Master of Science in Entomology

The graduate program in Entomology at Montana State University leads to a Master of Science degree. Students in the program are required to take formal course work and conduct independent research guided by the student's advisory committee. Each student, during the course of their graduate program, will also have the opportunity to participate in activities outside their degree program that will benefit them academically and professionally. Such activities include participating in teaching, outreach and international programs, and attending and presenting research results at professional meetings. Each student is strongly encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities. A student's individual program can be designed, with approval of the graduate advisor and graduate committee, to suit the student's individual interests and career goals.

The entomology faculty at MSU conduct research in a variety of disciplines, including behavioral ecology, biodiversity studies, biological control of insects and weeds, biosystematics, chemical ecology, ecology, integrated pest management, pollination ecology, risk assessment, stored-product entomology, insect protein, thermal biology, molecular biology and cultural entomology. Entomological research at MSU includes some of the most important pests in the western U.S., including alfalfa weevil, aphids, cutworms, grasshoppers, Hessian fly, lygus bugs, wheat-stem sawfly, wireworms and others. Beneficial insects under study include various biological control agents and pollinators. Most faculty conduct both applied and basic research.

An entering student is expected to have a solid background in the basic sciences and a B.S. or B.A. in biological or related sciences. They are expected to present evidence of college level training and mastery in biology, chemistry and mathematics sufficient to provide a good background for further study at the advanced level. Students with deficiencies may be required to take background courses to make up these deficiencies before or after being approved for acceptance.

The sum of the verbal and quantitative scores should be a minimum of 288 for the current GRE tests. In general, the scores should not be more than five years old.

International Applicants: An English proficiency test is required for all applicants who are not U.S. citizens and are not from countries where English is the official language. This requirement is waived if the applicant has earned an undergraduate or graduate degree from an institution in the U.S. Minimum scores required are: TOEFL [80], IELTS [level 6.5] or PTE [54].

A GPA of 3.0 for the last two years, three letters of recommendation and a letter of application describing the applicant\u2019s research interests and career goals in pursuing graduate training are minimum requirements for acceptance to the LRES graduate program.

Application Deadlines Fall Semester: May 15; Spring Semester: October 1; Summer Session: February 1.