High School

If you are thinking about a career in microbiology, be sure to get a well-rounded science background in high school. You should take biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, and math classes. English classes will help you develop your oral and written communication skills, which will prepare you for writing papers and public speaking.

Postsecondary Training

An undergraduate degree in microbiology is recommended. If this degree is not offered, the American Society for Microbiology suggests that you major in biology, biochemistry, or cell biology and take any available microbiology courses, such as immunology, medical microbiology, microbial physiology, mycology, pathology, and virology. In addition to microbiology classes (such as microbial genetics, microbial physiology, environmental microbiology, and virology), you will have to take courses in chemistry (organic and physical), math (algebra, calculus, and statistics), biology (cell biology and genetics), physics, and computer science.

While you may find a job in microbiology after earning a bachelor's degree, most positions in research, education, and industry require a master's degree, a Ph.D., or an M.D., which means you should be prepared to spend six or more years in school beyond high school. Earning a master's degree involves doing research under the supervision of a mentor, who provides training in his or her own specialty such as microbial ecology, molecular biology, bacteriology, genetics, immunology, physiology, or virology.

While in a Ph.D. program, you can expect to spend a lot of your time working in a laboratory, where you will design and conduct experiments. Many graduate students also work as teaching assistants or lab supervisors. Other experience you can gain at this level includes writing grants, publishing papers, and making presentations at science conferences.

Other Education or Training

The American Society for Clinical Pathology, American Society for Microbiology, International Society for Microbial Ecology, and the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology provide webinars, workshops, seminars and other continuing education opportunities. Contact these organizations for more information.

Certification or Licensing

Certification is available in several areas. Though it is usually not necessary, it may be requested for certain positions and/or by certain states. The American College of Microbiology oversees the American Society for Microbiology's certification programs: the National Registry of Certified Microbiologists (NRCM), the American Board of Medical Microbiology (ABMM), and the American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology (ABMLI). The NRCM certifies professional microbiologists at the prebaccalaureate/baccalaureate, master's, and doctorate levels in biological safety, food safety and quality, and pharmaceutical and medical device. The ABMM certifies the expertise of doctoral-level microbiologists seeking to direct clinical or public health microbiology laboratories. ABMLI certifies doctoral-level immunologists who are seeking to direct laboratories engaged in the practice of medical laboratory immunology. The American Society for Clinical Pathology also provides certification.

Any experience one can obtain in the field of microbiology—such as an internship, volunteering, or a part-time job—will be useful for aspiring microbiologists.

If you want to become a microbiologist, you should be inquisitive and enjoy learning, as the work involves exploring sometimes unusual or unknown microscopic life forms. Critical thinking and analytic skills are essential when observing the growth and characteristics of microorganisms so that you are able to properly evaluate problems and arrive at suitable solutions. Focus, concentration, and attention to detail are other necessary attributes. You will need to be accurate and precise in recording your research findings. Strong mathematical and computational ability will also help when it comes to recording and analyzing your data.

Since much research is conducted independently, you must be self-disciplined and enjoy working on your own. If you are more of a follower and rely on others for guidance and direction, you probably will not be able to move beyond doing very basic research. For those times when you work with a team of people or if you teach, you will need good communication skills. Clinical microbiologists have to work quickly and carefully when novel viruses emerge. Their work must also be precise and efficient in cases of suspected bioterrorism.