Microbiology and Immunology (Thesis) (M.Sc.) (45 credits)
Offered by: Microbiology & Immunology (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
Degree: Master of Science
Program credit weight: 45
Thesis Courses (33 credits)
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| MIMM 697 | Master's Research 1. | 11 |
Master's Research 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Independent work under the direction of a supervisor on a research problem in the student's designated area of research. See course page for more information |
| MIMM 698 | Master's Research 2. | 11 |
Master's Research 2. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Independent work under the direction of a supervisor on a research problem in the student's designated area of research. See course page for more information |
| MIMM 699 | Master's Research 3. | 11 |
Master's Research 3. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Independent work under the direction of a supervisor on a research problem in the student's designated area of research. See course page for more information |
Required Courses (6 credits)
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| MIMM 611 | Graduate Seminars 1. | 3 |
Graduate Seminars 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Presentation of a research proposal seminar, which is not held publically but presented and evaluated in the context of the first Advisory Committee meeting. Presentation of the relevant background of the research project, the hypothesis to be tested, the objectives of the research project and summary of the experimental approach that will be used. See course page for more information |
| MIMM 612 | Graduate Seminars 2. | 3 |
Graduate Seminars 2. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Presentation of a scientific seminar, which includes a summary of the relevant background of the research project, the hypothesis being tested, the student’s experimental work to date and the future objectives. See course page for more information |
Complementary Courses (6 credits)
Minimum 6 credits from:
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| MIMM 607 | Biochemical Pathology. | 3 |
Biochemical Pathology. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Immunopathogenesis of Human Disease: Lectures and seminars on immune-regulatory mechanisms (cellular/molecular), maintaining the balance between protection and pathology; pathogenesis of major infectious diseases with bacterial, viral and parasitic involvement (e.g. tuberculosis, AIDS, malaria) and classical immune disorders (e.g. asthma). See course page for more information |
| MIMM 616 | Reading and Conference 1. | 3 |
Reading and Conference 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Student presentations, taken from current literature, are concerned with aspects of a central topic. Presentations are designed to be informal and to generate student discussions. Topic will change from term to term. See course page for more information |
| MIMM 617 | Reading and Conference 2. 1 | 3 |
Reading and Conference 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Student presentations, taken from current literature, are concerned with aspects of a central topic. Presentations are designed to be informal and to generate student discussions. Topic will change from term to term. See course page for more information |
| MIMM 619 | Reading and Conference 4. 1 | 3 |
Reading and Conference 4. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Student presentations, taken from current literature, are concerned with aspects of a central topic. Presentations are designed to be informal and to generate student discussions. Topic will change from term to term. See course page for more information |
| NEUR 502 | Basic and Clinical Aspects of Neuroimmunology. | 3 |
Basic and Clinical Aspects of Neuroimmunology. Terms offered: Winter 2026 The role of inflammation in physiological function of the nervous system, as well as in a broad range of neurological diseases where inflammation can act as a
contributing factor to the development of pathology or promote recovery, including fundamentals of neuroimmunology to molecular/cellular aspects of
neuroinflammation underlying the pathology seen in clinical conditions. See course page for more information |
- 1
Not offered in every academic year.
Any life sciences-related 500-level or above course (3 credits). Department approval required.
The MSc program aims to prepare students for scientific careers in various areas of microbiology and immunology. Research training covers key topics in the department, including molecular biology, microbiology, microbial physiology, virology, genetics, immunology, drug design, and parasitology. Students receive training in the latest experimental methods in molecular and cellular biology, addressing significant issues in microbiology and immunology. For detailed course descriptions, additional program requirements, and information on thesis preparation and submission, please consult the MSc Handbook.
Seminar Attendance Form
msc_advisory_committee_nomination_form.pdf
MSc Advisory Committee Report Form
mimm_611_seminar_evaluation_form.pdf
Microbiology and Immunology (Ph.D.)
Offered by: Microbiology & Immunology (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Program Description
The primary goal of the Ph.D. program is to create a self-propelled researcher, proficient in experimental designs and advanced methodologies applicable to the varied and rapidly changing disciplines in microbiology and immunology. Close research supervision and bi-weekly laboratory sessions impart the requisite research discipline and objective assessment of acquired or published research data.
Thesis
A thesis for the doctoral degree must constitute original scholarship and must be a distinct contribution to knowledge. It must show familiarity with previous work in the field and must demonstrate ability to plan and carry out research, organize results, and defend the approach and conclusions in a scholarly manner. The research presented must meet current standards of the discipline; as well, the thesis must clearly demonstrate how the research advances knowledge in the field. Finally, the thesis must be written in compliance with norms for academic and scholarly expression and for publication in the public domain.
