Microbiology and Virology

The institution defines the learning objectives of the study programme such as student's abilities at the time of completion of the programme and the main learning outcomes.

Biology specialist – microbiology and virology possess a wide range of skills used in all areas of biological and chemical disciplines including broader scientific basis for mathematics, physics, and borderline disciplines of the biology. They are keen on special methods used in selected fields of science and apply them into different areas of biological research. They possess knowledge about structure characteristics of living systems, can model biological processes and practically use them in various areas of social practice. Graduates of microbiology and virology (3rd degree) have knowledge of selected narrowly focused biological scientific disciplines of virology, molecular biology, immunology, microbiology, biotechnology. They have knowledge from several borderline scientific disciplines and able to use them to solve practical tasks. Part of education at the third level will also offer personal development, management skills and competences courses. Graduates get practical skills and abilities in:
-     use and development of methods of virological, microbiological, biochemical and molecular- biological discipline
-     work with devices and material translated in basic and applied research in virology, microbiology, and molecular-biology
-     analyse data obtained in experimental research
-     based on the data obtained from national and foreign scientific literature prepare new project
-    lead a research team and work in leading positions

The institution indicates the professions for which the graduate is prepared at the time of completion and the potential of the study programme from the point of view of graduate's employability.

Graduate PhD students in the field of PhD. study Microbiology and Virology are able to be employed at various positions in healthcare sector, diagnostic laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, national scientific institutes such as the Slovak Academy of Sciences, but also abroad, state administration and self-government bodies (Institute of Public Health, State Institute for Drug Control, State Institutes of Health, etc.), at various positions focused on the creation and protection of the environment, in companies trading in chemicals and laboratory materials and in ministries as well as in the structure of the bodies of the European Commission.

Graduate PhD students of specialization Microbiology - Virology (3rd degree) have many opportunities to find work in almost every possible industry with a range of different employment opportunities, including microbiology, virology, molecular-biology, and immunology. Microbiologists and virologists whose job involve research work in many different places can work in research institutes of Slovak Academy of Sciences, colleges and universities, government department of health, veterinary medicine, agriculture and forestry, food processing industry, living industry etc. Graduate PhD students, program microbiology – virology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, possess a wide range of skills used in microbiology, virology, and molecular virology, which they are able apply in their research work and contribute to research knowledge. Graduate students are qualified to manage a lab or research group in a variety of contexts, including science and development, environmental science, medicine, veterinary and pharmaceutical research. They have professional training to use creativity in the research work at the research institutes of SAS, in different job levels of research and management of government department of environment, agriculture, food processing industry and public health as well as at universities and colleges and non-profit organization for antipollution measures. They can find a position in the field of food and industrial microbiology (Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Laboratory of Special Microbiology, National Reference Laboratory of Salmonella, National Reference Laboratory of Poultry Diseases) as well as in the ministries and bodies of the European Commission.
Other occupations include: laboratory diagnostician, microbiological laboratory assistant, clinical microbiologist, drinking and wastewater microbiologist, environmental microbiologist, microbiologist of regional companies and establishments, specialist in the vaccine production department, research and development worker in the field of microbiology, research and development scientist in field of virology, laboratory assistant - biochemist.
Graduates PhD student are competent lecturers at all universities and colleges of the natural sciences, medicine, veterinary and pedagogy. They can provide the special research for Ministry of Internal Affairs Slovak Republic. Graduates students can also work in leading position at government department of health (diagnostic laboratories, molecular-biology laboratory, and laboratory of biochemistry).  Graduate PhD students, program microbiology – virology, from Faculty of Natural Sciences, are successful in their application for Research Fellowship for postdoctoral researchers in top research institutes in the world. Graduates could be also employed in small and medium companies conduct applied and basic research in biotechnologies, genetic, microbiology, molecular biology, and virology.

For individual study plans, the institution states the requirements for completing the individual parts of the study programme and the student's progress within the study programme in the given structure:
- Number of credits for compulsory courses: 29 credits (internal form), 39 credits (external form)
- Number of credits for compulsory optional courses: 29 credits (internal form), 39 credits (external form)
- Number of credits for the dissertation exam and Number of credits for the dissertation defence: 30 credits (internal form), 30 credits (external form)