MS Degree Requirements

The Entomology Graduate Program at Maryland is designed to accommodate the individual needs and interests of each student. Therefore, there are few course requirements and the design of each program is strongly influenced by the student and their study committee.

The Study Committee

One of the first things a new graduate student should do is discuss the formation of a Study Committee with his or her advisor. The Study Committee serves to guide students in their degree program, evaluates the students' progress, and administers the thesis defense or final examination of M.S. students.

The Study Committee is formed by the student and their major advisor during the student's first year of residency. Faculty composition of a Study Committee is primarily dictated by the nature of the thesis problem and focus area. The Study Committee for an M.S. student is composed of a minimum of three members. Students meet with their Study Committee annually to discuss progress made toward completion of their degree. The Graduate School regulations governing Study Committees are described in more detail in the Graduate Catalog. The student is responsible for determining that these requirements are met.

Top of Page

Degree Requirements

Each Masters student must:

Fulfill all requirements and meet all deadlines set forth by the Graduate School, including 6 research credits and at least 12 credits at the graduate level (600 or above).

Take 30 credits of coursework, including:
- 6 research credits (799)
- 1 core course. Regardless of focus area, all graduate students in the M.S. program must demonstrate a basic command of core areas of entomology by taking and obtain a B or better (or satisfy by oral examination) the following core courses:
  - BSCI 481 Insect Diversity and Classification (4 credits)
  Incoming students that have taken equivalent courses (and made a grade of B or better) at other institutions may petition the Graduate Affairs Committee to take an oral examination to demonstrate proficiency in one or more of the core courses. The examination will be administered by the instructor with one member of the Graduate Affairs Committee present. Students joining the Department should come to campus prepared to take the exam before the semester begins. A student will be allowed to take each proficiency exam only once. If the student passes, then the student does not have to take that particular core course.
- Three topic seminars (ENTM— 798) .

Submit an annual Student Progress Report to the Graduate Director.

Attend each Entomology Colloquium session and register for ENTM 788 Special Topics: Colloquium each semester (does not fulfill topics seminar requirements)

Prepare a thesis representing a report of independent research. The thesis research topic is selected by the student and the Study Committee.

Defend the Thesis. After completion of the research, a student must defend the thesis before the Study Committee and answer questions concerning related areas of emphasis.

Present research results to the department at the Entomology Colloquium or special seminar.

Access the Graduate Requirements Worksheet

Top of Page

Student Progress Report

The Student Progress Report is an internal form designed to help the faculty advisor and Graduate Director track progress of each student through their degree program. It is sent annually to each student in early January and must be filled out and returned to the Graduate Director. The report is reviewed by the Graduate Affairs Committee to determine if students are meeting deadlines and making satisfactory progress in their degree program. A student's failure to meet one of the following graduate program requirements indicates unsatisfactory progress:

Study Committee is not formed within the first year of residence
Study Committee meetings are not held annually
research proposal is not prepared, filed, and defended within the required time period
failure to submit annual progress reports
failure to take the Qualifying Exam within the six semester time limit
failure to meet satisfactory attendance in the Department Colloquium.

Unsatisfactory progress is subject to special review by the Graduate Affairs Committee. Upon review, the student may be put on probation for one semester. After probation, departmental support may be terminated if the student does not complete the requirements. For students without departmental support, failure to make satisfactory progress and meet deadlines may result in a registration block being placed on enrollment in the subsequent semester. Additional time may be granted by the Graduate Director if there are extenuating circumstances of a sufficient nature to warrant such action but only after reasonable notification and review of justification by the Graduate Affairs Committee.

Top of Page

Research Proposal

For the student's Study Committee to evaluate the thesis topic, the student must prepare a research proposal. The format should correspond to that required for submitting proposals to the National Science Foundation or National Institutes of Health. The proposal should contain statements of:

problem in question
background information in the form of a review of the pertinent literature
specific question(s) being investigated
methods or approach
reasoning or logic behind the methods of approach
manner of data collection and statistical procedures utilized
way in which data will be interpreted and presented

In addition, preliminary data if available should be presented. The research proposal must be reviewed by Study Committee prior to initiation of the thesis research.

Top of Page

Preparation of Thesis

Theses should follow the editorial style of the journal in which publication of research is anticipated. The selected journal format should be determined in consultation with the major advisor. Preparation of the thesis in journal format allows the student to expedite publication of research results. Many students prefer to prepare separate scientific articles as chapters in the thesis with introductory and concluding sections. For theses not prepared in journal format, the Graduate School's Thesis and Dissertation Manual describes the format and general requirements for preparation of a thesis.

Top of Page

Publishing Before the Defense

If a student finds it advantageous to publish material included in the thesis prior to defense, written approval must be obtained from the Graduate Dean. This request must be signed by a student's Faculty Advisor.

Top of Page

Master's Thesis Defense

All students must defend their theses during an oral examination administered by the Study Committee. A student must give each member of the Study Committee a copy of the thesis 10 days before the defense. Furthermore, the student must notify all Entomology Faculty of the time and place of defense 10 days before the examination.

In addition to questions on the thesis, knowledge in major and related focus areas will be tested. In addition to the Study Committee, interested members of the graduate faculty may attend and question the student. However, only the Study Committee may vote. One or more negative votes constitutes a failure. Students have two chances to defend their thesis.

Top of Page

The Colloquium

The Entomology Colloquium offers a series of seminars of interest to both faculty and students every fall and spring semester. Invited speakers represent a broad range of academic expertise. New Ph.D. students, coming from other institutions or departments, are encouraged to present a Colloquium seminar based on their master's degree research during the first semester of residence. In addition, all finishing students (both M.S. and Ph.D.) are required to present their thesis or dissertation research before they graduate.

All graduate students are expected to attend each Colloquium session and register for ENTM 788 Special Topics: Colloquium each semester. The faculty member in charge of the Colloquium will monitor attendance. Unsatisfactory attendance is subject to special review by the Graduate Affairs Committee. Extenuating circumstances (such as off-campus employment or scheduling conflicts with courses or assistantship duties) may qualify students to be excused from regular attendance. However, the Department's Graduate Director must approve the excuse for the absence.

View the Colloquium Schedule

Top of Page

Time Limitations

All requirements for the master's degree must be completed within a five year period. Details of time limitations are described in the Graduate Catalog. Extensions of time are granted only under the most unusual circumstances. The student's advisor may request a first time extension from the Graduate School. However, subsequent extensions must be evaluated by the Graduate Affairs Committee before requests are sent to the Graduate School.