REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION TO IMPLEMENT A MASTER OF SCIENCE IN
MICROBIOLOGY AT UW-LA CROSSE
PREPARED BY UW-LA CROSSE
ABSTRACT
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse proposes to establish a Master of Science
(M.S.) in Microbiology to be housed in the College of Science and Health. The
existing Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology concentrations within the
Biology M.S. program will become M.S. in Microbiology and M.S. in
Microbiology: Clinical Microbiology concentration degree tracks housed in the
Department of Microbiology. Establishing the Master of Science in Microbiology
will center responsibility for the programs on the Department of Microbiology,
thus improving administrative efficiency, and will provide students with a high
quality graduate degree in a STEM field. The goal of programs will be to provide
students with knowledge, and critical thinking and communication skills to work
in a wide range of science-related fields. Graduates will be better equipped for
positions in clinical diagnostics, biotechnology, the pharmaceutical industry,
academia, and education. The Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology programs
are comprised of 30 and 32 credits, respectively. For the Microbiology program,
students can choose classes from a list of 28 courses, while students in Clinical
Microbiology take 11 credits of clinical experience, 15 credits of required
courses, and 5 credits of electives.
PROGRAM IDENTIFICATION
Institution Name
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Title of Proposed Program
Microbiology
Degree/Major Designations
Master of Science
Mode of Delivery
Single institution; classroom and laboratory instruction, mentored research and clinical rotations.
Projected Enrollments by Year Five Currently, there are 24 students in the Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology M.S.
concentrations within the Biology major. This is reflective of accepting five to eight students per
year into the two programs. These numbers, at a minimum, will be expected to continue.
However, we are planning for expansion of the Microbiology master’s programs. Future
programs being explored include a Professional Science Master’s in Industrial
Microbiology/Biotechnology (accepting 12 students per year), an expansion of the existing
Clinical Microbiology concentration (an additional 3 students accepted per year), the
development of a Clinical Lab Sciences B.S./Clinical Microbiology M.S. dual degree program
(2-3 students per year), and the development of an International Student track within the Clinical
Microbiology concentration (2 students per year). If all these programs are successfully
developed, total enrollment of Microbiology graduate students could expand to approximately 60
students.
Table 1 represents enrollment and graduation projections for students entering the program
over the next five years. These numbers assume implementation of the Clinical Microbiology
Concentration expansion, the International track of the Clinical Microbiology Concentration and
Clinical Lab Sciences B.S./Clinical Microbiology M.S. dual degree program in year three, and
implementation of the Professional Science Master’s in Industrial Microbiology/Biotechnology
in year four. By the end of year five, it is expected 77 students will have enrolled in the program
and 48 students will have graduated from the program.
Table 1: Projected Program Enrollment
New students admitted
Continuing students
Total enrollment:
Graduating students
1st Year
7
16
23
6
2nd Year
7
16
23
6
3rd Year
13
16
29
6
4th Year
25
22
47
6
5th Year
25
39
64
24
Tuition Structure
Students enrolled in the M.S. in Microbiology program will pay the standard tuition and fees
for UW-La Crosse graduate students. For the 2015-2016 academic year, the residential tuition
and fees total $8,922 per year for a full-time student. Non-residents pay $18,052. In addition,
students in the Clinical Microbiology concentration pay $3,922 (FY16) in clinical experience
fees over the course of the program.
Department or Functional Equivalent
The proposed program will reside within the Department of Microbiology
College, School, or Functional Equivalent
The proposed program will be housed within the College of Science and Health
Proposed Date of Implementation
September 2016
INTRODUCTION
Rationale and Relation to Mission
The Department of Microbiology is seeking to create and administer a Master of Science in
Microbiology degree program. Currently, the Department of Biology offers a Master of Science
degree in Biology, with possible concentrations in six different areas of biology. Two
concentrations, Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, are administered primarily through
faculty in the Department of Microbiology, though some aspects are jointly administered with
the Department of Biology. The Department of Microbiology, created in 1999, is well positioned
to administer their own graduate program. The Department consists of eight tenure-track faculty,
three instructional academic staff and three support staff. Departmental members have
maintained strong records of teaching, scholarship and service. The implementation of a Master
of Science degree in Microbiology program would further strengthen the Department of
Microbiology by giving the Microbiology M.S. program more visibility and recognition off
campus. Doing so will help in recruiting both graduate students and new faculty. Several recent
faculty candidates were curious as to why the Department of Microbiology did not have an
independent M.S. program.
