Microbiology & Cell Science Online Graduate Programs

The Department of Microbiology and Cell Science at the University of Florida is the largest microbiology program in the United States. Our online graduate program offers fully asynchronous online courses that can be completed in as little as one year for full-time students. Online students have access to the same faculty and courses as on-campus students without having to put their lives on hold.

With a master's in microbiology, you can pursue a career in government, industry, research, teaching, healthcare and more. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the occupation of epidemiologist is due to grow 27% over the next ten years. A master's degree or graduate certificate in microbiology can prepare you for a job in this advancing field. 

Our faculty are widely published in leading journals for cutting-edge research in biofuels, astrobiology, genomics, biofilms, virology, environmental microbiology and immunology. Check out our faculty research page. The online graduate program allows you the flexibility to choose from a variety of courses spanning virology, genomics, infectious diseases, bioinformatics and antimicrobial resistance all taught by the same professors as you would have in an on-campus experience.

We value our growing Microbiology and Cell Science community whether you live abroad or down the street. As of December 2023, we will have graduated our 1,000th online master's degree holder from our almost ten-year-old distance learning program. This is a well-established program that is adaptable to the life of a working adult and will welcome you with open arms.