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. Not sure if you are eligible? Check out the FAQ and contact the B.S.+M.S. faculty advisor.
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
Official Admission Criteria
- Declared Entomology major at UCR
- 3.3 GPA in major (upper division ENTM 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. Please see the Sample Plan for B.S. + M.S. for details on expected coursework. If you are unsure about your eligibility, please check out the B.S.+M.S. FAQ and contact the B.S.+M.S. faculty advisors to discuss your specific situation.
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. Research credits must be taken every quarter students are in the B.S.+M.S. Program in Entomology.
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 academic 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 (3rd Year)
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. For students applying off-cycle, you must submit this SIE before the start of your last 3 quarters of the B.S. in Entomology program. This SIE provides documentation of meeting the eligibility criteria, includes a very brief description of the proposed research topic, and must be signed by the identified major professor.
Form Guidance Committee and Develop Program of Study (4th Year)
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 B.S.+M.S. Program of Academic Study. This form can be downloaded here and needs to be signed by the major professor, additional committee members, and B.S.+M.S. faculty advisor. This form will be submitted to the department's Instructional and Student Affairs Committee for approval. Please use the Am I on Track Checklist to help you stay on track.
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 June 1, 2024 via UCR's Graduate Application Portal. The fee for this application is $135. As part of the graduate program application, students will 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. More details are available on the Information for Current Students page.
M.S. Degree in Entomology Requirements
A minimum of 36 units of total 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. 24 units must be 200-level, including 12 units from 297 or 299 research units and 12 units from 200-level courses and seminars. No more than 12 units earned prior to matriculation to graduate status (including ENTM 19X) can be applied toward the M.S. degree requirements. The 12 non-research 200-level units must include 3 units of ENTM 250 and the remaining 9 units of 200-level courses can be taken from this list of courses: ENTM 201, ENTM 202, ENTM 203, ENTM 207, ENTM 209, ENTM 210, ENTM 212, ENTM 219, ENTM 227, ENTM 229, ENTM 230, ENTM 240, ENTM 241, ENTM 242, ENTM 249, ENTM 251, ENTM 252, ENTM 254, ENTM 255, ENTM 256, ENTM 257, ENTM 258, ENTM 259, ENTM 260, ENTM 262, ENTM 267, ENTM 289, ENTM 290, BPSC 230, BPSC 234, BPSC 246, BPSC 247, EEOB 215, EEOB 217, EEOB 230, EEOB 282, EEOB 283, STAT 231A, STAT 231B. As a Master's student, students enroll in research credits (ENTM 297 or 299) via R'Web during the normal course registration process. Please use the Am I on Track Checklist to help you stay on track.
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. More details are available on the Information for Current Students page.
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_student. The Graduate Division and the Department of Entomology do not provide financial support for students enrolled in this program. 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.
Federal loans are available to domestic graduate students through UCR's Financial Aid Office. Applicants must complete the FAFSA online before the annual deadline (usually in February). All students considering using federal financial aid should complete the FAFSA as soon as possible, even if you are only considering applying to graduate school. Please contact UCR Financial Aid Office for more details.
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 Fidel Rivas (fidel.rivas@ucr.edu) for more information.