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The Department of Entomology offers graduate degrees in the areas of pest management, biological control, toxicology, physiology, behavior, systematics, migration, population ecology, apiculture, and molecular genetics.
Opportunities are available for research dealing with insect biology in native and agricultural systems, including, pests of row crops, vegetables, ornamentals, households, and structures, as well as insect pests of medical and veterinary importance
The Ph.D. is the highest degree offered by universities and requires a dissertation project. Students in the Ph.D. program must exhibit unmistakable mastery of a broad major field (evidenced by passing the general exam), and a proven ability to complete a significant program of original research by preparing a dissertation embodying creative scholarship and passing a rigorous final examination.
The departmental-level academic course plan for each student will be developed in consultation with the student’s graduate advisory committee. The committee will include the student’s major professor and at least two additional members of the graduate faculty such that the LSU Graduate School’s requirements for graduate committees are satisfied.
Students in the Ph.D. program must pass a comprehensive general exam on coursework, general knowledge, and critical thinking ability. Upon completion of the dissertation, the student will schedule the final examination consisting of consists of an exit seminar and an oral defense and is concerned primarily with dissertation research and related problems. A dissertation is required.
A doctoral program involves at least three years of full-time study beyond the baccalaureate degree. It is the responsibility of the advisory committee to determine the total number and types of courses to be taken to suit the needs of each student. At least 18 hours of coursework must be graduate (7000) level.
For incoming students without a master’s degree in entomology, a minimum of 30 hours of coursework plus 24 hours of dissertation research is required. Students with a master’s degree in entomology who transfer courses to satisfy required course requirements must take at least 18 additional hours of coursework.
This includes:
The doctorate must be completed within seven years from the time a student is classified as a doctoral student.
Each Ph.D. candidate is required to assist in teaching a course for a minimum of one semester. They are required to register for ENTM 7010: Teaching Practicum (1-3 credit hours). Each Ph.D. student is required to present two seminars to the department while enrolled in ENTM 7007.
The general exam is oral but may also contain written questions from individual committee members. The exam is taken after most of the student’s coursework is completed, normally after two full years of graduate study.
The final examination consists of an exit seminar and an oral defense and is concerned primarily with dissertation research and related problems. Upon completion of the dissertation and early in his/her final semester, the student will schedule the final examination. The defense is public, and the student is expected to publicize the exit seminar.
Applications and supporting materials for all graduate study must be submitted through the online application site for the LSU Graduate School. Official transcripts, official test scores, and other materials that come from third-party sources must be mailed to: Graduate Student Services, 114 West David Boyd Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. These paper documents are stored electronically and departments have access to all materials submitted by and/or on behalf of a student applying to graduate study.
Inquiries for admission may be made to the department head, graduate advisor, or any faculty member. Successful applicants must meet the Graduate School requirements for admission. A 3.0 GPA is required for a graduate research assistantship or fellowship. The department also requires three letters of recommendation and a statement of interest in entomology from each applicant.
