Graduate students admitted into the Graduate Group in Microbiology get administrative support from a combination of the Graduate Group and the thesis advisor's home department. The Graduate Group handles admissions through the Division of Microbial Biology within the Plant and Microbial Biology Department. Staff in Microbial Biology advertise the Graduate Group and recruit students.

The Graduate Group handles financial support for incoming graduate students in their first year at UCB until they choose a thesis advisor and hence a host department. The Group coordinates rotations through faculty laboratories in the first year. After students have elected to join a laboratory of a member of the Graduate Group, the graduate advisor's academic and administrative home department provides financial and most other administrative support. Microbial Biology provides oversight for scheduling qualifying exams and other activities associated with the graduate training experience.