 In 1955, Spertzel earned a Bachelor of Arts in microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania.Sperzel did postgraduate work at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and in 1962 he was awarded a Master's Degree in radiation biology by the Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Rochester.His terminal degree was obtained in 1970, a Doctor of Philosophy in microbiology from the University of Notre Dame.