A Doctor of Philosophy degree with a major in Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Nematology is offered in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology (EPP). Concentrations include bioinformatics, genomics, and molecular interactions; organismal biology, ecology, and systematics; and sustainable disease and integrated pest management. Please see the doctoral program link on the website of the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology for additional information https://ag.tennessee.edu/EPP/Pages/default.aspx.
Admission
Applicants must submit an online application, a nonrefundable application fee, official transcripts, and official scores from the general portion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) to the Office of Graduate Admissions. International students, whose native language is not English, must submit official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). In the statement letter and application, the concentration of interest and preferred major professor must be indicated. Applicants are strongly encouraged to make contact with prospective major professors early in the application process.
Requirements
The student and the major professor will select a minimum of three additional faculty, holding the rank of assistant professor or above, to serve on the student’s doctoral committee. The major professor and two committee members must be approved to direct doctoral research by the Graduate Council. At least one member of the committee must be from outside the department. The doctoral committee must be formalized by the end of the second semester of graduate study.
Submission of an approved program of study by the end of the second semester of graduate study is required. A candidate for the doctoral degree must complete a minimum of 24 credit hours of graduate course work numbered 503 or higher beyond the master’s degree. Candidates not having a master’s degree must complete a minimum of 48 credit hours of graduate course work beyond the baccalaureate degree, 24 credit hours of which must be numbered 503 or higher. A minimum of 12 of the 24 credit hours, or 30 of the 48 credit hours, must be graded A-F. At least 9 credit hours of the student’s course work must be from outside the Entomology and Plant Pathology curriculum, and a minimum of 6 credit hours of courses numbered 601 or higher must be taken at the University of Tennessee, excluding EPP 603 . In addition, 24 credit hours of EPP 600 Doctoral Research and Dissertation are required.
Satisfactory preparation of a written dissertation proposal to the student’s committee is required. The dissertation proposal must be completed during the first two semesters of graduate study and before enrollment in EPP 600.
Both written and oral sections of the comprehensive examination must be passed. Candidates will be tested on their knowledge of their proposed dissertation and related fields.
Presentation of two departmental seminars (2 credit hours of EPP 640 ), which includes an exit seminar is required.
Satisfactory preparation of a written dissertation and an oral defense to the student’s doctoral committee are required.
See the Degree Program Requirements/Doctoral Degree section in the Academic Policies and Requirements for Graduate Students section of this catalog for additional information.
Bioinformatics, Genomics, and Molecular Interactions concentration
The following courses are required for students with a concentration in Bioinformatics, Genomics, and Molecular Interactions. A student with prior course work and/or experience may petition the EPP faculty for an exemption(s). An exemption may be granted by majority vote on the basis of documentary evidence, or written and/or oral exams.
Required
EPP 600 - Doctoral Research and Dissertation (24 credit hours)
EPP 622 - Bioinformatics Applications (3)
EPP 640 - Seminar (2 semesters for 1 credit hour each); Seminars are only given during academic semesters
EPP 675 - Scientific Writing and Grantsmanship (3)
Advanced quantitative methods course (3)
Required (Six credit hours selected from the list below based on program direction)
EPP 515 - Physiology of Plant Disease (3)
EPP 521 - Plant Virology (3)
EPP 528 - Molecular Techniques in Entomology, Nematology, and Plant Pathology (3)
EPP 561 - Insect Physiology (3)
Electives (Seven credit hours of elective coursework from within or outside EPP; examples are provided below. This list is not all-inclusive, as the course needs of individual student programs vary).
ANSC 675 - Statistical Genomics (3)
BCMB 510 - Computational Structural Biochemistry (1)
BCMB 511 - Advanced Protein Chemistry and Cellular Biology (3)
BCMB 512 - Advanced Molecular Biology (3)
BCMB 513 - Advanced Protein Biochemistry and Cell Biology II (3)
BCMB 517 - Physical Biochemistry (3)
BCMB 522 - Advanced Plant Physiology I (3)
BCMB 523 - Advanced Plant Physiology II (3)
BME 520 - Systems Biology and Complex System Theory (3)
BME 580 - Computational Cell Biology (3)
CEM 541 - Cellular and Molecular Basis of Disease (2)
CEM 542 - Cellular and Molecular Basis of Disease (2)
ENVE 561 - Climate and Environmental Informatics (3)
ENVE 655 - Environmental Systems Biology (3)
LFSC 507 - Programming for Biological Data Analysis (3)
LFSC 520 - Genome Science and Technology I (4)
LFSC 521 - Genome Science and Technology II (4)
MICR 520 - Microbial Pathogenesis (3)
MICR 540 - Genomics and Bioinformatics / LFSC 517 - Genomics and Bioinformatics (3)
PLSC 552 - Plant Biotechnology and Genetics (3)
PLSC 553 - Introduction to Plant Breeding (3)
PLSC 554 - Plant Biotechniques (3)
PLSC 610 - Advanced Plant Genomics (2)
PLSC 653 - Advanced Plant Breeding (3)
Organismal Biology, Ecology, and Systematics concentration
The following courses are required for students with a concentration in Organismal Biology, Ecology, and Systematics. A student with prior course work and/or experience may petition the EPP faculty for an exemption(s). An exemption may be granted by majority vote on the basis of documentary evidence, or written and/or oral exams.
