Immunology and Infectious Diseases Graduate Programs

Female scientist in a white lab coat writing on a whiteboard while two graduate students observe in a laboratory setting.

Immunology and Infectious Diseases Graduate Programs: Advance Your Career in Biomedical Research

Graduate school provides college graduates with the opportunity to pursue and fulfill both their scientific and creative interests in a field of biomedicine that has well-documented relevance to medicine and healthcare. With the transformation of medicine and the resulting emphasis on patient care, it has become apparent that most of all new scientific and drug discoveries will be made by biomedical research professionals. Thus, the future for a young person with a PhD degree in Immunology and Molecular Microbiology is indeed, very promising. An advanced degree from our graduate program will greatly enhance your career options and marketability.

As a graduate with a PhD degree from our department, you can expect to begin your career with a substantially higher starting salary when you enter the workforce and with a higher lifetime earning potential than college graduates holding a Bachelor’s degree alone.
For example, the most recent salary survey released by the Association of American Medical Colleges states that the average salaries for PhD level faculty at state university medical schools range from approximately $85,000-90,000/year for Assistant Professors to greater than $150,000/year for Professors.
It should be noted that these salaries may be significantly greater for biomedical scientists who are employed by pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree Programs

Immunology and Infectious Diseases (IID): The Immunology and Infectious Diseases concentration is designed for those students who wish to pursue research-oriented positions in academia or the private sector following graduation. Graduates are well-trained professionals who possess the necessary background and experience for a career in an academic institution or as a research scientist in the biotechnology/pharmaceutical industry. In addition, graduates are competent to teach immunology and microbiology to undergraduate and/or graduate students, as well as train graduate students and postdoctoral research fellows. Students interested in pursuing positions in clinical/regulatory laboratories may take additional coursework in Medical Microbiology, and are eligible to take the national certification exam offered by the American Society for Clinical Pathology. Successful completion of the certification exam allows graduates to work in clinical microbiology laboratories associated with hospitals and health care facilities, commercial and reference facilities, and federal and state organizations (e.g. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Disease Control, etc.) Learn more here.

MD/PhD Program

If you are interested in a career in academic medicine as a physician scientist, this program may be ideal for you. It will prepare you to become a medical practitioner and faculty member at a university medical center where you will teach medical and graduate students, and, as a scientist, will be involved with biomedical research. After completion of the program, you will receive both the MD and PhD degrees.

Information for Applicants

Graduate Program Requirements

Students who wish to enter the graduate program in the Immunology and Infectious Diseases concentration are expected to meet the following admissions requirements:

Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
An undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and a 3.0 grade point average for any graduate coursework
Completion of both the VERBAL and QUANTITATIVE sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) within the last 5 years.
International students must submit TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing Service) scores.

Admission Checklist

Applicants must submit the following to be considered and are encouraged to review admission requirements listed here. Minimum GRE and TOEFL testing may also be found there.

Completed Application:

Official transcripts
US applicants must submit an official transcript from each college or university attended.
International applicants must provide a course-by-course evaluation of all coursework taken at degree-granting institutions recognized by their government/governmental ministry.
Reference letters. Minimum of 2 letters and no more than 4 are required. The graduate school does not accept faxes or emails.
Immunization record
Financial Statement and Bank Statement
Oath of Residency
Essay
Non-refundable $45 application fee payable by credit or debit card.
Passport. A copy of an international applicant’s passport assists in processing the I-20.
Placement fee. A $50 placement guarantee fee is required upon an offer of admissions.
Additional information may be required for some applicants when policies change or when submitted materials are incomplete or unreadable.

Application Instructions

Applications must be submitted and all supplemental items received by the application deadline to be considered complete. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Due to the volume of applications, we are unable to extend application deadlines or make exceptions.

WARNING – no changes can be made to the application after submission.

Additional information and general application instructions can be found here.

Supplemental Items

Required supplemental items are applied to an application AFTER application submission.

Log into your account and scroll down to see the supplemental items and status of those items.
All required supplemental items must be received before an application is considered complete.
Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Please Note:

Applications are generally reviewed on a monthly cycle as applications are received.
Applications will be reviewed by the Graduate Program of Biomedical Sciences Admissions committee.
When a final decision is made the applicant will be contacted by email or phone.
Please ensure contact information is provided and is up-to-date during the review process.
Application Process: Application Submitted -> Documents Submitted -> GSBS Admission Committee Review ->Decision Made -> Applicant Contacted

All applications to the graduate program are submitted online.

Graduate Program Funding, Scholarships, and Assistantships

Competitive applicants are encouraged to explore available funding opportunities such as financial aid and scholarships that can help support their graduate studies.
Most new student scholarships do not require a separate application process, and generally students offered admission are automatically considered for such scholarships. For additional information please visit the scholarships page.
Most PhD students receive a research assistantship (RA), and applicants will be notified of RA award upon admission offer.
Assistantships for master's programs are limited, please check the specific program's pages.
International students can visit the GSBS Application Information page for additional information.

Fall 2025

This course will allow students to develop their presentation skills by providing experiences in both written and oral communication, presentations and critiques.

All Immunology and Infectious Diseases students are required to attend in person. A zoom link will be provided to faculty or non-concentration students upon request.

Fall 2026 Seminar Series Schedule Coming Soon

Contact the Graduate Advisor

Students with questions regarding the following areas in the Department of Immunology and Molecular Microbiology should reach out to the graduate advisor:

Admission to the graduate program in Immunology and Infectious Diseases
IID Concentration Members
Medical Student Summer Research Program
Other Opportunities
Teaching and research assistantships
Training and research opportunities
Undergrad summer research internships

For guidance, contact Graduate Advisor, Joe A. Fralick, PhD.

Immunology and Infectious Diseases Graduate Programs