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What classes/majors/minors does one take in order to get a job as an entomologist and what colleges often offer these classes??

I'm going to be a junior this year and I'm looking into colleges and majors and something I've been interested in my whole life is insects and I'd really like to pursue a career in this field but I've not been able to find a lot of information on how to do that.

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Michelle’s Answer

Hello, Rebeka !

Since you will need education and experience in order to become an Entomologist, let's begin with what you will need in the way of a college degree. Most entomologists have a bachelors degree and some have a Masters Degree or a PhD. It will be up to you as to how far you want to go with the education. While working on your Bachelors Degree, you will take courses in insect taxonomy, ecology, and physiology. Many Entomologists have their Bachelors Degree in Zoology, Biology or a related field. If you want to work at a University in this field, you will need a Masters or PhD degree in entomology or a related field. You will also need those advanced degrees if you want to get a job doing this in research or the government.

Next, I want to give you the names of colleges that offer degrees in Entomology, just to start you off with. You could probably find more, too. They are : Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, University of California at Davis in Davis, CA, University of Minnesota at Twin Cities in Minneapolis, MN, North Carolina State University at Raleigh in Raleigh, NC, University of Wisconsin at Madison in Madison, WI, Perdue University-Main Campus at West Lafayette, IN, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, VA, University of Florida in Gainesville, FL, Colorado State University- Fort Collins in Fort Collins, CO, Oklahoma State University, Main Campus in Stillwater, OK. You will need to decide if you can go away for college. Also explore your local colleges to see if they offer a degree in entomology.

I hope that what I have provided here can serve as a starting point for you. Best wishes on your search for a college that will have the best program for you !
Thank you comment icon Oh my goodness thank you!! This is very helpful and definitely gives me motivation to keep pursuing this idea. ☺️☺️ Rebekah
Thank you comment icon You are very welcome, Rebekah ! Michelle M.
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Michael’s Answer

Hi Rebekah,

According to College Factual, here are the top colleges and universities to consider for Entomology:

https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/biological-biomedical-sciences/zoology/entomology/rankings/top-ranked/

- University of Wisconsin - Madison
- University of California - Davis
- Cornell University
- University of Florida
- Ohio State University - Main Campus
- North Carolina State University
- Michigan State University
- Texas A & M University - College Station
- University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- University of Maryland - College Park

Also, one can pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in either Biology or Environmental Science and then specialize in Entomology.

According to U.S. News & World Report, here are the top colleges and universities to consider for Biology:

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/united-states/biology-biochemistry

- Harvard University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Stanford University
- University of California (Berkeley)
- University of California (San Francisco)
- University of California (San Diego)
- University of Washington (Seattle)
- Johns Hopkins University

According to Niche, here are the best colleges and universities to major in Environmental Science:

https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/best-colleges-for-environmental-science/

- Stanford University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Yale University
- Brown University
- Columbia University
- Duke University
- Rice University
- Harvard University
- Princeton University
- Dartmouth College

When reviewing colleges and universities, it is best to check the following:

- In-State vs Out of State Tuition
- Internships
- Scholarships
- Career Placement upon graduation
- Course work and offered classes
- Post-Graduate Degrees - Master and Doctoral

There are scholarships based on need, academic performance, school activities, sports involvement and community service. So, it will be to your advantage to seek out these types of scholarships. All of the academic staff at your high school that you interact with can write letters of recommendations for you based on what was just stated above. These recommendations can greatly help when filling out college and scholarship applications.

Hope this helps and best wishes for your education and career in Entomology!
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much! I’ll definitely be using this info in the future 😁 Rebekah
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