Required Courses (9 credits)
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| MIMM 611 | Graduate Seminars 1. | 3 |
Graduate Seminars 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Presentation of a research proposal seminar, which is not held publically but presented and evaluated in the context of the first Advisory Committee meeting. Presentation of the relevant background of the research project, the hypothesis to be tested, the objectives of the research project and summary of the experimental approach that will be used. See course page for more information |
| MIMM 612 | Graduate Seminars 2. | 3 |
Graduate Seminars 2. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Presentation of a scientific seminar, which includes a summary of the relevant background of the research project, the hypothesis being tested, the student’s experimental work to date and the future objectives. See course page for more information |
| MIMM 701 | Comprehensive Examination-Ph.D. Candidate. | 0 |
Comprehensive Examination-Ph.D. Candidate. Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026 An examination that must be passed by all doctoral candidates in order to continue in the doctoral program. The comprehensive examination includes submission of a written research proposal, an oral presentation of the research accomplishments to date and an oral testing on the understanding of the research area and of relevant areas related to the research project. Students are expected to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of their research area and a good understanding of relevant areas related to their project. See course page for more information |
| MIMM 713 | Graduate Seminars 3. | 3 |
Graduate Seminars 3. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Presentation of a maximum of three seminars topics throughout the course of their degree program. See course page for more information |
Complementary Courses (9 credits)
9 credits from the following:
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| MIMM 616 | Reading and Conference 1. | 3 |
Reading and Conference 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Student presentations, taken from current literature, are concerned with aspects of a central topic. Presentations are designed to be informal and to generate student discussions. Topic will change from term to term. See course page for more information |
| MIMM 617 | Reading and Conference 2. | 3 |
Reading and Conference 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Student presentations, taken from current literature, are concerned with aspects of a central topic. Presentations are designed to be informal and to generate student discussions. Topic will change from term to term. See course page for more information |
| MIMM 619 | Reading and Conference 4. | 3 |
Reading and Conference 4. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Student presentations, taken from current literature, are concerned with aspects of a central topic. Presentations are designed to be informal and to generate student discussions. Topic will change from term to term. See course page for more information |
OR
Any life sciences-related courses at the 500 level or higher. Departmental approval is required.
The PhD degree is now essential for many scientific positions that involve higher levels of responsibility. Our program aims to develop scientists who can tackle fundamental biological and health-related problems and who will be competitive for leadership roles in universities, government labs, and the private sector.For detailed descriptions of courses, additional program requirements, and information on thesis preparation and submission, please consult the following:
- The PhD Handbook is for students entering the PhD program with an MSc degree.
- The PhD Handbook - Switch is for students transferring internally from the MIMM MSc program to the PhD program.
Seminar Attendance Form
Transfer Seminar Committee Evaluation Form
phd_advisory_committee_nomination_form.pdf
PhD Advisory Committee Report Form
comprehensive_exam_pre-exam_report_20240903.pdf
mimm_comprehensive_exam_2024_20240903.pdf
Comprehensive Exam Guidelines for students internally transferring from M.Sc. to Ph.D.
Comprehensive Exam Committee Nomination Form
Letter Template to Contact an Oral Defence Committee Member
PhD Advisory Committee Guidelines for Members
Reading & Conference Courses
The Reading and Conference courses can be any life science related course at the 500 level or higher held at McGill University. The Department of Microbiology and Immunology offers three Reading and Conference courses:
MIMM 616. Reading and Conference 1.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Microbiology & Immunology (Graduate Studies)
Terms offered: Fall 2025
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Fall 2025 in Visual Schedule Builder.
Description
Student presentations, taken from current literature, are concerned with aspects of a central topic. Presentations are designed to be informal and to generate student discussions. Topic will change from term to term.
- Restriction: M.Sc. students - two of these courses required throughout the course of their degree program
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MIMM 607. Biochemical Pathology.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Microbiology & Immunology (Graduate Studies)
Terms offered: Winter 2026
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Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.
Description
Immunopathogenesis of Human Disease: Lectures and seminars on immune-regulatory mechanisms (cellular/molecular), maintaining the balance between protection and pathology; pathogenesis of major infectious diseases with bacterial, viral and parasitic involvement (e.g. tuberculosis, AIDS, malaria) and classical immune disorders (e.g. asthma).
- Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken or are taking PATH 607.
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MIMM 617. Reading and Conference 2.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Microbiology & Immunology (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Student presentations, taken from current literature, are concerned with aspects of a central topic. Presentations are designed to be informal and to generate student discussions. Topic will change from term to term.
- Restriction: M.Sc. students - two of these courses required throughout the course of their degree program
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MIMM 613. Current Topics 1.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Microbiology & Immunology (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Graduate students are required to attend eight scientific seminars each term, for three terms. A minimum of four seminars should be attended from the Infection and Immunity Seminar Series offered by the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. A maximum of four life sciences-related seminars presented by principal investigators can be attended at McGill University or its affiliated centers (MUHC, LDI, IRCM).
