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Program Details

Graduate Program: Entomology & Insect Science (MS)

General Information

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Program/Degree
Entomology & Insect Science (MS)  
Program Description

The GIDP in Entomology and Insect Science faculty and students integrate knowledge across the biological hierarchy from molecules to landscapes, and address questions that span the most fundamental aspects of biology, e.g., when did the brain originate? or what maintains mutualisms?, to addressing the environmental and health challenges posed by climate change and a rapidly increasing human population. These challenges require innovative entomological research to address conservation of biodiversity, and to mitigate potential increases in negative impacts of invasive species and harm caused by insect pests and insect vectors to crops, structures, and human health. The program thus bridges the gap between basic research, using insects as models to address general biological questions, and applied research affecting humankind more directly. The program graduates students with a particularly wide range of career opportunities.

The Entomology and Insect Science (EIS) program offers interdisciplinary training in the biology of insects for a Master's or Doctoral degree. It includes 35 faculty members representing 9 academic units. We encourage students to develop cross-disciplinary connections and bring together aspects of insect biology in unconventional ways. Our faculty and our students are collegial, collaborative, and highly productive.

The EIS program is flexible in its requirements, allowing students to design, in collaboration with faculty, programs of study tailored to individual interests and needs. We particularly seek out creative, enthusiastic applicants who have multidisciplinary interests, such as insect ecology–plant chemistry or behavioral ecology–neurobiology, pest management–spatial ecology, epidemiology of vector-borne disease–climate science, to name a very few. We encourage students to develop cross-disciplinary connections and bring together aspects of insect biology in unconventional ways.

For more information, please visit our website at insects.arizona.edu

 
Department/Academic Unit(s)

Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs

The Graduate College sponsors several Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs (GIDPs) in addition to the many interdisciplinary possibilities available through regular graduate degree programs. GIDPs transcend departmental boundaries by facilitating cutting edge teaching and research at the nexus of traditional disciplines. The high value placed on interdisciplinary research and education is indicative of The University of Arizona's enthusiasm and commitment to fostering innovation and creativity among its faculty and students.

 

 
College

Graduate College/GIDP

 
Campus where offered

University of Arizona - Main - Tucson

 
Contacts
Admissions Contact
Paula Nielsen
520-621-0847
Graduate Program Coordinator
Paula Nielsen
520-621-0847
Director of Graduate Studies
Martha S Hunter
520-621-9350
Graduate College Degree Counselor
Megan Jia Mcnulty-Luoma
520-626-9962
 
Tuition and Fees
Please refer to the UA Bursar's Office Tuition and Fees Calculator for up-to-date information about tuition and fees. 
Please refer to the UA Registrar's's Office Special Course Fees for up-to-date information about special course fees. 

Admissions Information

Admissions Requirements

 

Prospective students apply online using the Graduate College website (grad.arizona.edu) and choose the Entomology and Insect Science graduate program.

Please submit the following:

1. Personal Statement that includes:

  • Why you selected this program
  • A summary of your academic and professional background
  • Your specific interests in entomology and/or insect science
  • Your career goals and objectivesIdentification of possible mentors (see Faculty list

2. Three letters of recommendation.

3. Official transcripts.

4. Official test scores.

  • GRE scores (optional and no more than 5 years old),
  • International Students English Proficiency Requirements: https://grad.arizona.edu/admissions/requirements/international-applicants#english-proficiency

Application Deadline:

The EIS program ordinarily accepts new students only for the fall semester. The deadline for applications is December 1st. Interviews are typically scheduled in January or February for fall admission. 

 

 

 
Standardized Tests

Required test(s):
GRE General Test is optional

TOEFL test for international applicants only

 

 

 
Funding Opportunities

Students are generally supported by Program funds in their first year while they take courses and do laboratory rotations.

Students in their second and subsequent years are usually funded by research assistantships from their advisors, teaching assistantships, training grant funds, or individual fellowships. All students are strongly encouraged to apply for individual fellowships as they are excellent training in summarizing research. If granted, fellowships and grants are prestigious and increase the probability of further funding and of securing positions after graduation. Fellowships also increase student independence. Students who are not legal residents of Arizona, but are on an RA or TA receive a waiver of the out-of-state tuition fees charged by the University of Arizona.

