In addition to the OSU Graduate College requirements, the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology require:

• Three letters of recommendation from faculty members familiar with your academic and/or professional background.
• A letter of intent from the student outlining research interests and professional goals.
• A resume from Ph.D. applicants who have completed a M.S. is also required.

Graduate students must complete a minimum of 6 credit hours in a 12-month period to be continuously enrolled.

Failure to maintain continuous enrollment may require reapplication and admission to the program.

 

Graduate students must be enrolled in at least two hours during any semester in which they are utilizing University resources including the semester in which they graduate.

 

Graduate Assistants must meet minimum enrollment requirements of 6 hours in fall and spring semesters and 3 credit hours in the summer. If employed 0.50 FTE (20 hours/week) or greater, students enrolled in 6 hours in the fall and spring or 3 hours in the summer are considered full-time. If employed less than 0.50 FTE, the student must enroll in 9 credit hours in fall and spring semesters or in 3 in the summer semester to be considered full-time.

 

All students (including those enrolling in research hours only) must be enrolled by the deadlines listed in the Class Schedule.

M.S. Entomology Option

Introduction to the Science of Entomology, ENTO 2993 or equivalent*

 

M.S. Plant Pathology Option

Introductory Plant Pathology (such as PLP 3343) or PLP 5343*

 

The following courses are suggested for those students who are interested in graduate study in entomology or plant pathology.

 

1. Chemistry with lab (three semesters, including at least one semester of Organic Chemistry)
2. Introductory Biological Science with Lab (e.g., Principles of Biology, Plant Biology, Microbiology, Zoology)
3. Physiology with Lab
4. An Anatomy OR Taxonomy course
5. Genetics
6. Statistics and College Calculus
7. Physics

* The prerogative of the student's Graduate Committee to waive specific curriculum requirements for good cause does not apply to Introductory Plant Pathology or Introduction to the Science of Entomology. If this course has not been taken prior to admission, it must be taken during the student's graduate program at OSU.

 

Ph.D. Program

A Master's Degree with a research thesis is required. The entrance requirements listed above also pertain to the Ph.D. programs. In addition, the courses below are recommended for admission, subject to the same make-up policy, as those required for the M.S.

 

1. Biochemistry
2. Ecology
3. Genetics
4. Statistics and/or Experimental design

Students will be performing research duties as a Graduate Assistant under the direction of a major advisor for at least twenty (20) hours per week. The Graduate Assistantship appointment may be renewed subject to satisfactory progress toward a student's degree, satisfactory performance of assigned duties, and availability of sufficient funds. Financial support is provided by their advisor, the Department or other agency and students should view the Graduate Assistantship as a semi-professional position and are accountable for their performance. The purposes of assistantships are to support programs of instruction, research, and extension in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology and to provide employment opportunities that contribute to the professional development of graduate students. 

 

Available assistantships include:  Graduate Assistants for M.S. students and Graduate Associates for Ph.D. students.

 

Appointments are usually half-time (0.50 FTE) and graduate assistants/associates work twenty (20) hours per week. Time allocations may vary by assignment. Graduate assistants/associates are appointed for teaching, research, extension, or administration and are expected to carry out their responsibilities in a professional manner. In addition to course and/or laboratory preparation and teaching/supervising, other responsibilities may include: grading papers, conferring with students, and regular conferences with the faculty in charge of the courses and laboratories. The nature of a half-time research appointment varies with the type and stage of development of the research project. The work assignment and schedule of the graduate assistant/associate will be subject to the approval of the faculty member(s) in charge and the Department Head. The graduate assistant/associate will be informed by the Department Head as to the starting and ending dates of the appointment for the semester. Graduate assistants are expected to enroll in a minimum of six (6) credits per fall/spring semester and a minimum of three (3) credits per summer semester. Those on half-time appointments may enroll in no more than ten (10) credits per semester. Graduate assistants enrolled in a full time classification (6 hours/semester) receive a waiver of out-of-state tuition. If for any reason the assistantship is terminated, the out-of-state tuition will be reinstated. Stipends earned as graduate assistants/associates in DASNR are considered to be earned income and are not eligible for tax exempt status.  

All requirements must be completed within the following periods calculated from initial enrollment in the program:

 

• Masters Candidates: 7 years
• Doctoral Candidates: 9 years

No course on the Plan of Study may be more than 10 years old at the time of graduation.

Students must follow deadlines for submission of theses/dissertations and for completing final examinations as listed in the OSU catalog. The thesis/dissertation instructions can be found on the Graduate College website.

Admission requirements and application resources can be found on the  OSU Graduate College page.

Graduate Research Assistantships are periodically made available for masters and doctoral students in the department. Our faculty focus their nationally recognized research programs in many diverse areas. Prospective students with an interest in a particular specialty are encouraged to correspond directly with the faculty member.