The Combined B.S.+M.S. Program in Entomology is open to UCR Entomology undergraduates only.

Students interested in this program must identify faculty under whose direction they will conduct research during their junior year, and are strongly encouraged to initiate this process early. This allows students to begin thesis research early in their senior year by enrolling in entomology research credit (ENTM 197/199). The Graduate Division and the Department of Entomology do not provide financial support for students enrolled in this program.

Please visit the What's New? webpage to see when the next B.S.+M.S. information session will be held.

Eligibility

The 5-year combined B.S.+M.S. program in Entomology has two time frames for admission: 1) preliminary conditional admission as an incoming lower division student, and 2) admission as a junior meeting the admission criteria. The Department of Entomology offers outstanding freshmen the opportunity to apply for preliminary (conditional) admission into the combined B.S.+M.S. program in Entomology based on their undergraduate admission qualifications. Official admittance to the B.S.+M.S. program still requires meeting the course and GPA criteria as well as satisfactory progress in the undergraduate Entomology major.

Preliminary Conditional Admission Criteria

• Intent to enroll in the UCR Entomology Program
• High School GPA > 3.6

• SAT I combined score > 1250

Official Admission Criteria

• Declared Entomology major at UCR
• 3.3 GPA in major (upper division classes only, minimum of 12 units to be completed by the end of junior year)
• 3.0 GPA overall
• The GRE requirement are waived for admission to the BS+MS

Note: Transfer students would need to have a combined overall GPA (UCR and prior institution) of 3.0.

Prospective B.S.+M.S. students are responsible for selecting an eligible faculty member to serve as their major professor at the time of application. The thesis research should entail at least 24 units of research over 6 quarters with their major professor. Alternatively, students may petition to work for no more than 2 quarters in another lab to either develop essential methodological skills or work on a related mini-project, followed by the remaining quarters spent in the laboratory of their major professor.

Eligible major professors include any faculty within the Department of Entomology (Professor Emeritus, Distinguished Professor, Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Cooperative Extension Specialist) or faculty with cooperating faculty status in the Entomology Department. Please see the department website for a full list of Entomology faculty and the updated list of Labs interested in B.S.+M.S. students. If the proposed major professor does not fall into one of these categories, the student will need to have a professor from Entomology serve as co-chair. The co-chair’s responsibility is to assess the proposed and ongoing research and ensure that the research is relevant to the field of Entomology. In line with Department of Entomology policy, this program will only consider applications from students who have identified a major professor and include a written commitment by the proposed mentor as part of the application to the combined BS+MS program in Entomology.

Undergraduate Research Requirement

All students interested in undergraduate research for credit must fill out and submit a Entomology Research Form.

ENTM 190 Special Studies offers students the opportunity to engage in directed studies with a faculty member to address specific curricular needs. A written proposal signed by the supervising faculty member and the undergraduate advisor is required.

ENTM 197 Research for Undergraduates offers students the opportunity to participate in original research for academic credit conducted under faculty supervision. The Entomology Research Form signed by the supervising faculty member and the undergraduate academic advisor is required. Requires a formal oral presentation, poster project, or a written report. See the course catalog for additional details.

ENTM 199 Senior Research offers students with senior standing the opportunity to perform independent research in entomology under supervision of a faculty member. The Entomology Research Form signed by the supervising faculty member and the undergraduate academic advisor is required. Requires a formal written report in the format of a research publication. See the course catalog for additional details.

ENTM 199H Senior Honors Research offers students with senior status, a GPA of 3.5 or better in Entomology courses and 3.2 in all University course work the opportunity to conduct original research in entomology under supervision of a faculty member in entomology. The Entomology Research Form signed by the supervising faculty member and the undergraduate academic advisor is required. The student will submit a written report. See the course catalog for additional details.

Entomology B.S.+M.S. students must complete at least 24 research units (a combination of ENTM 197/199 and ENTM 297/299) over 6 consecutive quarters. Students receive credit towards this requirement by completing ENTM 197/199/199H as an undergraduate student and ENTM 297/299 as a graduate student. A maximum of 3 quarters of ENTM 197/199/199H and a minimum of 3 quarters of ENTM 297/299 can be applied towards the BS+MS program. Please refer to Sample Student Plan for details.

Statement of Interest and Eligibility

Interested students must submit a Statement of Interest and Eligibility (SIE) before the start of their senior undergraduate year but are encouraged to apply as early as possible. This SIE would provide documentation of meeting the eligibility criteria, include a very brief description of the proposed research topic, and be signed by the identified major professor. 

Form Guidance Committee and Develop Program of Study

By the end of the first quarter of your senior year (the first quarter of B.S.+M.S. program participation), you should form your guidance committee consisting of your PI and two additional faculty members. Work with your major professor to establish a Program of Study.

Matriculation to Graduate Studies

Students who have submitted their SIE will be contacted with details on the UCR Graduate Application for the combined B.S.+M.S. program in Entomology. This application must be submitted by April 15 of your senior undergraduate year. The fee for this application is $105. As part of the graduate program application, students will upload their signed B.S.+M.S. Program of Academic Study, provide contact information for three letter writers of reference (one of which is your major professor, and one of which is the B.S.+M.S. program faculty advisor), UCR Transcript and a brief Statement of Purpose and Personal History Statement.

M.S. Degree in Entomology Requirements

A minimum of 36 units of coursework is required for the Master's portion of the program. As is the case for all Entomology graduate programs, the departmental seminar, ENTM 250, is required during all quarters of the M.S. portion of the program. Remaining course requirements can be fulfilled by taking a minimum of 6 units of graduate courses and graded 2-unit graduate seminars in ENTM or relevant departments (e.g. EEOB, STAT). Up to 6 units of upper division 100 level ENTM courses may be taken during the M.S. portion of the program. No more than 12 units earned prior to matriculation to graduate status (including ENTM 19X) can be applied toward the M.S. degree requirements. By end of first quarter of graduate study, the Master's Guidance Committee Form must be completed and submitted to Graduate Division.

During the M.S. portion of this program, students must maintain a grade-point average (both overall and in the major) of at least 3.0 for all course work, both cumulatively and for each quarter of enrollment. If the student's GPA falls below 3.0 (for either the overall or major), he/she is subject to dismissal from the program.

Additional requirements include presentation in Graduate Student Seminar Day and the completion of a thesis, with an oral presentation to, and approval of, a 3-member M.S. Thesis Committee. Students should meet with their committee prior to and throughout the master’s year to discuss the project and its progress. The written thesis must be submitted to the M.S. Thesis Committee 30 days prior to the defense. Any deviation from this plan, such as a disruption in enrollment for 1 or more quarters, may result in the student being subject to dismissal from the program.

Tuition, Fees and Funding

Graduate tuition and fees are subject to change. Current tuition and fee information can be found here: https://registrar.ucr.edu/tuition-fees/quarterly-fees#graduate_students. The Graduate Division and the Department of Entomology do not provide financial support for students enrolled in this program. Please see the Tuition, Fees and Funding page for more details. Students must pay fees and be officially enrolled at UCR during the year that the master's degree is awarded and during any academic quarter in which the student is participating in this program.

For major professors

Students in the combined B.S.+M.S. Entomology program do not receive financial support from Graduate Division nor the Department of Entomology. Although not expected, major professors may opt to contribute toward their M.S. student's funding by providing Graduate Student Researcher funds. Please contact Kathy Redd (kathy.redd@ucr.edu) for more information.