西澳大学

Microbiology covers a range of fields from immunology, which studies how the body's immune system protects itself from infectious disease, to microbial genetics and genetic engineering. Your studies can be applied in areas as diverse as medicine, food spoilage, control of environmental pollution and space science. You'll receive a thorough grounding in the scientific basis of the discipline and its applications in the real world. As a graduate, you will be eligible for a membership of Australian Society for Microbiology (ASM), the national scientific and employment body of the profession.

The Microbiology and Immunology course at UWA is distinguished by the embedding of the discipline's research strengths in virology, bacteriology and immunology, and you'll be taught by the people conducting this cutting-edge research. You will have the chance to discuss, apply and expand on the theory of your unit in weekly practical laboratory classes and structured tutorials.

Your studies will give you a thorough understanding of the role, importance and impact of microbes. You'll develop fundamental techniques in cell and molecular biology, such as culturing techniques for the isolation and characterisation of bacteria, the use of microscopy for the identification of microbes, and data recording. A strong emphasis is placed on applications in biomedicine and biotechnology.

Career Pathways

Career opportunities for graduates exist in a wide range of areas. These include the health care industry, pharmaceutical industry, hospitals and biomedical research institutes, environmental science, the mining industry, biotechnology companies, private laboratories and the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories. Other options include further studies and employment in both research and clinical positions in public health, agricultural, veterinary and university laboratories and the CSIRO.

Further Study

Students with a Microbiology and Immunology major can pursue further studies at postgraduate level. Further study options include the Graduate Diploma in Infectious Diseases, Master of Infectious Diseases (coursework and dissertation) or the Master of Science Communication.