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Studies & Degrees in Infectious Diseases

Infectious diseases is the study of illnesses caused by micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi: how these agents develop, spread and interact with the body, and how infections are prevented, diagnosed and treated. The field joins several sciences. Microbiology and virology look at the pathogen, immunology at the body's defence, epidemiology at the spread of disease in a population, and clinical medicine at the patient.

There are two ways into the subject. One is scientific: a degree in the biomedical sciences with a focus on infection and immunity, which leads to laboratory research, diagnostics, vaccines and public health. The other is medical: infectious diseases is a specialty for qualified doctors. Courses typically cover immunology, bacteriology, virology, parasitology, vaccines, antimicrobial resistance and epidemiology, with a large share of laboratory work.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degree. A first degree in exactly this subject is uncommon; most students take biomedical sciences, microbiology or biology. The Pennsylvania State University offers a BS in Immunology and Infectious Disease, which starts with mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics and continues with the immune system, drugs and vaccines and the epidemiology of infectious disease.
  • Master's degree. Specialisation usually comes at master's level. The programmes below last two years and are taught in English. Uppsala Universitet has a Master's Programme in Infection Biology of 120 credits. Utrecht University offers Infection and Immunity, a selective research master's of 2 years and 120 credits that includes a major research project of 51 credits. The University of Copenhagen teaches a 2-year MSc in Immunology and Inflammation with a 60 ECTS thesis and a course on the immune response to infection.
  • Doctorate. Independent research on pathogens, vaccines or resistance normally requires a PhD after the master's degree.
  • Medical specialty. Doctors specialise after their medical degree. In the United Kingdom, according to NHS Health Careers, graduates of medical school complete a two-year foundation programme and then specialty training in infectious diseases, which takes a minimum of seven or eight years. The NHS describes four related infection specialties: infectious diseases, medical microbiology, medical virology and tropical medicine.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 14 active schools for infectious diseases: 4 in the United States, 4 in the United Kingdom, 2 in Australia and 1 each in Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and Ukraine. The British universities are The University of Edinburgh, King's College London, The University of Sheffield and The University of York; the Australian ones are Griffith University and the University of Melbourne. No school in Spain is listed for this subject at present.

The master's programmes on the European continent are taught in English and charge different fees to students from outside the European Union. Utrecht University publishes for 2026-27 a statutory fee of €2,694 for Dutch and other EU/EEA students and an institutional fee of €25,306 for non-EU/EEA students. At Uppsala, students who are not citizens of an EU or EEA country or Switzerland pay a total tuition fee of SEK 330,000 for the programme that starts in autumn 2026. When comparing programmes, check which bachelor's degrees are accepted, how many months of laboratory research are included and whether the degree is aimed at research or at public health practice.

Careers

Science graduates work in research institutes, hospital and public health laboratories, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, and health agencies. Uppsala names diagnostics, drug development, antimicrobial resistance, vaccinations, emergency management, food production, and surveillance and epidemiology as areas of work. Penn State states that its graduates work in research and sales in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, while others continue to advanced degrees for careers in medicine, research and public health.

In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of epidemiologists will grow 19 percent from 2025 to 2035 and employment of microbiologists 6 percent. Epidemiologists typically need at least a master's degree; microbiologists typically need a bachelor's degree in microbiology or a related field. Treating patients requires a medical degree and specialty training.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to study medicine to work in infectious diseases?

Only to treat patients. Research, diagnostics, vaccine development and epidemiology are open to graduates in biomedical sciences, microbiology or related fields, usually with a master's degree or a doctorate.

How long does a master's degree in infection and immunity take?

Two years in the programmes described here: Uppsala, Utrecht and Copenhagen each offer a 2-year master's taught in English, of 120 credits at Uppsala and Utrecht.

How long does it take to become an infectious diseases doctor in the United Kingdom?

After medical school there is a two-year foundation programme, followed by specialty training of at least seven or eight years, according to NHS Health Careers.

Are these programmes taught in English?

The master's programmes at Uppsala, Utrecht and Copenhagen are taught in English, as are the programmes in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.