Microbiology

Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, algae, and protozoa. These microscopic entities are responsible for some of the most devastating diseases in human history while also being indispensable to ecosystem function, food production, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and environmental remediation. Understanding how they work, how they interact with larger organisms and with each other, and how human beings can harness or counter them is one of the most important and productive areas of biological science.

At the University of Strathclyde, this five-year full-time programme includes a year abroad and covers the full breadth of microbiology, from the molecular biology of viruses and bacteria through to the ecology of microbial communities and the industrial applications of microbial processes. You will develop strong laboratory skills in microbial culture, microscopy, molecular techniques such as PCR and DNA sequencing, and the statistical and computational methods used to analyse microbiological data. The five-year structure gives you time to develop genuine depth in the discipline, and the year abroad gives you the opportunity to study microbiology in a different research environment, encountering scientific questions and approaches that broaden your understanding of the field.

A typical entry tariff of 200 points reflects the academic demands of a demanding science degree at a strong research university.

Strathclyde has particular strengths in pharmaceutical and industrial microbiology, and the programme benefits from the university's well-established connections with the Scottish and UK life sciences sector.

Graduates of microbiology programmes work in pharmaceutical manufacturing and development, food science, public health, environmental monitoring, clinical microbiology, and academic research. Many continue to postgraduate study, including PhD research, which is the standard route into research careers. The combination of laboratory training, scientific rigour, and international experience from the year abroad makes Strathclyde graduates competitive in a sector with strong and sustained demand for microbiological expertise.