Entomology, (IN COOPERATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA) Ph.D.

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(IN COOPERATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA)

Florida is unique as it is the only state having 1862 and 1890 Land- Grant Universities with established entomology programs, and Florida A&M University is the only Historically Black Land-Grant University that oilers a B.S. and MS. degree in entomology. Cooperation between the two Universities in developing this innovative minority program represents a historic achievement in the profession of entomology and a landmark in higher education for both Universities. The cooperative Ph.D. in entomology has received strong support from a number of state and national societies, government agencies and industrial leaders.

Professors at Florida A&M University offer a broad spectrum of aquatic, agricultural, medical and veterinary entomology courses in Tallahassee and the research laboratories on the main campus at the Center for Biological Control, and at the Center for Air and Water Quality are available for thesis research. Graduate students can take course work at both universities depending on their interests and their major professor can be any regular faculty member at either university. Scholarships and assistantships are available for qualified students.

Admission Policies

General

For admission into the graduate program in the College of Agriculture and Food Sciences (CAFS) at Florida A&M University, and the Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida, an applicant must:

Have a baccalaureate or a master’s degree in a related field from an accredited college or university;
Present official scores of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) taken within the last two years. For admission to the Ph.D. degree program, a minimum score of 1,000 points on the combined verbal and quantitative portions of the aptitude test or 300 points on the computer based GRE, and a minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) on the last two years of study for the baccalaureate degree or their highest awarded post-baccalaureate degree is required;
Present official copies of transcripts from all universities attended;
Have at least a GPA of 3.0 on all graduate work;
Present three letters of recommendation from someone familiar with the student’s academic performance in their field of study;
Submit a one-page personal statement, discussing the student’s interest in a graduate degree;
The student must have a major professor prior to being admitted for graduate studies.

International Students

In addition to the requirements listed above, official scores of 500 (minimum) for MS students or 550 (minimum) for Ph.D students on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a 213 on the computer based TOEFL is required for international students whose native language is not English. Students are required to purchase U.S. health insurance while at the university.

A minimum of 90 semester credits beyond the B.S. degree is required to obtain the cooperative Ph.D. degree. A maximum of 30 graduate credits may be transferred into a cooperative Ph.D. program from other universities. If a minor is taken, at least 12 credits in the minor subject are required, all of which must he courses 5000 and above. If two minors are taken, at least eight credits in each are required. It is policy that all cooperative Ph.D. students will take statistics through at least a beginning graduate course (STA 6166 or equivalent) and at least a beginning biochemistry course at the undergraduate level. Doctoral students will be held responsible for a broad range of basic knowledge in their discipline. The qualifying examination includes questions on morphology, physiology, taxonomy, ecology and applied entomology.

Further information can be obtained from the Coordinator for the Cooperative Ph.D. in Entomology, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida 32307, Telephone (850) 599-8725, Fax (850) 599-8854.