Career Opportunities in the MS-IDGH Program

Students working in a lab

A Master of Science in Infectious Disease and Global Health from Cummings School prepares students to join the workforce where substantial knowledge and specialized skills in infectious diseases are required, such as in the laboratory, clinical, or academic setting.

Graduates are more competitive for various career paths:

  • Biopharma industry
  • Basic and applied research
  • Clinical research
  • Biodefense and biocontainment
  • National and international organizations such as the CDC, USDA, FDA, USAMRID, USAID, and WHO
  • Safety officer, biosafety officer, and laboratory manager positions
  • Academia

Furthermore, graduates are more competitive for admission to graduate studies, including DVM, MD, DO, PA, and PhD programs.

Alumni Success

MSIDGH Pie Chart of Alumni Success_August 2022

MS-IDGH graduates have been successful in securing employment aligned with their career goals. Our graduates reflect on how the program assisted them in achieving their career goals:

The [MS-IDGH] program provided me with lab research experience, both in vivo and in vitro. Over the course of the year, I worked in the lab with multiple projects that included cell culturing, RNA/DNA extraction and purification, flow cytometry, enzyme characterization, RNA silencing, and many more. Currently, I am working with RNA extraction, RNA silencing, cell culturing and animal models, techniques that were improved with help from the IDGH program.

Griselle Martinez, Research Associate, UTMB Galveston

Many of the [MS-IDGH] classes provided me with a solid foundation for classes I have taken or will take in veterinary school, such as immunology, bacteriology, virology, and parasitology. I also learned a lot about time management and was able to gain a good background in laboratory research.

Megan Ellis, veterinary student, Colorado State University

Upon graduation, I was hired by the University of South Florida working in their Biosafety department as a safety and compliance officer. The [MS-IDGH] program provided me [with the background needed to secure] this opportunity and I am very grateful for it.

Dylan Champer, Safety and Compliance Officer, University of South Florida