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It is recommended that all Graduate Students take a Statistics course as part of their Reading and Conference requirements. These are some of the courses frequently taken by MIMM graduate students:
Credits: 3
Offered by: Animal Science (Faculty of Agric Environ Sci)
Terms offered: Winter 2026
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Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.
Description
Underlying concepts and techniques for the analyses of large-scale data sets, generated from "omics" platforms (e.g., metagenomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics, etc.), as well as different approaches for working with high-dimensional data. Students will gain experience in such software packages as R and Bioconductor for statistical analysis and data visualization.
- Prerequisites: AEMA 310 or equivalent; LSCI 204, LSCI 211, LSCI 230, or equivalent
- Restriction: Open to U3 students and above
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BIOL 598. Advanced Design and Statistics.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Biology (Faculty of Science)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
This course will address issues related to experimental design and multivariate statistical analysis. The first third of the course will focus on experimental design, and the remainder of the course will focus on multivariate approaches to data analysis. The course is designed to inform students on best practices to analytically address their experimental questions.
- Prerequisite(s): BIOL 373 and permission of Instructor.
- Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken or are taking BIOL 596 and/or BIOL 597.
- This course is equivalent to taking BIOL 596 and BIOL 597.
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EPIB 507. Biostats for Health Sciences.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Epidemiology and Biostatistics (Faculty of Medicine & Hlth Sci)
Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025
Description
Basic principles of statistical inference applicable to clinical, epidemiologic, and other health research. Topics include: methods of describing data, statistical inference for means, statistical inference for proportions, non-parametric statistics, correlation and introduction to linear regression.
- Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
- Restriction: Restricted to students registered in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, Human Nutrition, Medical Residents, and Clinical Fellows.
- Course not opened to students registered in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics programs.
- Due to the intensive nature of this course, the standard add/drop and withdrawal deadlines do not apply. Add/drop is the third lecture day and withdrawal is the sixth lecture day.
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EXMD 634. Quantitative Research Methods.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Medicine (Graduate Studies)
Terms offered: Fall 2025
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Fall 2025 in Visual Schedule Builder.
Description
Topics covered include: 1) An overview of common research designs based on examples from research currently undertaken in the Division of Experimental Medicine; 2) Types of data arising from these designs; 3) Basic methods for data analysis; and 4) Application of these methods to student research projects.
- Restriction: Must be registered for graduate or postdoctoral studies in the Faculty of Medicine or the Faculty of Science.
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These are some Reading & Conference courses already approved and frequently taken by MIMM graduate students:
MIMM Graduate Student Seminars: Fall 2024 & Winter 2025
Seminars are held on Thursdays at 10 AM in-person at the DUFF Amphitheater. Check regularly as changes to the schedule are made frequently. MIMM student seminar guidelines are described in detail in our Departmental Handbooks. For MIMM Graduate Students:
- Attendance at the MIMM Graduate Student Seminars continues to be compulsory for students enrolled in the M.Sc., Fast-Track, and Ph.D programs during both the Fall and Winter terms.
- Students are permitted to miss only one (1) seminar day per term.
- Students must complete an online attendance form to confirm their presence at each seminar.
- To access this form, students will receive a QR code from the seminar facilitator after the final presentation of the day at each seminar.
- The form also contains a section where students must provide a brief summary of the main insights gained from attending the seminar.
- All MIMM Graduate students are required to attend ten (10) scientific seminars each term.
- Graduate students have the flexibility to attend a variety of scientific seminars.
- Graduate students can attend up to two seminars out of the required ten from fields outside of life sciences.
- Refer to the M.Sc. or Ph.D. program sections of the MIMM website for information on the following:
Graduate Student Research Day
The next Research Day is TBD. More details will be provided soon.
For reference, here is information about the Graduate Student Research Day held in May 2024:
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Jonathan Abraham
Dr. Jonathan Abraham, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology at Harvard Medical School, delivered the keynote address. He holds a B.A. in Biochemical Sciences (Harvard College, 2005), a Ph.D. in Biophysics (Harvard University, 2010), and an M.D. (Harvard Medical School, 2012) from the Harvard-MIT M.D.-Ph.D. Program. Dr. Abraham completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases through a combined program with Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. In 2017, he established a research lab in the Department of Microbiology at Harvard Medical School, supported by a Burroughs Wellcome Career Award for Medical Scientists and an NIH Director’s Early Independence Award. His interest in infectious diseases was sparked by reading Laurie Garrett’s *The Coming of the Plague* as a high school student. Dr. Abraham’s research focuses on preparing for outbreaks before they occur, and he continues to care for patients as an Infectious Diseases physician at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston.