Program Overview

Entomology (Certificate)

The Entomology graduate certificate is a 15-credit hour program designed for people in the pest control industry, military, science teachers, lab technicians, extension agents, academia, or conservation biologists. One of the goals of this graduate certificate is to attract students who want to advance their careers in academia or industry. Certificate graduates have the option to use their certificate as a springboard to a full master's degree.

Description

This program provides post-baccalaureate students the opportunity to familiarize themselves with entomology and the importance of insects in the ecosystem and human resilience. The online courses provide flexibility and opportunity for students to earn the certificate without leaving their jobs, communities, or families. The courses are available on campus, online, or as a hybrid of both.

Courses

The program consists of 15 credit hours.

Career Pathways

• Pest Control Professionals
• Military
• Science Teachers
• Lab Technicians
• Extension Agents
• Academia
• Conservation Biologists

Applying for Admission

Standard Requirements for All Graduate Programs

• Application for Admission with a non-refundable application fee.
• Transcripts (unofficial): Uploaded as part of the application form.
  • If International: Uploads must include all college- or university-level transcripts or mark sheets (records of courses and marks earned), with certificates, diplomas, and degrees plus certified English translations.
• After admission: Official documents are required from all students who are admitted and enroll. Photocopies of certified records are not acceptable. International students enrolled in other U.S. institutions may have certified copies of all foreign records sent directly to the Office of Graduate Studies by their current schools registrar office.
• If the applicants native language is not English, verification of English proficiency is required.
• If the applicant is not a US citizen and expects an F or J visa: financial information.
• Applicants must also fulfill any additional requirements the department specifies at the time of application.

Additional Requirements Specific to This Program

• Resume/CV (optional)
• Personal Statement (required): In 1-2 pages, the statement should address the following:
  • Professional goals and career aspirations and specifically what you plan to do with your certificate.
  • Background experiences, events, and/or education that have influenced your professional goals.
  • How enrolling in this program in this department at Nebraska will assist you in meeting your professional goals.
• Recommenders: Three letters of recommendation. Recommenders should be professional, academic, business, or community contacts who can attest to your success in a graduate certificate.
• Academic Eligibility: Recommended pre-requisite courses include Insect Biology (entomology), General Biology, Math, and Chemistry.

Admission Application Deadlines

• On-campus recommended deadlines: July 1 for Fall, November 1 for Spring, April 1 for Summer.

Program Faculty

The program faculty includes:

• Troy Anderson: Physiology, biochemistry, and toxicology, Insecticide target site discovery, Mode of action, Resistance management
• Georgina Bingham: Stored Product Pests, Agriculture & Public Health, Global Food Security & Nutrition, Veterinary Entomology
• Jeffrey Bradshaw: Plant health, Biological control of arthropod pests, Ecology and behavior of beneficial insects, Integrated pest management, Host plant resistance, Agroecology
• Gary Brewer: Integrated pest management in cattle production systems and in sunflowers, Conservation of endangered Salt Creek Tiger Beetle
• Douglas Golick: Science teaching and learning (children and adults), Wild pollinator conservation, Development of tools for human dimensions measurement, Arthropods as models for systems understanding, Science outreach
• Kyle Koch: Insect Identification, Insect Training & Diagnostics, Arthropod Species, Citizen Science
• Pin-Chu Lai: Integrated Pest Management, Field Crops Entomology, Biological Control, Sustainable Agriculture
• Joe Louis: Plant resistance to insects, Plant signaling mechanisms, Plant-insect interactions, Induced plant defenses and insect effectors
• Louise Lynch-O'Brien: Insect Biology, Entomology Education, Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research Methods, One Health, Citizen Science
• Justin McMechan: Cover crop management and arthropod interactions, Integrated pest management with focus on soybean gall midge, Crop-hail assessment and management, Extension communication tools (infographics, time-lapse)
• Shaonpius Mondal: Arthropod Vector of Plant Pathogens, Biotechnology, Molecular Genetics/Insect Genetics
• Silvana Paula-Moraes: Applied insect ecology and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in cropping systems, Biology and behavior of insects as applied to Insect Resistance Management (IRM), with focus on insect movement, host utilization and differential exposure to Bt toxins
• Julie Peterson: Insect Ecology, Field Crops Entomology, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Biological Control
• Lise Pingault: Molecular insect-plant interactions, Utilizing genomic tools and bioinformatics, Genetic and molecular mechanisms of host plant resistance to arthropods
• Leslie Rault: Arthropod Vector Physiology, Molecular Genetics/Insect Genetics, Insecticide/Environmental Toxicology
• John Ruberson: Biological Control, Integrated Pest Management, Sustainable Agriculture, Ecology
• Ana Maria Velez Arango: Response and adaptation of insects to chemical stressors
• Tom Weissling: Pest Management
• Judy Wu-Smart: Apiculture, Pollinator Health, Environmental Toxicology