Graduate Programs

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.

Frequently in Oklahoma weather conditions can become severe. Severe weather can occur anytime but typically the chances for severe weather are greatest from April through June. It is advised that during periods when severe weather is forecast that you stay aware of the conditions. If severe weather is anticipated, sirens around the city of Stillwater will sound (testing of sirens occurs every Tuesday at 11:30 a.m.) and you should seek shelter. We are aware that the sirens cannot be heard in most laboratories in the building and a supplemental air horn maybe discharge to alert you to seek shelter. In the Noble Research Center you should proceed to the central stairwell located between the plant pathology wing and the front/library facing wing of the building. If you are home and have sufficient time to get to campus but not the Noble Research Center, you should go to Ag Hall, Engineering South, or the Student Union.

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.  

 

Graduate student stipends for the current academic year are as follows: MS $16,583 + benefits, PhD $17,510 + benefits. 

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.

TOEFL Score

Applicants for whom English is a second language are required to demonstrate an acceptable level of spoken English, usually by submitting a TOEFL or IELTS score. A TOEFL score of 79 (Internet based test), 213 (computer based test) or 550 (paper based test) or above is required regardless of the number of semesters or terms completed in other institutions of higher education, including OSU, or prior enrollment in English language programs. Alternatively, an official IELTS, academic stream, examination with a minimum overall band score of 6.5 will satisfy the English proficiency requirements for admission to a graduate program. Either examination must have been taken within the last two years.

 

Note that an applicant who has or will have completed a degree from a school for which the primary language of instruction is English in a country where English is a primary language is not required to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score.

 

Information about the TOEFL is available on the TOEFL website. The TOEFL institution code for OSU is 6546. Information about the IELTS can be found on the IELTS website.

 

Admission Requirements

Oklahoma State University requires that all international students submit a Confirmation of Financial Resources/Statement of Applicant and Sponsor that guarantees that the applicant has support from either him/herself or a sponsor (additional funds are required if you wish to bring family members with you). See the OSU Financial Guarantee for more information. In some instances, a specific professor in your selected area of interest may provide financial support for an international student, but such support is not guaranteed.

 

The Graduate Student Admissions Committee will make a final decision on all admissions. Students can be admitted without Qualification, Provisional Status, or Probation Status. Only under exceptional circumstances will a student be provisionally admitted to the Graduate Program.

 

International Student Resources

• English Proficiency
• International Teaching Assistant Test
• International Students and Scholars (ISS)

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.