Entomology Graduate Program

Dr. Patricia Zungoli, Entomology Graduate Coordinator
114 Long Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0315
Telephone: 864-656-3137E-mail: pzngl@clemson.edu

Admission to the Entomology Graduate Program is accomplished under the regulations of the Clemson University Graduate School. Candidates will be required to apply directly to the Graduate School. Exceptional students may be eligible for a waiver of the application fee, based on recommendation of a Clemson Entomology faculty member. Inquiries about the Entomology Graduate Program are welcomed and encouraged; these may be directed either to the Chair of the Department of Entomology, Soils, & Plant Sciences, to the Entomology Graduate Program Coordinator, or to other Entomology faculty members.

Currently Available Entomology Graduate Assistantships

Ultimately, all applications are reviewed by the members of the Entomology Graduate Program Admissions Subcommittee. This Subcommittee's recommendation concerning admission (Form ED-1) is approved by the Entomology Graduate Program Coordinator and by the Graduate School, which has final authority on admissions.

Applications may be accepted in the Entomology Graduate Program for persons who are either M.S. or Ph.D. degree-seeking students or non-degree students. The Entomology Graduate Program cooperates with the Plant & Environmental Science Graduate Program, under which a non-thesis MS degree with an emphasis in Entomology is offered.

The following credentials are used by the Entomology Graduate Program Admissions Committee and the Graduate School when recommending and approving admissions:

1. Letters of recommendation from at least two referees familiar with the applicant's academic history;
2. An official transcript sent directly from each college or university in which the applicant has been enrolled previously, showing completion of the BS or MS degree and a cumulative Grade Point Ratio (GPR) from each institution;
3. A Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score sent directly from Educational Testing Service;
4. For students from countries where English is not the official language, a score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) sent directly from Educational Testing Service;
5. Other factors that may demonstrate the ability of a student to benefit from graduate study in the Entomology Graduate Program and that may influence the decision of the Graduate Admissions and Policy Committee.

Recently accepted applicants have generally had:

1. strong letters of recommendation;
2. a GPR of at least 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) or its equivalent in undergraduate coursework during the last two (2) years of continuous enrollment or the last 60 credit hours of discontinuous enrollment (M.S. degree candidates) or a GPR of at least 3.00 or its equivalent in graduate coursework (Ph.D. degree candidates); Master of Science degree applicants with a GPR of at least 2.50 have been accepted provisionally;
3. a GRE score of at least 1000 for the combined verbal and quantitative components plus a score of at least 4.0 on the analytical writing portion; applicants into the Entomology M.S. program have been accepted provisionally with a combined verbal and quantitative score of at least 900 plus an analytical writing score of at least 3.5;
4. a TOEFL score of at least 213 on the computer-based (550 on the paper-based) examination (Sections 1, 2, and 3 combined).  Graduate students or visiting scholars have been accepted with a score of 173-212 on the computer-based (500-549 paper-based) examination if other evidence of proficiency was available, such as strong letters from English language teachers;
5. Other supporting evidence, such as high quality publications or other examples of scholarly work, strong recommendations by one or more Clemson University Entomology Graduate Program faculty with whom the student would work, a distinguished reputation of the school(s) or teacher(s) with which the applicant studied previously, compatibility of the applicant's career goals with the strengths of the Clemson University Entomology Graduate Program, etc.

Applicants whose applications have been accepted by the Graduate School are assigned (by the Entomology Graduate Program Coordinator) an Entomology Graduate Program Sponsor, who will serve as an advisor, advocate, and liaison for the student until he/she selects a Major Advisor or elects not to enroll in the Clemson University Graduate School.