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Virology director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a virology director. Virology directors usually study microbiology, biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, or chemistry. 36% of virology directors hold a doctoral degree, and 36% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 11 real virology director resumes to see exactly what virology director education sections show.

The most common colleges for virology directors are the SUNY Stony Brook and the SUNY Stony Brook.

There are also many online virology director courses to help get the education required to be a virology director.

What education do you need to become a virology director?

What degree do you need to be a virology director?

The most common degree for virology directors is doctoral degree, with 36% of virology directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 36% and master's degree degree at 27%.
  • Doctorate, 36%
  • Master's, 36%
  • Bachelor's, 27%

What should I major in to become a virology director?

You should major in microbiology to become a virology director. 20% of virology directors major in microbiology. Other common majors for a virology director include biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology and chemistry.

Most common colleges for virology directors

Virology directors often get their degrees at SUNY Stony Brook, George Washington University, The, and Northwestern University. Here are the most common colleges for virology directors in the US based on their resumes.
Virology director common collegePercentages
SUNY Stony Brook25.00%
George Washington University, The25.00%
Northwestern University25.00%
East Carolina University25.00%

Best majors for virology directors

Best colleges for virology directors

The best colleges for virology directors are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A virology director with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for virology directors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become virology directors.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

6. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

8. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

20 best online courses for virology directors

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2. Clinical Trials Data Management and Quality Assurance

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Top 10 most affordable universities for virology directors

The most affordable schools for virology directors are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for virology directors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for virology directors.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for virology directors

The hardest universities for virology directors to get into are Harvard University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for virology directors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for virology directors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

2. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for virology directors

The easiest schools for virology directors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, d'youville college, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a virology director without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for virology directors.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

7. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

8. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

9. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,065

10. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

Average virology director salary by education level

Virology directors with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $69,991 annually. With a Master's degree, virology directors earn a median annual income of $62,791 compared to $60,104 for virology directors with an Bachelor's degree.
Virology director education levelVirology director salary
Master's Degree$62,791
Bachelor's Degree$60,104
Doctorate Degree$69,991

Virology director education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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