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Ants in their nest (Florida)

Welcome to the Department of Entomology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Our department prides itself, in part, on successfully training and preparing students for their careers. The department has a rich legacy of graduates continuing on to become leaders in the field and we hope to continue this tradition into the future. 

You are now a member of one of the best entomology departments in North America and one of the few in a college of arts and sciences. For many years this department has had an outstanding reputation in insect systematics, physiology, toxicology, and ecology, and we have in recent years raised our profile in neuroscience, evolutionary genetics, genomics, behavior, and conservation biology.

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Cicada on a leaf

It is upon the productivity and fame of its graduates that the reputation of a department is built. Thus, outstanding students are essential to the success of our program. We expect you to be actively involved in the department from this time forward and hope that you will represent us as well as those who have completed their studies here before you.

Below are links to the University-wide and department resources, as well as the guidelines for graduate student mentoring suggested by the Graduate College and adopted by our Department. It is strongly advised to review these resources thoroughly when you first enter as a student, and again as you prepare to graduate. 

Entomology Graduate Handbook

Graduate Handbooks and Mentoring Guidelines

Below are links to the University-wide and department graduate student handbooks, as well as the guidelines for graduate student mentoring suggested by the Graduate College and adopted by our Department. The university handbook contains general policies set forth by the Graduate College at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign regarding registration, tuition, fees, and graduation. The department handbook details the specific requirements, courses, and timelines for earning a degree from the Department of Entomology. It is strongly advised to read both of these documents thoroughly when you first enter as a student, and again as you prepare to graduate. Additionally, please also read the guidelines for faculty, graduate students, and graduate programs with regards to graduate student mentoring.

Useful Forms & Links

The Entomology Office has compiled a list of useful forms & links that you can refer to.

 

Forms Description
Employee Travel Reimbursement Form (doc) Reimbursement for travel expenses
Miscellaneous Reimbursement Form (doc) Reimbursement for supplies purchased and meals
Payroll Schedule University Payroll schedules – bi-weekly and monthly
Carpool Request Form Request for a carpool reservation
Graduate Student Request (petition) Request for an exception to Graduate College Policies or Graduate College Academic deadlines, including time extension, overload, and withdrawal/cancellation from University (go to Graduate Student Petition Process for more information)(initiated via the Graduate College Student Portal)
Late Registration & Late Course Change Form Use after the last day that a student is allowed to drop/add a semester course using UI Integrate Self-Service (initiated via the Graduate College Student Portal)
Alumnus Information Form Request to update alumnus information
ENT Learning Objectives Form for Committee Meetings Annual assessment of each student’s progress ensures that our graduates are meeting certain learning goals. At the student’s annual committee meeting, the student and their committee should fill out the student’s Current Progress for each learning outcome, and then based on that progress, assign a Progress Level and add any Recommendations for Development (if applicable). 
Links Description
Graduate College Degree Completion Checklist Grad College's checklist of items to help you prepare for graduation and learn about the university-wide Commencement Ceremony
SIB's Convocation Ceremony Information about SIB's Convocation Ceremony for seniors, master's and doctoral students of SIB

 

Financial Information and Support

Almost all students are funded by the department for the entirety of their graduate career. Financial support varies on a case by case basis, but in general, students in the master's program are supported for 2 years, and those going on to the PhD program receive an additional 3 years of support. Those coming in with a master's degree receive four years of support towards their Ph.D. If these time periods are exceeded, the department will then determine support on an individual basis, but it is very rare for a student to lose funding during his or her graduate education.

The majority of students are supported on teaching assistantships. However, many other sources of funding are also available, including research assistantships, University fellowships, and national awards (NSF, NIH, USDA, etc.). Students holding teaching or research assistantships are exempt from tuition and service fees.

Teaching assistantships and research assistantships (including waivers of tuition and most fees) are allocated on a semester-to-semester basis for Fall and Spring semesters. There are also many additional opportunities for summer support from individual faculty, the department, and the School of Integrative Biology.