Students who are self-funding, have less than a 'full time' (0.5) RA or TA, or who are on certain types of fellowships, may be responsible for some portion or all of these fees. However, before you pay these, check with the program graduate coordinator to see whether we have GRS/GTS funds to distribute that can reduce or eliminate your financial liability. These are generally distributed once a year, so you may have to anticipate more than a semester in advance. Enrollment in the University's student health plan for the student, only, is covered by these fees.

 
Admissions Deadlines

Domestic Applicants:

  • Fall Admission Only: December 1st

International Applicants:

  • Fall Admission Only: December 1st
 
International Conditional Admission

International applicants may be considered for conditional admission to this program at the department's discretion.

Other Information
The GRE Institution Code for The University of Arizona is 4832

Completion Requirements

Minimum Credit Units

30 

Core Coursework Requirements

A minimum of 30 units total must be taken.  At least 15 units must be completed toward the MS requirements in letter-graded courses (vs. research or independent study units). 

EIS MS requirements:

1. Two of three of the following core courses:

  • EIS 520 Insect Molecular Physiology (3 units)
  • EIS 544 Insect Ecology (3 units)
  • EIS 517 Insect Systematics (4 units)

     These courses are all offered alternate years, so students will take them in their first or second year. 

2. EIS 596A Current topics in Entomology & Insect Science Seminar (1 -3 units)

    Course is taken two times, fall and spring semester in the first year of the program.

3. EIS 910 Thesis (8 units).
 

EIS courses available to MS majors:

 

  • EIS 501  Ecological Physiology (3 units)
  • EIS 513  Applied Biostatistics (3 units)
  • EIS 532  Comparative Immunology (3 units)
  • EIS 536  Agro-ecology (3 units)
  • EIS 553  Functional and Evolutionary Genomics (4 units)
  • EIS 557 Medical-Veterinary Entomology (3 units)
  • EIS 588  Principles of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology (3 units)
  • EIS 597C Controlled Environment Agriculture IPM (3 units)
  • EIS 599  Independent Study (1 – 5 units)
  • EIS 660 Infectious Disease Epidemiology (3 units)
  • EIS 699  Independent Study (1 – 3 units)
  • EIS 900  Research (1 – 8 units)


In this interdisciplinary program, we encourage students to take courses in other programs that suit their developing interests, in consultation with their graduate committees. 

Some popular courses include:

 

  • BIO 567  Pollination Ecology-Behavior, Cognition, & Ecology of Pollinators (3 units)
  • BIOS 576A  Biostatistics in Public Health (3 units)
  • BIOS 576B  Biostatistics for Research (3 units)
  • ECOL 506R  Conservation Biology (3 units)
  • ECOL 519  Introduction to Modeling in Biology (3 units)
  • ECOL 526  Population Genetics (3 units)
  • ECOL 587R  Animal Behavior (3 units)
  • ECOL 597S  Topics in Social Insect Biology (2 units)
  • ECOL 600A  Fundamentals of Evolution (3 units)
  • ECOL 600B  Fundamentals of Ecology (3 units)
  • ENVS 567  Introductory Statistics and Multivariate Statistics with R (3 units)
  • EPID 573A  Basic Principles of Epidemiology (3 units)
  • PLP 550  Principles of Plant Microbiology (4 units)
  • PLS 575S  Physiology of Plant Production under Controlled Environment (3 units)
 
Elective Coursework

n/a

 
Additional Requirements

No other requirements, although training in teaching with a teaching assistantship is encouraged. 

 
Student Handbook

Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.

 

Program StatisticsInformation about these numbers

Program-level Information
Application Acceptance Rate 8.33%
Med. Time-to-degree (years) 2.50
 
Department-level Information
Enrollment Percent Male 22.22%
Enrollment Percent Female 77.78%
Enrollment Percent International 0%
Enrollment Percent URM 0%

Back to statistics
  • All application, admit, and enrollment data are from Fall 2020.
  • Median Time to Degree calculates how long graduates in the last 5 years (2015-2019) took to complete their degrees, counting back to the first semester entering their program. This measure uses the methodology established in the 2011 Assessment of Research-Doctorate Programs by the National Research Council.
  • Underrepresented Minorities (URM) includes domestic students of ethnic groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education: African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders.

Persistent link: https://grad.arizona.edu/catalog/programinfo/EISMS
Last revised 18 Aug 2021
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