Your major in microbiology will move you to study a fundamental biological science concerned with microscopic organisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microbes. If you pick up a handful of garden soil you will be holding thousands, possibly millions, of different kinds of microbes. These have a daily effect on human and animal health and our environment and are directly related to issues such as food safety, infectious diseases, biofuels and bioenergy, environmental biology and bioterrorism.

Your microbiology major includes four areas of specialization so you can focus on the areas that most interest you and ft your career path. These areas are:

applied and environmental microbiology
biotechnology and industrial microbiology
clinical and veterinary microbiology
food microbiology

Some of the most important scientific discoveries have been made by microbiologists. Microbiologists can be found working in a variety of settings, from traditional laboratory to fields and streams. A bachelor of science degree in microbiology prepares you for a wide range of important careers in health care, environmental, biofuels and bioenergy, forensic science, education, government or private industry labs, the food industry and many more. Here are examples of recent graduates' employment:

Chemist / ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND
Contractor / SYNGENTA
Lab Manager / UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN
Laboratory Technician / POET RESEARCH CENTER, INC
Phlebotomist / BRYANLGH
Plant Research Biologist / MIDWEST RESEARCH INC.
Postdoctorate / HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Research Assistant / UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER
Science Writer / LI-COR BIOSCIENCES
Scientist I / AEROTEK