As far as teaching goes, the majority of TAs teach lab sections of either Animal Biology for non-biology majors or Introductory Biology for biology majors (genetics and biodiversity). The more experienced TAs in the department assist in higher level courses like entomology, ecology, and animal behavior.

Please also visit the SIB Graduate Student Grants & Awards page for information on more funding opportunities. 

Average Duration of Graduate Careers

A master's degree program will normally take at least 1.5 years, which includes one summer of research. But more typically, especially since a bulk of course work is completed during this time, the master's degree takes about 2 years to complete. A Ph.D. program will normally take an additional 4-5 years beyond the master's degree. However, the time to complete a Ph.D. program is highly variable depending on the research involved, coursework, advisor, and any number of other factors. The typical graduate student probably requires 2 years for a M.S. and another 4-5 years for a Ph.D., for a total of 6-7 years.

Steps for Final Master of Science Defense

PLEASE NOTE: All students who entered the graduate program in Entomology without a master's degree and are planning to get their PhD, regardless of whether you entered as a doctoral or master's student, are expected to petition the Graduate Student Administration Committee (GSAC) to either remain in the PhD program or transition into the PhD program. Students need to submit: a CV, a 2-page single-spaced summary of your potential PhD project, a separate timeline for completion, and a letter of recommendation from your potential PhD advisor. Students must also schedule an interview with GSAC. It is strongly recommended that these documents be sent, and an interview scheduled, the semester before the MS defense date.

Before your Final Master of Science Defense

  1. Complete at least 32 credit hours of course work with grades no lower than B or S, of which you must include at least four of the following courses: Classification and Evolution of Insects (IB 468); Genomic Analysis of Insects (IB 504); Insect Physiology (IB 433); Insect Ecology (IB 444); and the Fundamentals of Insect Pest Management (IB 482). No more than 12 hours of research (ENT 599) can be counted.
  2. Depending on your status in BANNER:
    • If you are planning to continue on to do your PhD, and are in the BANNER system as a master's student, the semester before you defend your master’s thesis, submit to GSAC:
      • a CV
      • a 2-page single-spaced (11-12 pt. font) summary of your potential PhD project
      • a separate timeline for completion
      • a letter of recommendation from your potential PhD advisor
      • and make an appointment to interview with GSAC

      You must then have GSAC notify the Entomology Office Manager of their decision to allow you to be admitted into the PhD program, and then you must submit a Graduate Student Request (petition) with the Graduate College requesting that they “change your official program in BANNER to the doctoral program (10KS0324PHD) effective [state the semester which will follow the successful completion of your master’s degree (i.e. the first semester of your PhD degree)].” (Download this PDF for further information on petitioning GSAC to transfer into the PhD program.)

    • If you are in the BANNER system as a doctoral student, the semester before you defend your master’s thesis, submit to GSAC:
      • a CV
      • a 2-page single-spaced (11-12 pt. font) summary of your potential PhD project
      • a separate timeline for completion
      • a letter of recommendation from your potential PhD advisor
      • and make an appointment to interview with GSAC

      You must then have GSAC notify the Entomology Office Manager of their decision to allow you to remain in the PhD program, and then you must submit a Graduate Student Request (petition) with the Graduate College requesting that they “add the secondary curriculum code of the master’s program (10KS0324MS) to your BANNER profile because you intend to deposit a master’s thesis during [state the semester].” (Download this PDF for further information on petitioning GSAC to remain in the PhD program.)

  3. Add yourself to the degree list in the term you plan to deposit your thesis via U of I Self-Service. You do not need to be registered in the semester in which you deposit your thesis if it is not the same semester as the one in which you took your exam.
  4. Reserve a room for the defense of your thesis after the date and time have been approved by your committee, and inform the Entomology Office Manager of the date, time, and place. You can also contact the Office Manager if you need help in reserving a room for your master’s defense. Master's Committees do not need to be approved by the Graduate College; however, membership of the Master's Committee must be approved by the Head of the Program as outlined in Entomology’s Graduate Handbook.
  5. Send a copy of your dissertation to each member of your committee at least two weeks before the examination. Failure to meet this deadline may result in the cancellation (or postponement) of the exam.
  6. While writing your thesis, be sure to follow the Grad College Thesis Requirements for formatting your thesis. Click on the following link to view a sample Master's Thesis Title Page (docx). If you have any questions about any of the formatting requirements, ask the Entomology Office Manager, who is required to approve the formatting of your thesis before you are allowed to deposit.

