Graduate Studies Bulletin
The Graduate Studies Bulletin contains information about all programs of graduate study offered at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The 2005-2007 Graduate Studies Bulletin can be accessed via the Internet at: http://www.unl.edu/unlpub/grad.html
Residency and Time Requirements
Option III masters degrees must complete at least 18 hours in regularly scheduled UN-L courses. At least one-half of the work for a masters degree must be in the department or area constituting the student's major. The work required for a masters degree must be completed within ten consecutive years. Course work exceeding ten years will not apply toward the partial fulfillment of the degree requirements for masters degrees at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (p. 12, 2005-2007 Graduate Studies Bulletin).
Scholastic Grade Requirements
Graduate Students must meet all department graduate program requirements, demonstrate progress on their program, and make B's or better in all courses. If a student receives a grade of C or less in any course, the Distance Education Committee must meet and review the academic progress of the student. Note that the Department standards for satisfactory progress and grade requirements are more stringent than those of the Graduate College.
Additional Requirements Established by the
Department of Entomology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Satisfactory Progress in the Distance M.S. Degree Program
The Department of Entomology has established expectations regarding satisfactory progress for all students accepted into the distance Masters degree in Entomology program. Students in the distance M.S. in Entomology program are expected to enroll for at least three credit hours of course work during the Fall and Spring Semesters of each academic year until the requirements of the Option III masters degree are fulfilled. The expectation of satisfactory progress has been established to ensure the timely completion of a high-quality masters degree program for all graduate students.
Transferring Courses into the Program Up to 18 credit hours may be transferred into the M.S. degree in entomology. The credit must not have been applied to another degree, and must not be ten years old or older. Only graduate, not professional (law, dentistry, medical, architecture) credit can be transferred. The student must have been enrolled at the granting institution and provide two copies of official transcripts to:
Office of Graduate Studies
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
1100 Seaton Hall
P.O. Box 880619
Lincoln, NE 68588-0619
All transfer credit must be approved by the Entomology Department and the Office of Graduate Studies.
Tasks to Complete before Graduation
Additional requirements for graduation are completion of the General Entomology (or BCE) and Comprehensive Written exams, and filing of the Final Examination Report for Masters Degree and the Application for Degree forms.
The General Entomology exam is a 100-point multiple choice exam covering basic areas of entomology such as biology and classification, ecology, physiology, toxicology, and pest management. This is a one-hour, closed-book test administered on Blackboard.
As an alternative to the General Entomology exam given by the Entomology Department, students may take the BCE exam administered by the Entomological Society of America. Requirements and application for this exam are available at http://www.entsoc.org.
Studying for BCE Exams: Books and TopicsGeneral Entomology Qualifying Exam
Topics to study for the General Entomology Qualifying exam:
History of Entomology
Federal regulations for pesticide registration and usage
General insect classification and biology
Insect morphology and physiology
Insect behavior and ecology
Insect development and metamorphosis
Pest management practices
Medical entomology
Suggested Books:
The Science of Entomology (4th ed). 1994. William S. Romoser.
Fundamentals of Applied Entomology. Pfadt.
Fundamentals of Entomology. R.J. Elzinga.
An Introduction to the Study of Insects. Borer, Triplehorn, and Johnson.
Destructive and Useful Insects (5th ed.). 1992. Robert Metcalf.
An Outline of Entomology. 1994. P. Gullan.
The Written Comprehensive exam is an essay exam administered via email. Questions are solicited by the distance education coordinator from departmental faculty. The exams may be open-book (by discretion of the faculty member) and is assessed on a pass/fail basis. The questions are general in nature and, as such, require a thorough knowledge and synthesis of information. Students are allowed about a week to complete the exam.
The Final Examination Report for the Masters Degree and the Application for Advanced Degree forms can be found at the Graduate Studies website http://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/current/masters.shtml or at the Distance Learning Center http://casnrde.unl.edu/index.shtml by going to Learner Login and clicking on My Status. If you haven't used this site before, click on New User? to get your password.
The deadlines for filing the Written Comprehensive exam, the Final Examination Report for the Masters Degree, and the Application for Advanced Degree can be found at http://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/current/masters-deadlines.shtml.
