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Which colleges/universities have programs in melittology (study of bees)?

I recently visited Rodale Institute in Kutztown, PA, and became quite intrigued by this particular insect through the organization's one-day course. Although this is a specific subject, knowing some places that truly specialize in these pollinators would, without a doubt, help me an incredible amount. Environmental studies or environmental science will most likely be my major, by the way. Either that or undecided. Also, I would prefer to attend somewhere in-state, in PA.
#bees #melittology #pennsylvania #rodaleinstitute #environmentalstudies #environmental-science

environmental-science environmentalstudies bees melittology pennsylvania rodaleinstitute
Thank you comment icon Hi!! I'm an Environmental Studies major and one of my high school friends was looking to go into melittology. These were a few programs that she considered: Colorado State, Cornell, McGill, Auburn, Ohio State, Montana State, Oregon State, UC Davis, UC Riverside. She ended up choosing Montana State and loves it! Marlowe
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Lesley’s Answer

Great question, Emily! Bees are not only incredibly fascinating, they're a bio-indicator species and essential to ecosystem health. It's absolutely vital that we understand and work to preserve them.


As you noted, my guess is you may end up studying something more broad for undergraduate, i.e. environmental science, entomology, agriculture, ecology, sustainability, etc. However, you could focus your thesis on melittology, conduct a research practicum on bees and/or seek a master's or PhD w/ a focus on bees.


The main university with a great program on bees is Penn State: https://ento.psu.edu/pollinators


Lackwana seems to have a beekeeper program and could be interesting: http://www.lackawanna.edu/about/locations/environmental-education-center/beekeeping-certificate-program/


Dickinson College also seems to have an exciting initiative on campus: https://www.dickinson.edu/info/20052/sustainability/3325/the_hive


Here's a list of universities outside Pennsylvania who have research programs or labs on bees:


Texas A&M: https://honeybeelab.tamu.edu/

University of Minnesota: https://www.beelab.umn.edu/

University of Illinois: https://www.life.illinois.edu/robinson/

University of Tennessee: https://ag.tennessee.edu/EPP/Pages/Bees%20and%20Beekeeping/home.aspx (They have a master beekeeping program which sounds neat!)

Washington State University: http://bees.wsu.edu/

University of Central Oklahoma: http://sites.uco.edu/cms/reu/index.asp

University of Florida: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/


I also found this compilation of lists here: https://www.beeculture.com/honey-bee-science/universities/


Best of luck!
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Jeffrey’s Answer

Hello Emily,
While I know nothing about melittology, I am a reference librarian by training and know a lot about how to find information.

An easy was to get started is to do an internet search on melittology. Look for organizations, clubs, schools, training, education, etc. If you have a LinkedIn account you might search melittology to find people who mention it in their profile. Facebook might be another good way to find people who share your interest in bees or work in the field.

Reach out to experts. They could save you a lot of time and give you advise on schools with programs in melittology. Getting advise from people in the field can save you a lot of time and help you avoid mistakes.

Given the COVID world we live in and the many education platforms that exist today such as Coursera, edX, etc., there may be excellent online programs available that you can take for credit. I hope I have given you some new ideas for pursuing your new interest.

Sincerely,
Jeff Grau
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