What You Need to Apply

This page provides information on program requirements and a listing of the items that a future graduate student must complete to apply to the entomology department.

Lab equipment in the Department of Entomology

Lab equipment in the Department of Entomology

Complete Fall 2025 application materials should be submitted by December 1st

To qualify for admission, an applicant must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution and a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 scale for the last two undergraduate years. Prospective students must apply online through our departmental Web site (see below for details). The applicant should have a strong background in biological sciences. Courses in statistics, physics, chemistry through organic chemistry, mathematics through calculus, and computer applications are recommended. For applicants whose native language is not English, verbal communication with a faculty member is required so that the faculty member can assess verbal skills.

Provisional admission is possible, with deficiencies to be completed prior to final acceptance into the program. Courses considered as deficiencies will not count toward meeting the requirements for a graduate degree. Deficiencies will be determined by a departmental committee consisting of the Graduate Program Council (GPC), the department head, and a temporary adviser to be assigned at the time of admission. It is recommended that students not receive all undergraduate and graduate degrees from Penn State.

The process of applying for admission to graduate school at Penn State requires the following application materials:

All should be submitted online to The Graduate School.

  1. Graduate School Application: https://gradschool.psu.edu/graduate-admissions/how-to-apply/
    To request an application fee waiver, please contact the program.

  2. Official Transcripts: An official transcript from each institution attended. Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution and a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 scale for the last two undergraduate years.
    1. The prevalence of English speakers in the country;
    2. If English is an official language of the country, and how many other official languages there are;
    3. Whether formal primary and secondary school instruction is primarily conducted in English in the country.TOEFL/IELTS scores (International Students only). International applicants who have received a baccalaureate or a graduate degree in one of the following countries are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement: American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada (except Quebec), Cayman islands, Dominica, England, Ghana, Guyana, Jamaica, Kenya, Liberia, Montserrat, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Puerto Rico, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Trinidad, and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Wales. 
      GCAC-305 Admissions Requirements for International Students
      Countries in which standard English is the predominant language may be added to this list by The Graduate School. The CIA Factbook is used as a primary source of information, supplemented when appropriate with other reliable resources. Important considerations taken into account when making the decision include (but are not limited to):
      • TOEFL
        • Internet Based test score of 80 with a 19 on the speaking section
        • Paper-based test (taken July 2017 or later) - a combined total of the 3 sections evaluated must be 60 or greater
      • IELTS
        • The minimum acceptable composite score for the IELTS Academic Test is 6.5.

  3. Three Letters of Recommendation: 
    1. Please indicate your ranking of the applicant in each of the criteria below
      Outstanding (Top 2%), Very Good (10%), Good (Top 25%, Average (Top 50%), Below Average (Lower 50%):

      1. Ability to master intellectual academic work 
      2. Intellectual ability and critical thinking
      3. Research potential
      4. Writing ability
      5. Ability in oral expression
      6. Time management planning ability
      7. Creative and innovative
      8. Problem-solving ability
      9. Resilience
      10. Reliability
      11. Emotional stability and maturity
      12. Self-reliance and independence
      13. Personal integrity
      14. Ability to work with others
      15. Leadership

    2. Upload reference letter - when writing your letter of reference, please include the following:
      1. How long have your known the applicant?
      2. In what connection have you known the applicant?
      3. Please indicate your overall recommendation for this applicant.

    1. Program-Specific Questions:  
      1. What is your motivation for pursuing an advanced degree in Entomology?  Why are you applying to Penn State? (maximum of 150 words)
      2. What is your preparation for the graduate program? As part of your answer, please describe your past research experience(s) including your specific role in the work, the scientific questions you asked, the experimental design, results, and conclusions. If you have not previously conducted or participated in research, please describe how your class work has prepared you for graduate research. What did you learn most from your experience(s)? (maximum 400 words)
      3. Describe your research interests. Name up to four Penn State Entomology faculty whose research interests you and explain why. If you have previously discussed research opportunities with the aforementioned faculty, please indicate so in your response. (maximum 300 words)
      4. What are your long-term goals? How will obtaining a degree in Entomology contribute to achieving your long-term goals? (maximum 200 words)
      5. Describe one non-academic activity in which you participate. How does that experience better prepare you for graduate school? (maximum 100 words)

    2. Evaluation Process:
      1. Evaluations of applicants for the Master program are based on: students' interest, alignment with faculty, quality of reference letters, relevant coursework and research background.
      2. Evaluations of applicants for the PhD program are based on: previous research experience, motivations for research, alignment with faculty, evidence of ability to develop hypothesis-driven questions, research rationale, quality of reference letters about the applicant's intellectual capacity, resilience, and ability to work independently and as part of teams. For fellowship applications, applicants should have publications, high GPAs.

    Complete Fall 2025 application materials should be submitted by December 1st