Furthermore, an M.S. in Microbiology would allow increased flexibility and efficiency in
program development and improvement. Changes currently in development include plans for a
Professional Science Master’s in Industrial Microbiology/Biotechnology, a Clinical Lab Sciences
B.S./Clinical Microbiology M.S. dual degree program and a variation of the Clinical
Microbiology concentrations specifically for international students. Creation of a Master of
Science in Microbiology degree program will streamline approval of these possible programs.
Further, with the development of a possible suite of M.S in Microbiology programs, it will be
most efficient for control and responsibility of these programs to be housed within the
Department of Microbiology.
Additional reasons for having a Microbiology M.S. program include relieving confusion
among applicants and having a degree that better reflects their training. Currently, applicants to
the Microbiology concentrations are sometimes unclear whether to send some application
materials to Department of Biology or Department of Microbiology. Regarding the degree,
recent graduates from the Clinical Microbiology and Microbiology concentrations have stated
that they would prefer a degree that says Microbiology rather than Biology since that better
reflects their training and what they feel was their home department.
The proposed Master of Science in Microbiology program aligns with the UW-L Select
Mission by offering graduate programs and degrees related to areas of emphasis and strength
within the university. The Department of Microbiology and the current Clinical Microbiology
and Microbiology M.S. concentrations have a proven record of producing M.S. graduates with
sound knowledge of science in their area of study. Our graduates are proficient at research,
experimental design, and are capable of independently performing techniques required of their
research. They are also effective in oral and written scientific communication. The strength of
the Microbiology M.S. program is further evidenced by the success of those who have graduated
from the programs.
Need as Suggested by Current Student Demand
There is already a high demand for admittance into the Clinical Microbiology and
Microbiology concentrations within the Biology M.S. program despite modest promotion of the
graduate programs. We consistently deny admission to qualified students, especially to the
Clinical Microbiology concentration.
Need as Suggested by Market Demand
Since the Clinical Microbiology and Microbiology concentrations already exist within the
Biology M.S. program, market research has not been done to assess demand for these programs.
However, as mentioned, there are consistently more qualified applicants than can be admitted,
and there is high demand for our graduates as students are often hired before they graduate.
Furthermore, according to Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development projections,
industries in which our graduates could find employment appear to be growing robustly. Jobs in
scientific research and development in biotechnology are expected to increase 16% from 2012 to
2022. Similarly, jobs in pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing and medical and diagnostic
laboratories are projected to increase by 23% and 11%, respectively, in the same time frame.
While a Professional Science Master’s (PSM) in Industrial Microbiology/Biotechnology is
not part of this proposal, market research has been conducted by Hanover Research to assess the
demand for said program. Responses to the survey indicated strong industry demand for
graduates of such a program. Additionally, 12 organizations responded that they would be
interested in partnering with UWL and the Department of Microbiology to deliver a PSM
program.
DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM
General Structure
The curriculum for the proposed programs will be consistent with the already established
Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology concentrations. Students enrolled in the M.S. in
Microbiology program will complete 30 credits, at least 50% of which must be from 700 level
credits. The student, in consultation with a faculty advisory committee, will choose the classes
from a list of 28 courses. Students in the Microbiology: Clinical Microbiology concentration will
complete a total of 32 credits, at least 50% of which must be from 700 level credits. The Clinical
Microbiology concentration is a more structured program that includes 11 credits of clinical
experience, 15 credits of required courses, and 5 credits of electives.
Institutional Program Array
The Clinical Microbiology and Microbiology concentrations are already an important part of
the UW-L master’s program array. Shifting the two concentrations to the M.S. in Microbiology
degree and housing them in Department of Microbiology will not change the programs, but, via
the creation of an additional stand-alone program, will increase the emphasis and visibility of
graduate programs in the STEM fields at UW-La Crosse.
Collaborative Nature of the Program
Faculty in the Departments of Biology and Microbiology regularly collaborate in training
graduate students under the current master’s program structure and this will continue if the
Department of Microbiology has an independent graduate program. Faculty from the two
departments co-teach some graduate courses and serve on graduate student committees together.
Additionally, students in the Microbiology concentrations may study under the direction of
Biology faculty, while students in Biology concentrations may study under the direction of
Microbiology faculty.
The Clinical Microbiology concentration also involves collaboration with community
partners. Students do clinical rotations at Gundersen Health System, Marshfield Clinic and the
Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene. Responsibilities of the various institutions are delineated in a
Program Memorandum and Affiliation Agreements.
