M.S. Courses

Students are required to complete 30 credits of coursework, including 16 credits of required courses (six courses) and 14 credits of electives (five courses).

This page lists our required courses along with recommended electives. Students have the flexibility to choose from the recommended electives as well as any elective offered by the Department of Microbiology & Immunology in order to tailor the program to their interests. Students can also complete an internship as an elective.

You can find course descriptions on the Department of Microbiology & Immunology Course Descriptions page.

Jump To: Fall Semester
Spring Semester

Fall Semester

Required Courses

BHTA 6515 Microbiology of Biological Threat Agents & Emerging Infectious Diseases¹
3 credits
Course Instructors: Tomoko Steen & Mike Bray

BHTA 6517 Bioterrorism²
3 credits
Course Instructors: Tomoko Steen, JP Gonzalez & Julie Fischer

BHTA 6525 Homeland Security²
3 credits
Course Instructors: Monte Hawkins & Christopher Duvall

BHTA 6551 Biohazardous Threat Agents & Emerging Infectious Diseases Seminar
2 credits
Course Instructors: Mike Bray & Seth Carus

Students unable to take BHTA 6515 may request to take the corresponding online course, CBTA 6515.
Students unable to take BHTA 6517 or BHTA 6525 on campus in the fall may request to take the corresponding spring semester online course, CBTA 6517 or CBTA 6525, instead. This course substitution must be approved by the program director and program coordinator, and must be planned before you start your first semester in the program. International students may take one online course for this program, per Office of Global Services policy, but should still obtain instructor approval.

Required Course for Concentration in Biomedical Science Policy & Advocacy

BSPA 6603 Science & Technology in the Global Arena
4 credits
Course Instructors: Tomoko Steen, Taylor Winkleman & Sumegha Asthana

Electives

BHTA 6700 AI: Health, Defense, Ethics and Policy
2 credits
Course Instructors: Tomoko Steen & Jean-Pierre Auffret

BHTA 6741 Policy & Pandemic Management
2 credits
Course Instructors: Matthew Sharkey & David Stiefel

BHTA 7906 Biomedical Science Policy & Advocacy Capstone Project
2 credits
Course Instructors: Tomoko Steen & JP Gonzalez

**BHTA 7950 Internship Experience
2 credits
Course Instructor: Contact program for more information
**Requires Instructor Approval. Students must have taken at least 12 credits in order to take this course. Contact the program director for more information.

BSPA/BHTA 6589 Environmental Health & Policy
2 credits
Course Instructor: Tomoko Steen

BSPA/BHTA 6603 Science and Technology in Global Arena
4 credits
Course Instructors: Tomoko Steen, Taylor Winkleman & Sumegha Asthana

BSPA/BHTA 7001 Regulatory Science I: Law & Science
3 credits
Course Instructor: Lisa Jaeger
*Not offered for Fall 2024

BSPA/BHTA 7800 Global Infectious Diseases: International Perspective
2 credits
Course Instructors: JP Gonzalez & Tomoko Steen

BSPA 6606 Public Policy for Scientists
3 credits
Course Instructors: Julie Fischer & Taylor Winkleman

CBTA 6595 Building Disaster Resilient Communities (Online)
3 credits
Course Instructors: Paula Scalingi & Jeff Stiefel

MICB 6852 Seminar in Microbiology & Immunology – Fall
1 credit
Course Instructor: Stephan Menne

MICB 7008 Immunogenetics in Health & Disease
2 credits
Course Instructor: Colm O’Huigin

Spring Semester

Required Courses

BHTA 6520 Agroterrorism
3 credits
Course Instructor: David Stiefel

BHTA 6577 Defense Threat Reduction Initiatives
2 credits
Course Instructors: Ada Bacetty & Carl Newman

*CBTA 6517 Bioterrorism (Online)
3 credits
Course Instructors: Tomoko Steen, JP Gonzalez & Julie Fischer
*You can take this course if you cannot take BHTA 6517 during the fall semester.

