Application

Thank you for your interest in our graduate programs in Entomology. For the MS and PhD programs. We accept students to start any semester (Fall, Spring, and Summer). Check the Graduate School website for application deadlines, but aim to apply 4 to 8 months in advance. We only admit applicants to work with faculty who have funding to take new students. Review our faculty list (https://ent.uga.edu/people/faculty.html[KMO1] ), identify those sharing your research interests, and initiate a dialogue with them through email. Please share your CV, research and career interests, and why you want to join their lab. This approach is more likely to result in successful admission than applying without faculty contact. Campus visits can be arranged through the potential major advisors.

To apply, submit your application to the Graduate School website https://grad.uga.edu/admissions/apply-now/   and keep in touch with potential advisors.

For the Graduate School Application you will to provide the following:

1.  Unofficial Transcripts

2.  Official TOEFL or IELTS scored (for international students, if applicable): Check https://grad.uga.edu/admissions/requirements/international-applications/english-language-proficiency-requirement/ for details and country-specific requirements

3.  Three Letters of Recommendation

4.  Resume or Curriculum Vitae

5.  Statement of Purpose (one-paged single-spaced): Highlight relevant past experiences, especially research. Articulate your educational, research and career objectives. Specify your general area(s) of interest and list 1 -3 potential major professors.

6.  Note that GRE scores are optional but will be considered if provided. 

Entomology offers two alternative admission portals that involve participating Entomology faculty: ILS (Integrative Life Sciences) and IPS (Integrated Plant Sciences).

ILS: In addition to direct admission to the Entomology PhD program (see above), Entomology also participates in the Integrated Life Sciences (ILS) program. The ILS program allows first-year graduate students to explore the research areas of more than 270 faculty and 16 participating PhD graduate programs. A hallmark of this competitive graduate program is its emphasis on existing and emerging interdisciplinary research areas. During the Fall semester, entering students perform three laboratory rotations and follow a streamlined and innovative curriculum designed to facilitate the transition to graduate education and research. At the end of the Fall semester, students choose a graduate program and thesis advisor to oversee their thesis research.

Please visit the ILS website (www.ils.uga.edu) for more details on the program, participating faculty, and admissions processes. ILS only admits students for Fall semester; applications for matriculation in spring or summer semesters are not accepted. ILS program applications must be submitted to the UGA Graduate School using the ILS major code (PHD_ILSC). All application materials must be complete by December 1st at 11:59 PM EST for the following Fall term. For example, applications to begin the program in Fall 2025 must be completed in entirety by December 1, 2024, at 11:59 PM EST.

IPS: Several Entomology faculty members participate in the Integrated Plant Sciences program, offering another alternative to direct admission to our PhD program. IPS allows first-year graduate students to explore the research areas of over 70 faculty. Entering students perform three laboratory rotations in the fall semester, while taking a reduced core curriculum that is designed to facilitate the transition to graduate education and research. Students then choose a thesis advisor and one of our 10 participating PhD graduate programs, including Entomology, and begin thesis research. A hallmark of this competitive plant–centered graduate program is its emphasis on utilizing the excellent resources in the plant community at UGA to enable cutting-edge research in diverse and interdisciplinary fields.

The application deadline for IPS is December 1, for matriculation the following fall If you are considering applying after that date, please contact Maddie Johnson for more information.

We also offer a non-thesis MPPPM Master of Plant Protection and Pest Management degree.

MPPPM: To apply, please navigate to the Graduate School’s admissions pages: https://grad.uga.edu/admissions/apply-now/ If you have questions about applying to MPPPM, please contact Dr. Nicholas Tuschak Basinger at nicholas.basinger@uga.edu