Memorandum of Courses
Memorandum of Courses (MOC) is an outline of the student's program of study. It is similar to a contract. The courses listed on the MOC are expected to be successfully completed (grade of B or better in major courses with an undergraduate counterpart and grade of C or better in minor courses or in major courses without an undergraduate counterpart) before the student can graduate. Minor changes may be made after the MOC is filed, but all changes must be approved by the Office of Graduate Studies.
Preferably, the MOC should be completed after a student has taken 4 credit hours of coursework, but no later than before the student has completed 15 credit hours towards the degree. It can be filed as early as the student's first semester of study. The MOC must be filed before the semester of graduation. When preparing the MOC, the student should consult the course schedule to verify that the courses will be offered in the timeframe of the student's program of study.
On the MOC form, the degree of candidacy is M.S. If no minor is being pursued, that area can be left blank. All courses taken, including pertinent transfer credit, and courses yet to be taken to complete the M.S. degree should be listed. If the course has been completed, the letter grade should be included.
Once completed, the MOC should be sent to Erin Bauer for approval and signatures.
MOC Substitutes
MOC’s are designed to help students lay out a course plan for their M.S. degree. The MOC should reflect a best guess on which courses will be taken. However, substitutions can be made, as long as students ensure they still have 15 credits of graduate only (800 or 900 level courses) and 15 credits of entomology as part of the plan. Please note that any course listed on the MOC that the student has started but not completed (listed as an “Incomplete”) must be finished before graduation.
Degree Requirements:
- Total 30 credit hours
- At least 15 credit hours in entomology
- At least 15 credit hours from UNL (cannot transfer more than 15 credit hours)
- At least 15 credit hours in 900 or 800 level courses that do not have a 400-level counterpart
- Degree must be completed within five (5) consecutive years; course credits over 10 years old will not count toward the degree.
MOC Substitute Example
The original MOC has a 1 credit hour of Independent Study (ENTO 896), and a student decides later to take a 1 credit class instead. This is acceptable, but the 1 credit class would have to either be:
- another graduate only class, which could then replace the Independent Study, or
- if a grad class with an undergraduate counterpart (i.e. 400/800), the student would have to also take the 1 credit Independent Study to meet the 15 grad-only credit requirement.
Following is a brief outline of requirements for the degree. For further details regarding the program requirements, consult the Program Overview.
900 or 800 level courses WITHOUT a 400 level counterpart
*Insect ID and Natural History and M.S. Degree Project are all required courses.
**Students must take either Insect Physiology or Insect ID & Natural History.
| Course Number | Course Title | Credit Hours | Offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 805 | Introduction to Entomology | 1 | Spring and Fall Semesters |
| 810 | Insects as Educational Tools | 3 | Fall Semesters (even years) |
| 813 | Biological Control of Insects | 3 | Spring Semesters |
| 818** | Insect ID and Natural History | 4 | Spring Semesters |
| 819 | Insect Behavior | 3 | Fall Semesters (odd years) |
| 828 | Scientific Illustration | 3 | Spring Semesters |
| 830 | Introduction to the Development of Distance Education Courses | 3 | Spring Semesters |
| 837 | IPM in Sensitive Environments | 1 | Fall Semesters |
| 822 | Cultural Entomology | 3 | Fall Semesters |
| 850 | Forensic Insect Morphology | 1 | Summer Semesters |
| 888* | M.S. Degree project | 3 | Spring, Summer, and Fall Semesters |
| 896 | Independent Study | 1-6 | Spring, Summer, and Fall Semesters |
| 915 | Presentation Methods | 3 | Fall Semesters (odd years) |
800 level courses WITH a 400 level counterpart
| Course Number | Course Title | Credit Hours | Offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 401/801** | Insect Physiology | 3 | Spring Semesters (even years) |
| 403/803 | Management of Horticultural Insects | 3 | Spring Semesters (even years) |
| 409/809 | Insect Control by Host Plant Resistance | 3 | Summer Semesters (even years) |
| 412/812 | Entomology and Pest Management | 3 | Summer Semesters (odd years) |
| 414/814 | Forensic Entomology | 3 | Spring Semesters |
| 415/815 | Medical Entomology | 3 | Spring Semesters (odd years) |
| 416/816 | Forensic Insect Succession | 3 | Fall Semesters |