Graduate study at Penn State goes beyond taking classes and
completing a thesis or dissertation. The Department of Entomology's
graduate program seeks to educate students in all facets of
professional development. Students combine classroom and independent
studies with experiential learning in many aspects of professional
life including classroom teaching, multimedia software development
of instructional materials, public science education talks,
videotaping scientific talks, collection curation, biodiversity
studies, hosting visiting speakers, and designing departmental
retreats. Many other types of activities have been designed
and developed by individuals according to their own unique backgrounds
and interests. Our goal is to provide the optimum individualized
educational experience for graduate students according to their
own unique backgrounds, interests, and career directions. Recent
graduates indicate that these experiences greatly helped in
preparing them for successful job interviews and often their
choice of potential career positions.
Graduate programs
lead to the Master of Science, Master of Agriculture, and
Doctor of Philosophy degrees in one of five specialty areas
or in one of three intercollege program areas.
Research Program
Areas:
University Setting:
Founded in 1855,
Penn State is the land-grant university of Pennsylvania. It
now is one of the largest universities in the country, with
twenty-two campuses. The University Park Campus is located
in State College, in scenic central Pennsylvania. The population
of the metropolitan area is about 70,000. The town retains
a collegiate atmosphere enhanced by many small shops, restaurants,
cinemas, and bookstores. For those who enjoy the outdoors,
there are many state parks and recreation facilities within
easy driving distance.
Facilities::
Most departmental
facilities are located on the fifth floor of the Agricultural
Sciences and Industries Building, which was completed in 1991.
Facilities include 14 research laboratories, 35 offices and
classrooms, 800 square feet of growth-chamber space, and the
College's
Expert Systems Development Group. Laboratories and offices
also are located in the Chemical Ecology Laboratory and
the Entomology Ornamentals and Turf Laboratory. The
Frost Entomological Museum, the Center for BioDiversity
Research, advanced teaching laboratories, and greenhouses
are located in Headhouse 3. Additional facilities include
the Gypsy Moth Research Center, the Russell E. Larson Agricultural
Research Center at Rock Springs, the Fruit
Research and Extension Center at Biglerville, the Lake
Erie Regional Grape Research and Extension Center at North
East, and the Southeast
Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Landisville.
The laboratories have modern equipment appropriate to the
department's many specialized research and instructional needs,
including equipment for spectroscopy, microscopy, high performance
liquid chromatography and mass spectrophotometer, electrophysiology,
enhanced computer graphics, geographic information systems,
and a high-speed computer network. Graduate students and faculty
have access to the Information
Technology Services, Consulting and Support Services,
Breazeale Nuclear Reactor, Electron Microscopy Center, Center
for Cell Research, Biotechnology Institute, and Center for
Integrated Ecosystem Management. The department shares extensive
technical and scientific equipment with other departments.
Resources in the University's
Pattee Library are excellent.
The department accepts students
for fall, spring, and summer semester matriculation. Students
are expected to have a strong background in biological sciences
as well as course work in physics, general through organic
chemistry, mathematics through calculus, statistics, and computer
science.
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