After your Defense

  1. After you have made the revisions recommended by your committee, make sure that you have followed the Grad College Thesis Requirements for formatting your thesis, and then email the Entomology Office Manager a copy of your thesis for format review at least 4-5 days before the deposit deadline.
    1. You can review recent departmental dissertations and theses through IDEALS.
  2. After making any necessary format changes suggested by the Entomology Office Manager, resubmit the final revision to the Office Manager for a final review and approval. The Office Manager will then submit a Thesis Approval Form (TDA) to the Graduate College Thesis Office and notify you that you may then submit your thesis for electronic deposit to the Graduate College Thesis Office.
  3. Deposit your thesis and submit supplemental materials.
    1. Convert your thesis file(s) to a single PDF file, if not already in that format.
      1. Name the PDF file: "Lastname_Firstname.pdf" (use first and last names from title page; do not include middle names/initials in filename)
      2. Do not embed audio/video files in or apply security settings to PDF file
    2. Go to Grad College Thesis Submission to create a submission profile and submit your electronic thesis.
    3. At the same time, submit the following to the Thesis Office (the deposit is not complete until all items are received):
      1. If applicable, one copy of each permission letter to reprint copyrighted material (accepted by fax or email).
      2. Choose an IDEALS release option (see Grad College Release Options for more information).
    4. Make all necessary corrections to your thesis, if any, as required by the Thesis Office. They will notify you of required changes via email.
    5. The Thesis Office will notify you via email when your deposit is complete. The deposit fee ($25) will be charged to your student account.
    6. All final corrections and required materials are due no later than 4:45 p.m. on the final day of the deposit period for your intended graduation (see Graduate College Academic deadlines).

Steps for Doctoral Preliminary Exam

Before your Preliminary Exam

  1. Schedule your Prelim. Students should complete the Preliminary Examination within a year of completing the core courses. (The preliminary examination consists of two parts: preparation of a research proposal in the format of a National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Grant (or other equivalent grant at NSF or any other agency if the research is in an area not typically funded by NSF) and an oral exam that covers both the research proposal and the core areas. The preliminary examination committee consists of five faculty members and/or affiliates of the department selected by the department head and representing the core areas of entomology. (Please see Entomology’s Graduate Handbook for further details.) Work with your Advisor to schedule your Preliminary Examination.
  2. Be sure that you are registered for at least 0 credit hours in ENT 599 Thesis Research for the semester in which you are doing your prelim. ("The Graduate College does require that all doctoral candidates be registered for the entire academic term during which they take the preliminary examination." For more information, see the Graduate College Handbook.)
  3. Submit a Preliminary Exam Committee approval request through the Graduate College Student Portal exactly 3 weeks before the date agreed upon by you and your committee for your Prelim Exam. You will need to submit the date, time, and place of the exam, as well as the NetIDs of all your committee members while also distinguishing which one is the Chair of the Committee and which one is your Director of Research (advisor). (You can list two co-Directors of Research if you have two co-advisors.) You can find the NetIDs of most of our faculty and affiliates in the Graduate College Faculty Database or you can get them from the Entomology Office Manager. You can also contact the Entomology Office Manager if you need help in reserving a room for your prelim.
  4. Two weeks before your Prelim, send your research proposal to your Doctoral Committee. The writing must be done by the student, with input from the student’s advisor or advisory committee limited to basic grammatical, typographical, or similar editorial corrections.