*CBTA 6525 Homeland Security (Online)
3 credits
Course Instructors: Monte Hawkins & Christopher Duvall
*You can take this course if you cannot take BHTA 6525 during the fall semester.

Students unable to take BHTA 6517 or BHTA 6525 on campus in the fall may request to take the corresponding spring semester online course, CBTA 6517 or CBTA 6525, instead. This course substitution must be approved by the program director and program coordinator, and must be planned before you start your first semester in the program. International students may take one online course for this program, per Office of Global Services policy, but should still obtain instructor approval.

Required Courses for Concentration in Biomedical Science Policy & Advocacy

BSPA 7005 Science Diplomacy and World Health
2 credits

BSPA 7907 Biomedical Science Policy & Advocacy Capstone Project
3 credits
Course Instructor: Tomoko Steen, JP Gonzalez & Natalia Shok

Electives

BHTA 6524 Emerging & Re-emerging Infectious Diseases: A Multidisciplinary Approach
2 credits
Course Instructors: JP Gonzalez

BHTA 6526 The Chemistry of War
2 credits
Course Instructors: Colin Eckman & Maari Hanson

BHTA 6570 Microbiome & Health: Clinical Applications
2 credits
Course Instructors: Tomoko Steen & Sona Vasudevan

BHTA 6715 Nuclear Weapons, Nuclear Power, & Nonproliferation
2 credits
Course Instructors: Tomoko Steen & David Stiefel

BHTA 6803 Biosafety, Biosecurity, & Biodefense
2 credits
Course Instructors: Joshua Kurjan & Matthew Sharkey

BHTA 6805 Emerging Biotechnologies
2 credits
Course Instructor: Julie Fischer

BHTA 7901 Border Security
1 credit
Course Instructors: JP Gonzalez, John Market & Tomoko Steen

**BHTA 7950: Internship Experience
2 credits
Course Instructor: Contact program for more information
**Requires Instructor Approval. Students must have taken at least 12 credits in order to take this course. Contact the program director for more information.

BHTA/SYSM 5650 Microbiome Seminar
1 credit
Course Instructors: Tomoko Steen & Sona Vasudevan

BSPA/BHTA 6705 Seminar: Brain Initiative: Health, Security, Ethics
2 credits
Course Instructors: Tomoko Steen & Jean-Pierre Auffret

BSPA/BHTA 6710 Emerging Health Threats and Global Health Ethics
3 credits
Course Instructor: Sumegha Asthana

BSPA/BHTA 7005 Science Diplomacy & World Health
2 credits
Course Instructor: Tomoko Steen

BSPA/BHTA 7003 Regulatory Science II: Law & Science
3 credits
Course Instructors: Lisa Jaeger & Tomoko Steen

BSPA/BHTA 7801 Seminar in Global Infectious Diseases: An Interdisciplinary Perspective
2 credits
Course Instructors: JP Gonzalez & Sumegha Asthana

BSPA 6570 Clinical Applications of the Microbiota
2 credits
Course Instructor: Tomoko Steen

BSPA 6599 Survey of International Policy
3 credits
Course Instructor: Taylor Winkleman

CBTA 6566 Preparedness, Response, & Capacity (Online)
3 credits
Course Instructor: Shane Kappler

CBTA 6595 Building Disaster Resilient Communities (Online)
3 credits
Course Instructors: Paula Scalingi & Jeff Stiefel

CBTA 6724 Integration of Public Health Preparedness & Emergency Management (Online)
2 credits
Course Instructor: James Banaski

MICB 6853 Microbiology & Immunology Seminar – Spring
1 credit
Course Instructor: Stephan Menne

MICB 7709 Immunogenetics: Evolution and Human Health
2 credits
Course Instructor: Colm O’Huigin

Admissions

View requirements and begin your application.

Admissions

Degree Plans

Find an example course block schedule.

Degree Plans