Microbiologists

Certification or Licensing

Certification is available in several areas. Though it is usually not necessary, it may be requested for certain positions and/or by certain states. The American Society for Microbiology offers several certification programs in microbiology, such as the American Board of Medical Microbiology (ABMM), the American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology (ABMLI), and the National Registry of Certified Microbiologists (NRCM). The NRCM certifies professional microbiologists at the prebaccalaureate/baccalaureate, master's, and doctorate levels in biological safety, food safety and quality, and pharmaceutical and medical device. The ABMM certifies the expertise of doctoral-level microbiologists seeking to direct clinical or public health microbiology laboratories. ABMLI certifies doctoral-level immunologists who are seeking to direct laboratories engaged in the practice of medical laboratory immunology. The American Society for Clinical Pathology also provides certification.