The Preliminary Proposal should represent the research and questions undertaken during your PhD and demonstrate your knowledge of your system and research interests. The following guidelines are recommendations for the format, but deviations are acceptable as long as the proposal adequately includes: background, questions/objectives, references, timeline and budget.

* Either a grant proposal of at least 6 pages or a preliminary proposal using the following guidelines:

Up to 8 pages, single-spaced, 12-point font, 1 inch margins. References and Figures not included:

  • Introduction of broad area of interest (knowledge gaps) leading into aims/objectives (1-2 pages)
    • This section is intended to explain to your committee the basic biology and theory grounding your proposal and the areas your work will address.
  • Study System
  • A series of aims and/or objectives. For each aim and objective:
    • Introduction to specific aim (1-2 paragraphs)
    • Hypothesis
    • Data to be collected
    • Preliminary results (if applicable)
    • Methodology and Analysis – broken down by aims detailing how you will accomplish the aims as detailed above
    • Expected Results
  • Synthesis and Significance of Proposed Work
    • Students should write a paragraph or two of how these chapters will address knowledge gaps and the overall significance of the work.
  • Timeline for completion – short but detailed tables are encouraged.
  • References – this must have uniform format of your choosing.
  • Budget

After your Preliminary Exam

If a student fails the Preliminary Examination, another exam, administered by the same committee, should be given within the next three to six months. A second failure will preclude the student from gaining a Ph.D. in the Department of Entomology.

Steps for Final Doctoral Defense

Before your Final Doctoral Defense

  1. Complete at least 96 credit hours of 400- or 500-level courses (64 hours beyond the M.S. requirements) with grades no lower than B or S, of which you must include the following courses: Classification and Evolution of Insects (IB 468); Genomic Analysis of Insects (IB 504); Insect Physiology (IB 433); Insect Ecology (IB 444); and the Fundamentals of Insect Pest Management (IB 482), as well as at least three semesters of Seminar in Entomology (IB 526) and four credit hours in an approved Statistics course.
  2. Be sure that you are registered for at least 0 credit hours in ENT 599 Thesis Research for the semester in which you are doing your final exam. ("The Graduate College does require that all doctoral candidates be registered for the entire academic term during which they take...the final examination, regardless of when the dissertation will be deposited or when the degree will be conferred." For more information, see the Graduate College Handbook.)
  3. Add yourself to the degree list in the term you plan to deposit your thesis/dissertation via U of I Self-Service.
  4. Reserve a room for your defense after the date and time have been approved by your defense committee, and inform the Entomology Office Manager of the date, time, and place. If you need help in reserving a room, contact the Office Manager.
  5. Submit a Final Exam Committee approval request through the Graduate College Student Portal exactly 3 weeks before the date agreed upon by you and your committee for your Final Exam (Final Defense). You will need to submit the date, time, and place of the exam, as well as the NetIDs of all your committee members while also distinguishing which one is the Chair of the Committee and which one is your Director of Research (advisor). (In Entomology, your Director of Research (advisor) is usually also the Chair of your Final Defense. You can also list co-Directors of Research if you have two advisors.) You can find the NetIDs of most of our faculty and affiliates in the Graduate College Faculty Database or you can get them from the Entomology Office Manager. (See Entomology’s Graduate Handbook for specifications for your committee.)
  6. Schedule your exit seminar (this can be scheduled as one of Entomology’s weekly seminars (colloquium) by contacting the Entomology Office Manager or the seminar coordinator before the beginning of the school year). Again, inform the Office Manager of the date, time, and place of your exit seminar if not scheduled as one of Entomology’s weekly seminars.
  7. While writing your dissertation, be sure to follow the Grad College Thesis Requirements for formatting your dissertation. Click on the following link to view a sample PhD Dissertation Title Page (docx). If you have any questions about any of the formatting requirements, ask the Entomology Office Manager, who is required to approve the formatting of your dissertation before you are allowed to deposit.
  8. Send a copy of your dissertation to each member of your committee at least two weeks before the examination. Failure to meet this deadline may result in the cancellation (or postponement) of the exam.
  9. Previously the Graduate College has required that depositing doctoral students make their dissertations available through ProQuest to ensure the wide dissemination of the work. These dissertations are included in ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global and Dissertation Abstracts International. Since 2010, all dissertations are now included in IDEALS, the Illinois digital repository, which also provides access through web and WorldCat Discovery indexing. The Graduate College Executive Committee recently voted to remove the requirement that students provide their dissertations to ProQuest for dissemination and have now made it optional. It is recommended that you discuss with your defense committee whether they feel you should make your dissertation available through ProQuest or not. There will be a step during your deposit in which they will ask you to make a choice.

