/weekend programs available? Not reported
• Distance learning programs available? Not reported
• Terminal master's degree available? Not reported

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Not reported
• Doctoral Degrees Required
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• AppliedNot Reported
• AcceptedNot Reported
• Acceptance RateNot Reported
• EnrolledNot Reported
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $75
• Application Fee - International $75
• Electronic applications accepted? Yes
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Yes
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline December 15th December 15th Yes
• Winter deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's DegreesNot Reported
• Doctoral's DegreesGRE General Test, minimum GPA of 3.0
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesTOEFL required, 600 paper based

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *Not Reported
• Out-of-state tuition *Not Reported
• International student tuitionNot Reported
• * Tuition for full-time graduate student per academic year
• Fees
• Per-academic year feesNot Reported
• Per-term feesNot Reported
• One-time feeNot Reported
• * Fees for full-time graduate students
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitNot Reported
• Application deadlines for financial awardsNot Reported
• Types of financial support availableTuition Waivers

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students22
• Female Percentage68%
• Male Percentage32%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students22
• Part-time Percentage68%
• Full-time Percentage32%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic / Latino5%
• Black / African American0%
• White / Caucasian80%
• American Indian / Alaskan Native5%
• Asian5%
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander0%
• Two or more races0%
• Unknown5%