Minor
Microbiology teaches us about life forms that are too small to see with the naked eye. They are vital for life on Earth but can also cause huge problems as infectious disease agents, plant pathogens, contaminants of food and water and biofoulers. A minor in Microbiology introduces the student to this tremendous diversity of function and form in the microbial world. You explore the impact of microbes on other life forms, look at their role in health and disease at the level of individuals, populations and ecosystems, and in particular their place in the One Health nexus of human, animal and environmental inter-relationships. You will investigate ways in which microbes are used to manufacture products and remediate polluted environments and explore microbial genetics and microbial life at the molecular level, with a particular emphasis on current research in Microbiology in our Senior Units.
Graduate opportunities
Employment opportunities for microbiology graduates are diverse. You can find work in teaching and research organisations, such as schools, universities, CSIRO, departments of agriculture and biotechnology companies and you can participate in minor programs of applied or basic research. You might start your career in the fields of medical and public health microbiology in hospitals, private pathology laboratories, and government health services. Alternatively, you might find employment as a technical representative for laboratory supply houses, in the pharmaceutical industry, in sterility testing and quality control, and in the wine, brewing and dairy industries. In recent years employment opportunities in environmental microbiology have also been increasing. Some recent microbiology graduates have been employed by organisations such as the London School of Tropical Medicine, CSIRO, the Australian Government Analytical Laboratories, Sydney Water, Mauri Foods Research and Procter and Gamble.
Career pathways
Courses that offer this minor
The course information on this website applies only to future students. Current students should refer to faculty handbooks for current or past course information.
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