Diversity
The faculty of the Department of Microbiology are already diverse and actively work to
promote student diversity through involvement in UWL programs. UWL has multiple programs
designed to support diverse students in the STEM fields, including FYRE (First Year Research
Experience) WiscAMP (Wisconsin Alliance for Minority Participation), and a McNair Scholars
program. While these programs are not graduate specific, they do illustrate the commitment of
UWL to Inclusive Excellence. Of particular note is the McNair program, which aims to prepare
low-income, first generation undergraduates for graduate school. Certainly, McNair scholars
could enter into Microbiology graduate programs. Specific to graduate education at UWL,
diversity is promoted primarily through the availability of graduate assistantships for students of
diversity. Several past Microbiology graduate students have been awarded Diversity
assistantships.
Student Learning Outcomes
The student learning outcomes for the M.S. in Microbiology will be as follows:
Upon completion of the program students will:
1. Demonstrate thorough knowledge in an area of specialization within the Microbiological
Sciences.
2. Develop and complete a scientifically sound research product in an ethical manner.
3. Demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate scientific literature.
4. Demonstrate the ability to communicate scientific ideas using both oral and written skills.
Assessment of Objectives
Student learning is assessed primarily through an oral exam and thesis defense. For both of
these hurdles, a faculty committee evaluates student performance. The oral exam is given to all
graduate students during their last year of graduate studies, and tests their basic knowledge of
science in their area of study, focusing on the student’s knowledge of their coursework (which
includes the clinical rotations for the Clinical Microbiology students). Also evaluated are oral
communication skills and critical thinking skills related to interpreting data and experimental
design.
A thesis defense requires two steps. The first step, which is typically done during the first
three semesters of enrollment, is a thesis/seminar paper proposal. This is a written proposal of
graduate student thesis research, which is also orally presented to their committee. It assesses
their basic scientific knowledge, written and oral communication skills, understanding of
primary literature in their areas of study and, if undertaking thesis research, the ability to design
experiments to meet research objectives.
The second step is the thesis defense. The thesis is the culminating experience for most
graduate students. It demonstrates the ability of graduate students to: develop hypotheses; design
experiments; develop laboratory and/or field techniques necessary for a particular area of
research; analyze, interpret, and report the results of their research to the scientific community.
The seminar paper is the culminating experience for those students not conducting research. It
demonstrates the ability of graduate students to review and critically evaluate the literature.
Program Curriculum
The curriculum for the proposed programs will be consistent with the already established
Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology concentrations. Students enrolled in the M.S. in
Microbiology program will complete 30 credits, at least 50% of which must be from 700 level
credits. Students in the Microbiology: Clinical Microbiology concentration will complete a total
of 32 credits, at least 50% of which must be from 700 level credits. Within the Clinical
Microbiology concentration, there will continue to be thesis and non-thesis (seminar paper)
tracks. The thesis track will involves original research, while the non-thesis track will involve
completion of a seminar paper. For the M.S. in Microbiology, only the thesis option is available
and the student, in consultation with a faculty advisory committee, will choose the classes from a
list of 28 courses. The M.S. in Microbiology: Clinical Microbiology concentration is a more
structured program as described below:
Thesis Track
Course
Mic 500: Orientation to Clinical Microbiology
Mic 554: Mechanisms of Microbial Pathogenicity
Mic 751: Graduate Seminar
Mic 753: Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases
Mic 755: Advanced Immunology
Mic 770: Clinical Microbiology-Practicum I
Mic 780: Clinical Microbiology-Practicum II
Mic 790: Clinical Microbiology-Practicum III
Mic 799: Research: Master’s Thesis
Elective Credits
Total Credits
Credits
2
2
2
2
2
5
4
2
6
5
32
Non-Thesis Track
Course
Mic 500: Orientation to Clinical Microbiology
Mic 554: Mechanisms of Microbial Pathogenicity
Mic 751: Graduate Seminar
Credits
2
2
2
Mic 753: Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases
Mic 755: Advanced Immunology
Mic 770: Clinical Microbiology-Practicum I
Mic 780: Clinical Microbiology-Practicum II
Mic 790: Clinical Microbiology-Practicum III
Mic 761: Research and Seminar in Microbiology
Elective Credits
Total Credits
2
2
5
4
2
2
9
32
Projected Time to Degree
The projected time to degree for full-time students is two to three years for full-time students,
and three to seven years for part time students.
Program Review Process
Institutional Review
The first internal review of the M.S. in Microbiology program will occur five years after
program implementation. Thereafter, the program will be reviewed, along with the other
programs in the Microbiology Department, on a seven-year cycle. These internal reviews include
reviews by external consultants, the Dean of the College of Science and Health, the UW-L
Graduate Program Review Committee, the UW-L Graduate Director, the Faculty Senate, and the
Provost. Evaluations of program curriculum, assessment of student learning, degree of program
success, new initiatives, personnel, and program support are all included in these reviews. Based
on the reviews, recommendations will be generated to facilitate continual program improvement.
Accreditation
This will not be an accredited program.