What to Study to Become an Immunologist?

While planning to become a part of the immunology sector, you will need to take the first step – and that is nothing but joining the right course to earn the necessary knowledge and skills. Speaking about the immunology courses, they are nothing but a branch of science field such as biology. It is a study that involves education regarding the immune systems. Do you know what it is? According to Dr. Kanury Rao, an immunologist and researcher – the immune system of our body is responsible for managing and protecting the body from microbes, germs, viruses, etc. This is what you will going to learn in detail in an immunology course.

Different courses for immunology aspirants

An immunology course is available online as well as offline modes. They are available at undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, and doctorate levels. The duration of these courses ranges between 1 year to 5 years.

Below, we have listed courses and levels for your reference. Take a look:

PG Diploma and Diploma Course in Immunology

These courses may differ in various ways as you specialize in certain areas. A PG (postgraduate) course begins once you complete the graduation. A diploma course, on the other hand, can be pursued after class 12 or class 10 in special cases.

Some important points regarding PG diploma and diploma courses have been given here:

• These courses provide specific knowledge.
• The duration of these courses can be 1 or 2 years, depending on the course enrolled.
• If you want to join this industry earlier, then you can go for these courses.
• You get the flexibility to decide from various specializations.

Popular courses

• Diploma of specialization in systemic autoimmune disease
• Diploma in allergy and immunology
• Postgraduate Diploma in Immunology

Admission process

The admission process for these courses is done on a merit basis only. Colleges/institutes offering these courses release a cutoff list to announce the required merit score.

Some important pointers related to it have been mentioned here:

• While enrolling for a PG diploma course, your score in graduation will be considered.
• For a diploma program, class 12 marks will be considered for merit.
• You can have some online courses with the same admission process.
• Other criteria may differ from one college to another. Hence, you should check the same beforehand.

Bachelor or Graduate Courses in Immunology

These are highly opted courses by students – Kanury Rao. If you are considering a full-time course to earn a legitimate degree, then graduate courses are the best as they offer full campus vibes along with a real-time learning experience.

While enrolling for a course, keep the following in mind:

• The duration of these courses can be between 3 and 6 years.
• These immunology courses are available in specialization and general forms.
• To get into a course, you will need to clear an entrance exam.
• Through these courses, you will get a solid foundation due to rigorous classroom settings.

Popular Courses

• BSc. in Immunology

Admission Process

There are mainly two ways to gain admission to an immunology course. These include merit lists and entrance exams. Irrespective of the mode, you will need to keep the following in mind:

• AFMC, NEET, etc. are some popular entrance exams for a graduate immunology course.
• Other universities may also have their own admission procedures including eligibility criteria.
• You should explore the same to avoid unwanted hassles later on.

Post-Graduate or Master Courses in Immunology

A post-graduate course is typically pursued after completing bachelors. These are ideal courses for those who are seeking more specialization. This involves data analysis, research, biotechnology, operations, and more.

Here are some more important points about PG courses stated by Dr. Kanury Rao:

• The duration is 2 years for PG courses available for immunology.
• These courses are designed to refine the skills and knowledge of students.
• Through these master programs, they will get abilities to resolve complex issues with ease.
• Again, you will need to undergo entrance exams to get into a master’s program.
• Most exams are conducted by JIPMER, PGIMER, AIIMS, NEET, etc.

Popular Courses

• Msc. in Immunology

Admission Process

Just like UG programs, your admission can be based on entrance exams or merit basis for a PG program. However, it has some prerequisites that you will need to remember:

• You must have at least 50% marks in your graduation program done in immunology.
• Some colleges give admissions based on the merits.
• They consider the percentage or CGPA obtained in undergraduate courses.

Note: You can also enroll for certificate courses and even do a PhD. in immunology. However, you should check everything before enrolling in any course.

To sum up!

Once you complete your education, you can gain the necessary knowledge and skills such as clinical problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and more. After this, you can have several career options to choose from. These include program managers, neuro immunologists, R&D specialists, clinical immunologists, and so on. To find out more about immunology and its career scope, you can check out the research and related work published by Kanury Rao.