After your Defense

  1. After you have made the revisions recommended by your committee, make sure that you have followed the Grad College Thesis Requirements for formatting your dissertation, and then email the Entomology Office Manager a copy of your dissertation for format review at least 4-5 days before the deposit deadline.
    1. You can review recent departmental dissertations and theses through IDEALS.
  2. After making any necessary format changes suggested by the Entomology Office Manager, resubmit the final revision to the Office Manager for a final review and approval. The Office Manager will then submit a Dissertation Approval Form (TDA) to the Grad College and notify you that you may then submit your dissertation for electronic deposit to the Graduate College.
  3. Deposit your dissertation and submit supplemental materials.
    1. Convert your dissertation file(s) to a single PDF file, if not already in that format.
      1. Name the PDF file: "Lastname_Firstname.pdf" (use first and last names from title page; do not include middle names/initials in filename)
      2. Do not embed audio/video files in or apply security settings to PDF file
    2. Go to Grad College Thesis Submission to create a submission profile and submit your electronic dissertation.
    3. At the same time, submit the following materials to the Thesis Office (the deposit is not complete until all items are received):
      1. Proof of completed Survey of Earned Doctorates (certificate of completion accepted by fax or email).
      2. Complete the Doctoral Exit Survey.
      3. If applicable, one copy of each permission letter to reprint copyrighted material (accepted by fax or email).
      4. Choose an IDEALS release option (see Grad College Release Options for more information).
      5. Optional: One ProQuest/UMI publishing agreement, signed by student (only pages 4 and 5 are required; accepted by fax or email). (NOTE: If you choose to send your dissertation to ProQuest, the release option you select for IDEALS will determine the ProQuest release option (see Grad College Release Options for more information).
    4. Make all necessary corrections to your dissertation, if any, as required by the Thesis Office. They will notify you of required changes via email.
    5. The Thesis Office will notify you via email when your deposit is complete. The deposit fee ($50) will be charged to your student account.
    6. All final corrections and required materials are due no later than 4:45 p.m. on the final day of the deposit period for your intended graduation (see Graduate College Academic deadlines).

Dissertation/Theses

The Graduate College website offers guidelines for writing and deposition of dissertations and theses to which you can refer. Dissertations and theses, especially their title pages, are held to very strict standards of formatting. Be sure to follow these Graduate College Dissertation/Thesis Formatting Requirements very closely.

Here are sample title pages that conform to recent standards:

Dissertation/Thesis Release Options

Graduate students are encouraged to review the release options available to you as you publish your dissertation/thesis in the University’s repository, IDEALS, and to discuss them with your advisers as you consider the visibility and dissemination of your work.

Students may choose from three options:

  • Open Access: The dissertation/thesis is publically available in IDEALS.
  • U of I Access: The dissertation/thesis is restricted in IDEALS to the campus community and through interlibrary loan for 2 years.
  • Closed Access: The dissertation/thesis is restricted in IDEALS and is not available to anyone (not even the student or adviser) for 2 years.

Please Note: No matter which release option the student chooses, the metadata (including the title and abstract) will be available.

If it is necessary to delay publication of the document to protect potentially patentable technology or work or to comply with the terms of sponsored research agreements, then the student and adviser must work with the Office of Technology Management (OTM) to request a patent hold on the document. You can learn more about the patent hold process on the OTM website.

