The Department is very much involved in the undergraduate medical, dental and nursing curricula. Staff actively participate in lectures, practicals, small-group teaching (problem-based learning), and clinical skills sessions of the medical curriculum. Lectures and practicals are the core of teaching in the dental and nursing curricula.

The Department of Microbiology has more than 15 academic staff who are actively involved in clinical service and research. Postgraduate students may pursue further studies and research on various aspects of microbiology and infectious diseases leading to an MPhil or PhD degree. The Master of Medical Sciences programme offers an opportunity to postgraduates interested in more in-depth studies on the biomedical aspects of clinical microbiology and infectious disease. In addition, the clinical staff of the Department also participate in the training of clinical microbiologists in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The Infectious Disease Courses and Postgraduate Diploma Programme provides a unique avenue for the training of qualified medical practitioners in infectious diseases.

The University of Hong Kong was ranked as Asia's #1 university for Microbiology by the U.S. News & World Report in 2021.