Molecular Microbiology Graduation Stats & Career Outcomes

Graduation Statistics

To help applicants and others interested in the Molecular Microbiology program, we provide information on the outcomes of trainees who have enrolled in our program.

The information below is based on the 128 students who were enrolled on January 1, 2000 or thereafter and have completed their time at GSBS.

Molecular Microbiology Completion Data

Parameter Value
Percentage of Students Completing the PhD degree 89.9%
Percentage of Students Completing  an MS degree 3.1%
Percentage of Students Leaving without a degree 7.0%
Time to PhD degree 6.1 years

Career Outcomes

To help all applicants and others interested in the Molecular Microbiology program, we have summarized information of the careers that are being pursued by the 125 PhD or MD/PhD graduates who graduated from 2000 to the present.

About 39% of Micro graduates pursue careers in the academic sector while about 36% pursue careers in the biotechnology industry. The remaining graduates pursue a wide range of other careers. Only about two percent of Micro graduates pursue careers that do not involve science.

This information is updated annually.

chart of Molecular Microbiology program career outcome statistics as of 2021

Academic Sector

  • Faculty - Research - Faculty at institutions of higher education who conduct discovery research as a significant portion of their activity
  • Faculty  - Teaching - Faculty at institutions of higher education whose primary role is teaching
  • Faculty - Clinical - Faculty at institutions of higher education who conduct clinical or basic research and have clinical duties.
  • Research Staff - Individuals conducting laboratory research in a staff role
  • Academic Staff - Individuals supporting the academic mission in a staff role
  • Additional Educ - Individuals pursuing additional education after their degree
  • Postdoc Training - Individuals pursuing postdoctoral training at an institution of higher education
  • Residency Training - Individuals (predominantly MD/PhD graduates) in residency or fellowship training

Biotech Sector

  • Research - Individuals who lead research teams or actively conduct discovery research
  • Business - Individuals in business development, product development, administration, clinical research management, manufacturing oversight, and similar careers
  • Postdoc Training - Individuals in postdoctoral training in a biotechnology setting

Other Sectors

  • Private Practice - Individuals with a clinical degree in addition to the PhD whose primary function is treating patients
  • IP/Law - Individuals involved in technology transfer, patent law or other aspects of law
  • Government - Individuals working for a government agency such as the NIH, FDA, or other agencies
  • Education - Individuals working in the primary or secondary education fields
  • Communication - Individuals engaged in science writing, editing or other forms of media
  • Nonprofit - Individuals employed in a non-profit organization such as an NGO or foundation
  • Non-science - Individuals pursuing careers not involving science
  • Finance - Individuals pursuing careers in banking or finance
  • Unknown -  Individuals for whom current information is unavailable
  • Not in the Labor Force - Individuals who are not in the labor force