From water to soils to foods, microorganisms surround us. West Virginia University students, who want to be professional microbiologists in food science, plant disease or human health, need to have a great understanding of the roles microorganisms play in those fields.

To better serve those students, WVU s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences is now offering an undergraduate major in applied and environmental microbiology.

Weve offered environmental microbiology at the graduate level for many years but never as an undergraduate program,said Barton Baker, director of the Division of Plant and Soil Sciences.Not only is student interest in the area increasing, but most employers are looking for people with more than an introductory level understanding of microorganisms.

With course work in organic chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, plant science, soil science, physics, calculus and statistics, the program is not designed to be easy, he said.

The curriculum is rigorous, but students will be well prepared for employment, as well as graduate or professional school.Baker said.

Graduates of the program will have employment opportunities in governmental and private environmental laboratories, pharmaceutical and food industries and clinical laboratories in the health care industry.

There are good job opportunities, especially in the field of food science, for students who are trained in this area,said Gary Bissonnette, professor of environmental microbiology.

For more information on the applied and environmental microbiology major or any other areas of study at the Davis College, contact the associate deans office, 304-293-2691.