Bachelor of Science in Microbiology Top Colleges, Syllabus, Scope and Salary

B.Sc. in Microbiology is a 3- year long, full- time course divided into 6 semesters, with each semester lasting for a period of 6 months. Microbiology has emerged as a key biological science, since microorganisms provide the model used in molecular biology for research purposes.

Such research at the molecular level has provided, and continues to provide answers to numerous fundamental questions in Genetics, Metabolism, Cell forms & functions. There is a growing recognition of the potential of microorganisms in a range of applied areas.

The ability of microorganisms to degrade oil in oil spills, herbicides, pesticides, and to supplement food, produce energy, besides other uses of microorganisms is becoming increasingly relevant and useful. Microbiologists study these organisms using tools, like microscopes, genetics, and culturing.

Microscopes allow scientists to magnify microbial cells that are otherwise too small to see. Genetics and Molecular Biology help scientists understand the evolutionary relationships between microbes and their habitats. Culturing is the term used to describe growing microbes, usually combined with tests to see what the microbes like to eat or what conditions they can live in. A petri dish is a common place where microbes are cultivated.

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Infections from pathogenic bacteria can sometimes clear up on their own, or with help from antibiotics. Antibiotics are the various medicines that fight bacteria by damaging proteins, the cell wall, or carrying out other damaging attacks on bacteria. A flipside to antibiotics is that they can rarely tell the difference between good and bad bacteria. 

Some of the top colleges which provide admission to B.Sc Microbiology course are:

• Rai University
• Panjab University
• BIFT group of Institutions
• Indian Academy Degree College
• Lovely Professional University

The average annual course fee in India ranges between INR 20,000 and 3 lacs, depending upon the institute offering the course. The average annual starting salary offered in India to successful graduates of the course ranges between INR 3 and 16 lacs, depending upon the candidate’s expertise in the field.

B.Sc. in Microbiology: Course Highlights

Listed below are some of the major highlights of the course.

Course Level	Under Graduate
Duration	3 years
Examination Type	Semester System
Eligibility	10+2
Admission Process	Direct admission or counselling
Course Fee	INR 20,000 to 3,00,000
Average Starting Salary	INR 3,00,000 to 16,00,000
Job Profiles	Bacterialogist, Virologist, Biochemist, Cell Biologist, Industrial Microbiologist and others such.
Employment Areas	Colleges, Universities, Food Industry, Development Laboratories etc.

B.Sc. in Microbiology: What is it about?

Microbiology is a broad discipline that involves the study of the biology of bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi. The main focus of the course is the pathogenic potential of the organisms that cause disease in man. The course also covers aspects of the biochemistry, physiology and genetics of microorganisms.

Recently, our knowledge of how microbes function has expanded enormously, both in the disease process and at the molecular level. Genetic engineers use bacteria and viruses to clone eukaryotic genes to study and treat human genetic disorders. Vaccines are being developed for diseases such as AIDS, Legionnaire's disease and listeriosis.

In the areas of biotechnology, agriculture and food production, microbes are continually exploited for the benefit of man. Microbiologists are needed to do the research required for the future battle against diseases worldwide and to apply microbes in the production of food.

Top Institutes Offering B.Sc. in Microbiology

Some of the top institutes offering the course in the country with the corresponding locations and fees charged by the respective colleges are listed below.

College Name	City	Average Annual Fees in INR
Indian academy degree college	Bangalore	INR 1,60,000
Lovely professional university	Jalandhar	INR 3,27,000
Lovely professional university	Delhi	INR 2,97,000
RMIT	Punjab	INR 1,23,000
Acharya Bangalore B school	Bangalore	INR 1,20,000
Dev. Bhoomi institute of management studies	Dehradun	INR 2,60,000
BFIT group of institutions	Dehradun	INR 1,36,000
Rai university	Ahmedabad	INR 1,20,000
Sai institute of paramedical and allied sciences	Dehradun	INR 1,35,000
Sardar bhagwan Singh pg. institute of biomedical sciences and research	Dehradun	INR 2,25,000
Shoolini university	Solan	INR 1,77,000
IIMT	Meerut	INR 75,000
Uttaranchal college of biomedical sciences and hospitals	Dehradun	INR 1,55,000
Punjab university	Chandigarh	INR 60,000
SASTRA university	Thanjavur	INR 65,750
Annamalai university	Tamil Nadu	INR 74,475
GD goenka university	Gurgaon	INR 2,10,000
KJC	Kothanur	INR 1,05,000
Bharath university	Chennai	INR 60,000
Parul university	Vadodara	INR 2,70,000
Mahatma jyoti rao phoole university	Jaipur	INR 90,000

Eligibility for B.Sc. in Microbiology

Interested aspirants for B.Sc Microbiology degree need to fulfil the below-mentioned eligibility criteria.

• Completion of Higher Secondary (10+2) level of education
• Physics, Chemistry and Biology as main subjects at HSC level
• Minimum aggregate score of 60% at the level
• Instead of Biology, one may even have had Zoology or Botany as one of the main subjects of study

B.Sc. in Microbiology: Admission Process

For admission to the course, most institutes and universities in the country follow a merit- based admission process. Marks scored by applicants at the Higher Secondary level and/ or relevant entrance test are taken into consideration. Seats are accordingly allotted to deserving candidates.

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B.Sc. in Microbiology: Syllabus and Course Description

A semester - wise breakup of the course’s syllabus is tabulated below.

Semester I	Semester II
Introduction to biology	Physics
Chemistry	Microbial ecology
English	Biochemistry
Introduction to microbiology	Creative writing
Information systems	Mathematics
Cultural education I	Cultural education II
Microbiology lab	Physical science lab
-	Biochemistry lab
Semester III	Semester IV
Molecular biology	Cell biology
Mycology	Inheritance biology
Microbial physiology	Immunology
Analytical biochemistry	Enzyme technology
Virology	Biostatistics
General microbiology lab	Food microbiology
Molecular biology lab	Immunology lab
-	Food microbiology lab
Semester V	Semester VI
Industrial microbiology	Project
Medical bacteriology	Pharmacology
Recombinant DNA technology	Parasitology
Environmental and agricultural microbiology	-
Research methodology	-
Medical bacteriology lab	-
Industrial microbiology lab	-
Genetic engineering lab	-

B.Sc. in Microbiology: Career Prospects

Microbiologists are in demand in medical research, quality control, and the biotechnology industry. Many such graduates secure jobs as researchers working in universities, pharmaceutical and bioscience companies and institutes.

Successful graduates of the course also progress into laboratory-based careers in clinical or technical roles which do not involve research. The transferable skills one develops also equip one well for a wide range of careers outside the lab.

There are several job opportunities for those who want to pursue a career in microbiology. Microbiologists can find job opportunities in sectors such as government and private hospitals, food industries, research and development organizations, chemical industries and pharmaceutical industries.

They can also choose a career as science writer, writing articles for professional microbiologists. The salary for microbiologists depends on factors such as qualification, experience and job profile.

Some of the popular professional avenues open to such graduates are listed below with the corresponding salaries offered for the respective positions.

Job Position	Job Description	Average Annual Salary in INR
Bacteriologist	A Bacteriologist is responsible for studying various kinds of bacteria, which are constantly changing and evolving. They typically perform research in a laboratory, mostly for government or pharmaceutical agencies.	2,91,000
Virologist	A Virologist is a professional who studies the growth, development, structure and characteristics of different viruses. He isolates and makes cultures of significant viruses in a standard inhibitory medium, controlling certain factors, like, aeration, moisture, temperature, and nutrition.	10,00,000
Mycologist	A Mycologist is a scientist who studies fungi that is known to be an independent organism similar with animals, algae, plants and bacteria. Mycologists study operations of organism- based processes of poisonous, edible and parasitic fungi in order to discover organisms useful in medicine, industry and agriculture.	6,00,000
Cell biologist	Cell biologists research and study the properties, interactions and structure of cellular molecules from which they can extrapolate basic principles or generalizations about the effects of cell behaviour on an organism. For example, looking at how certain cell behaviours contribute to the progression of cancer in the body.	10,70,000
Biochemist	Biochemists work with the chemical composition of living organisms and perform studies of the chemical processes involved in all basic life functions. Through research, experimentation and study, these professionals provide us with much of the background knowledge on topics like genetics and heredity.	7,00,000

Aspirants seeking admission to 3 year Full-time B.Sc Program should meet the following criteria as specified by the institute.

1. Candidate should be passed in the Senior Secondary (+2) Examination (Academic Stream) conducted by the H.P Board of School Education or an examination accepted as equivalent thereto by the various bodies of the H.P. University.
2. Candidates who have passed the qualifying examination with science stream shall be given preference in admission to B.Sc. programme.