Microbiology

Microbiology is a good course option to pursue after 10+2. Based on the study of microorganisms, students can apply for bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate courses in order to pursue microbiology. Admissions to top central government colleges can be achieved through CUET, while there are college-specific entrance exams as well. 

Microbiology courses are available on both full-time and part-time bases. In addition, there are certain online certificate courses available for foundation training. These courses can help students pave their way for getting into top-notch scientific laboratories not only in India but across the world.

Some of the best Indian colleges for microbiology studies are the Indian Institute of Sciences, the University of Mumbai, the University of Kerela, Delhi University, and the University of Pune. These colleges offer various qualifications within a fee range of INR 6,500-64,000.

Given below are some of the key highlights related to Microbiology courses in India:

Students who are confused, as to why they should pick Microbiology as a specialisation for their higher studies, can have a look at the benefits below:

• Wide Scope of Opportunities: The scope of microbiology is huge. As is known, there are more microorganisms than humans or animals. In fact, even our body consists of various microorganisms. Hence, there are a lot of sub-specialisations available for students to choose from, which eventually leads to a plethora of eventual career opportunities. 

• High-Paying Jobs: The impact of microbiological studies on human life is so huge that it makes up for a very responsible and risky job. While the scope of human error is negligible, the equipment and practices are all conducted on a highly specialised level. As a professional in such an environment, high-paying job profiles are a given. The highest annual salary of a microbiologist can reach up to INR 45,00,000-75,00,000 per year.

• Huge Impact on Human Lives: Microbiology is concerned with many responsibilities, including the study of virology and bacteria, which is eventually related to human diseases and their cures. Hence, every win of a microbiologist creates a huge positive impact on human lives, and the same is for the losses.

• Research and Development Cell: While R&D is an open sector for various biologists and even other scientists and researchers, in the case of microbiology, it is the main sector of working. A microbiologist may deal with patients, but for a major part, their efforts are executed in laboratories, hence, making R&D to be the most popular job cell.

• Contribution to Sustainability Drive: The power of microbiology lies in the fact that it can use nature’s micro-organisms to solve huge problems, such as oil spills in the sea. Microbiology is used as a corrector of various environmental hazards and accidents, and even sometimes replenishes precious natural habitats.

The different microbiology courses that students can pursue in India have been summarised below, along with their description and course duration:

The entrance exams for microbiology courses are available at the national and university levels. These exam scores can be used not only to get admission but also for a discount on tuition fees. Some common entrance exams for admission to courses in microbiology are:

• CUET: CUET is conducted by the central government for entrance to universities under their jurisdiction. The exam is available on both UG and PG levels.

• College-Specific Entrance Exams: These exams are individual to various universities and colleges, and are often conducted by the respective faculty departments. They are also available on both UG and PG levels.

The eligibility criteria of the microbiology courses are dependent on the qualification level of the course.

Bachelor’s 

To get admission to undergraduate microbiology courses, such as B.Sc. in Microbiology, or Diploma in Microbiology, etc., students need to:

• Have at least 50% in 10+2 examination,

• Have completed 10+2 education with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Mathematics as compulsory subjects,

• Clear the cut-off score required for the entrance exams.

Master’s or Doctorate

Postgraduate courses in microbiology include M.Sc in Microbiology, PG Diploma in Microbiology, PhD in Microbiology, etc. Students need to meet the following to be eligible for admission to these courses:

• B.Sc. degree in a relevant field,

• At least 50% in B.Sc. degree, and

• Cut-off score in recommended entrance exams to clear the minimum score requirements.

Students can refer to the following steps to get admission to any of the microbiology courses in India:

Step 1: Shortlist the college and courses they want to apply for. Check the eligibility criteria of the courses.

Step 2: Attempt the entrance exam(s) required for admission to the shortlisted courses.

Step 3: Compile the admission application along with the application form and fee, entrance exam scores, additional documents, etc. Submit the same.

Step 4: Await the decision of the college, either as a college acceptance letter or admissions list.

The best colleges in India to study microbiology courses are summarised here along with their annual tuition fees:

Indian students can always opt for universities abroad to study microbiology courses. Just like India, it is a prestigious course of study in foreign countries as well. Here are certain picks from the 50 best global universities for microbiology (biological sciences) according to the QS Subject Rankings 2022:

Here is an average course fee analysis of different microbiology courses in India:

The common microbiology subjects included in the Indian college course curriculum are:

Note: This list is not exhaustive and subjects may vary depending on the course and university one is applying to.

The career options available for microbiology graduates in India are:

• Clinical Microbiologist

• Environmental Microbiologist

• Industrial Microbiologist

• Mycologist

• Parasitologist

• Virologist

• Food Technologist

• Biochemist

• Molecular Biologist

• Cell Biologist

• Bacteriologist

Here is a summary of common microbiologist job profiles and their annual salary in India:

As a microbiologist, students will require the following skills to be able to achieve recognition and land lucrative jobs:

• Patience: Microbiologists need to work on a single project for months and years. The results during this period may or may not be in their favour. However, they need to carry on consistently, which makes patience of extreme importance in their careers.

• Independence and Teamwork: A microbiologist not only needs to undertake group projects but also independent research, where they are building a case for their own theory. The work dynamics of both situations are highly different and they need to easily settle and switch between the two.

• Communication Skills: While interaction with the general public of a microbiologist is limited, they do need to present the findings of their research, progress, and other relevant details. They need good communication skills to express their ideas and project status to research financers and reviewing committees.

• Observational & Analytical Skills: Research projects naturally demand working individuals to have observational and analytical skills. In order to draw conclusions from the experiment analysis is important, and to even track the changes and reactions, observation is required.

• Detail-Oriented: Microbiologists work with microorganisms. They have to be alert and detail-oriented to capture the stages of reactions and changes in their ongoing research.

• Efficient in Other Sciences: Apart from biological sciences, microbiologists also need to have a good knowledge of other pure and applied sciences to ensure proper conclusions. For instance, geological conditions are a huge factor in the nature of microorganisms.

• Tech-Savvy: Technology is the consistent lab partner of microbiologists, and they need to be well versed in using it to ensure proper recording and independence in their work.