Immunology and Infectious Disease

Immunology and Infectious Disease is the study of how the body copes with bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections, cancer, autoimmune disease and other diseases of the immune system.  The immune system protects us from infection through is a complex network of cells and tissues designed to fight invading pathogens.  Immunology is the study of the response of the immune system to bacterial, viral or parasitic infections.  It is also the study of diseases caused by disorders of the immune system. Autoimmune diseases are diseases that cause your immune system to attack your own body.  Immunodeficiency disease is a result of failure of the immune system to function in its normal capacity.  Allergy is a result of the immune system responding to substances that are not usually harmful.  Immunology also covers the development of the immune system as well as the malignant growth of immune cells, and the epidemiology of infectious disease.

You Might Like this Program If...

• You are interested in studying mechanisms of human disease progression at the molecular, cellular, and whole organism levels, and how these diseases are impacted by components of the immune system
• You are looking for opportunities to perform research in the laboratories of faculty in areas of immune cell development, inflammation, autoimmune disease, cancer biology, and infectious disease

Immunology is the study of how animals and humans protect themselves from pathogens. Understanding basic mechanisms of immunity provides insights into how blood cells develop and how pathogens are recognized and attacked. Furthermore, understanding the concepts behind immunology is necessary for drug and vaccine design. Dysregulation of the processes that regulate immunity can contribute to uncontrolled inflammation, tissue destruction, autoimmunity, immunodeficiencies, leukemia and related cancers. Immunology includes a broad range of disciplines including but not limited to microbiology, virology, animal health, genetics, biochemistry, molecular and cell biology. Students enrolled in the Immunology and Infectious Disease Major will develop and understanding of normal immune responses to bacterial, fungal, and viral agents and appreciate the potential pathological outcomes of these responses. Students will learn about events that shape the immune response; the general biology of pathogens and the mechanisms by which they cause disease. In addition, basic skills in microbiology, molecular biology and biochemistry will be acquired. Students completing a B.S. degree in Immunology and Infectious Disease will be well prepared for veterinary, medical or other professional schools, Ph.D. graduate training in a wide variety of areas including immunology, microbiology, virology, molecular medicine, animal science, molecular biology and biochemistry or highly competitive jobs as research technicians, laboratory assistants or sales representatives with a pharmaceutical company.

• Write Critical Reviews: Students will be able to read the scientific literature and write critical reviews in the Immunology and Infectious Disease discipline
• Present Scientific Data: Students will be able to present and discuss scientific data and analysis in the field of Immunology and Infectious Disease
• Careers: Students will be familiar with potential careers in biomedical science and be prepared to apply for jobs or professional schools.
• Quantitative Skills: Students will obtain quantitative skills that allow them to analyze experimental data sets.
• Professional School Acceptance: Students will be able to obtain the skills critical to successful acceptance in and preparation for professional schools

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The Immunology and Infectious Disease major provides excellent preparation for a wide variety of careers in industry, government agencies, or academia, or for medical school, veterinary school, or graduate programs in any area of the biomedical sciences. Concern over bioweapons and emerging infectious diseases means high demand for specialists. Our major in Immunology and Infectious Disease is one of only a handful of such programs in the United States. Graduates distinguish themselves with focused courses in immunology and epidemiology while retaining the freedom to choose from a wide variety of courses in biomedicine and biotechnology.

Thanks to the specialization students can obtain in immunology and epidemiology, there are plentiful employment opportunities for graduates after four years. Some of these opportunities include research positions in biotechnology or pharmaceutical firms, government or international health agencies, and academic research laboratories. Students should recognize, however, that professional advancement in research-oriented careers is less realistic without an advanced degree. Many students choose to get experience for a few years in entry-level positions, and then return to master's and/or doctoral studies.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES OF THE IMMUNOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE PROGRAM

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

The direct relevance of the course work to human health strongly attracts students interested in medicine and related fields. The Immunology and Infectious Disease major provides strong preparation for further studies in medical school, veterinary school, pharmacy school, or school of public health. The program also helps prepare students for graduate studies in the biomedical sciences. More than half of the students in the Immunology and Infectious Disease major obtain further education in one of these fields.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES