The advisory committee chairman will notify in writing the Graduate Director when the necessary work is complete. The Graduate School requires that the M.S. normally be completed within 3 years of enrollment for that degree. Students in the Program must satisfy the core curriculum requirements prior to completion of their degree. Failure of any core course will ordinarily result in termination from the Program. Students entering the Program who feel that their previous training is sufficient to meet all or part of the core courses may petition the Program faculty, before the end of their second semester of enrollment, to have any portion of the requirements waived.
All waivers require a majority vote by the faculty.
Students receiving a grade lower than B must take a competency exam administered by the Progress Committee. Plan A is designed for students who anticipate a career in research. The purpose of the thesis is to teach the principles of experimental design, collection of scientific data, interpretation of results, and scientific writing. Plan B is intended for students who wish to gain expertise in the field of entomology but do not expect to work in a research environment. Students completing the M.S. degree via Plan B will not be recommended for continuation to the Ph.D. program.