If you have any questions regarding these options, please contact the Graduate College Thesis Office at thesis@illinois.edu or (217) 333-6278.

Entomological Graduate Students Association (EGSA)

The graduate students in the department are a group with diverse backgrounds and interests. Yet despite differing goals and experiences, the students are a cohesive group with a common voice (the EGSA - Entomology Graduate Students Association), engaging in group activities of both a scientific and social nature. Lunch Bunch is an informal weekly lunch hour seminar given by a different graduate student each week and attended by students and faculty alike. On the flip side, the annual Halloween party is not to be missed. 

The mission of the Entomology Graduate Student Association (EGSA) at University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana is to foster the best possible academic environment for graduate students to pursue scientific knowledge as it relates to the field of entomology. We aim to provide the resources and opportunities for students to learn, grow, and become productive members in their respective disciplines. In doing so, we hope to produce the leading thinkers, researchers, and problem-solvers that help resolve issues currently faced in academia, policy, education, medicine, industry, agriculture, and forestry.

Life in Champaign-Urbana

In addition to the vital information about the academic makeup of the department, there also are many important factors that contribute to the graduate experience. How much money does a grad student make? How expensive is the area? Who will my fellow grad students be? The purpose of this section is to provide insight into these and other questions that will help provide a well-rounded picture of the entomology graduate program environment. More information regarding the Urbana-Champaign community can be found here.

Cost of Living in Champaign-Urbana

Of course, the cost of living will vary depending on where in the C-U area you choose to live, and to what comfort level you are accustomed. But generally, C-U is a pretty affordable area. Here are some general prices you can expect to pay for the various living necessities (updated 2023):

Rent, 1BR Apartment: $530 – $1,400/mo.
1BR Condo, Housing Co-op: $70,000
Movie: $7.50 – 8.25 (student discount)
Mixed Drink: $4.50 – 7.50
Symphony Ticket: $5 – $10 (student discount)
Nonwaivable UIUC Fees (these are variable from year to year): UIUC General Fee: $305
Student Initiated Fees: $73
UIUC Transportation Fee: $68
Your portion of UIUC Student Insurance: $132
Your portion of Health Service Fee: $0
International Student Fee (if applicable): $75
TOTAL: $653 (approximate per semester)

 

Leisure Activities in the C-U Area

There are many beautiful places to go to school in this country: the Rockies, the Pacific Northwest, the deserts of the southwest...central Illinois? While many may consider Illinois "topographically challenged" the Champaign-Urbana area is not devoid of culture or activity. The University of Illinois' Urbana-Champaign campus is one of the nicest in the country. But the University also has extensive land holdings, including the beautiful Allerton Park, featuring sculpture gardens and scenic walks. State parks are also accessible - within 30-minutes' drive is Kickapoo State Park, a haven for hikes, mountain biking and canoeing, and many other state parks are within a two-hours' drive. For a bit longer travel, the Shawnee National Forest awaits in southern Illinois.

But you need not leave Champaign-Urbana to have a good time. The Krannert Center for the Performing Arts has a fantastic program every year, from the University Opera Program to the impressive Marquee series, which has featured among others Wynton Marsalis, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Itzhak Perlman. Or if the fine arts aren't your taste, the local music scene boasts multiple venues from small smoky clubs to the University Assembly Hall for huge touring acts.

However, the times do occur when you just need to go somewhere more "exotic". If the big city is more your taste, Champaign-Urbana is located centrally to Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis. Chicago is a two-hour drive...but buses, trains, and air flights will take you there any day of the week if you don't want to hit the road.

The bottom line is that no one goes to the University of Illinois for the scenery. But the combination of an academic program of this quality, resources only a large research university can offer, and a surprisingly diverse night life are more than enough to make anyone happy here.

 

What should international students do before arriving in Illinois? 

International students have concerns beyond that of our local colleagues. The university has a web site at the Office of International Student and Scholar Services that can provide a wealth of information for both incoming and current international graduate students. We highly recommend reading this page if you have any questions regarding international student status.