Microbiology with Professional Studies

Microbiology is the study of the invisible world of microorganisms, the bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa, and viruses that inhabit every environment on Earth and play a fundamental role in human health, agricultural systems, food production, and biotechnology. Despite their microscopic scale, microorganisms drive the biogeochemical cycles that sustain life, contribute to the development and spread of disease, and serve as the biological factories through which many medicines and industrial products are made. Microbiology sits at the centre of some of the most pressing scientific challenges of our time.

At Queen's University Belfast this five-year full-time programme leads to an undergraduate master's qualification, providing exceptional depth of scientific training that takes you to master's level without needing to apply separately for postgraduate study. You will study the biology and ecology of microorganisms alongside their roles in disease, their applications in medicine and biotechnology, and their contribution to environmental processes. The curriculum covers both fundamental research and the diverse industrial, medical, and environmental applications of microbiology, giving you a comprehensive and practically relevant scientific education.

Queen's is a research-active university with strong microbiology research groups, and you will engage with cutting-edge science throughout the programme.

Graduates go on to careers in clinical microbiology, pharmaceutical development, vaccine research, food science, environmental microbiology, biotechnology, and academic research. The undergraduate master's qualification is particularly valuable for those wishing to pursue doctoral research or senior professional roles in the life sciences sector. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate training in specialist areas of microbiology, immunology, or infectious disease.