Required
EPP 600 - Doctoral Research and Dissertation (24 credit hours)
EPP 640 - Seminar (2 semesters for 1 credit hour each); Seminars are only given during academic semesters
EPP 675 - Scientific Writing and Grantsmanship (3)
Advanced quantitative methods course (3)
Required (Nine credit hours selected from the list below based on program direction)
EPP 505 - Mycology (3)
EPP 514 - Phytobacteriology (3)
EPP 520 - Nematology (3)
EPP 521 - Plant Virology (3)
EPP 523 - Field Crop and Vegetable Entomology (3)
EPP 525 - Medical and Veterinary Entomology (3)
EPP 528 - Molecular Techniques in Entomology, Nematology, and Plant Pathology (3)
EPP 530 - Integrated Pest Management (3)
EPP 548 - Taxonomy of Adult Insects (3)
EPP 551 - Biological Control (3)
EPP 552 - Insect Morphology (3)
Electives (Ten credit hours of elective coursework selected from within or outside EPP; examples are provided below. This list is not all-inclusive, as the course needs of individual student programs vary).
ANSC 571 - Design and Analysis of Biological Research / PLSC 571 - Design and Analysis of Biological Research (3)
ANSC 572 - Mixed Linear Statistical Modeling (3)
BSE 555 - GIS and GPS Applications to Biosystems (3)
BZAN 553 - Design of Experiments / STAT 573 - Design of Experiments (3)
CEM 504 - Descriptive and Applied Epidemiology (3)
CEM 507 - Epidemiology of Vector-Borne, Bacterial, and Viral Zoonotic Diseases (2)
CEM 601 - Advanced Epidemiology (3)
CEM 602 - GIS and Geographical Epidemiology (3)
PLSC 561 - Statistics for Biological Research (3)
EEB 509 - Core: Ecology (3)
EEB 560 - Biometry (3)
EEB 583 - Zoogeography (3)
EPP 512 - Soilborne Plant Pathogens (3)
ESS 516 - Soil Biology and Biochemistry (3)
STAT 578 - Categorical Data Analysis (3)
STAT 579 - Applied Multivariate Methods (3)
WFS 501 - Ecology and Management of Wildlife Health (3)
WFS 545 - Advanced Population Analysis (3)
Sustainable Disease and Integrated Pest Management Systems concentration
The following courses are required for students with a concentration in Sustainable Disease and Integrated Pest Management Systems. A student with prior course work and/or experience may petition the EPP faculty for an exemption(s). An exemption may be granted by majority vote on the basis of documentary evidence, or written and/or oral exams.
Required
EPP 600 - Doctoral Research and Dissertation (24 credit hours)
EPP 630 - Advanced Integrated Pest and Pathogen Management (3)
EPP 640 - Seminar (2 semesters for 1 credit hour each); Seminars are only given during academic semesters
EPP 675 - Scientific Writing and Grantsmanship (3)
Advanced quantitative methods course (3)
Required (Six credit hours selected from the list below based on program direction)
EPP 505 - Mycology (3)
EPP 508 - Plant Health Diagnostics (3)
EPP 512 - Soilborne Plant Pathogens (3)
EPP 514 - Phytobacteriology (3)
EPP 520 - Nematology (3)
EPP 521 - Plant Virology (3)
EPP 523 - Field Crop and Vegetable Entomology (3)
EPP 525 - Medical and Veterinary Entomology (3)
EPP 528 - Molecular Techniques in Entomology, Nematology, and Plant Pathology (3)
EPP 530 - Integrated Pest Management (3)
EPP 551 - Biological Control (3)
Electives (Seven credit hours of elective coursework selected from within or outside EPP; examples are provided below. This list is not all-inclusive, as the course needs of individual student programs vary).
ANSC 571 - Design and Analysis of Biological Research / PLSC 571 - Design and Analysis of Biological Research (3)
ANSC 572 - Mixed Linear Statistical Modeling (3)
BSE 555 - GIS and GPS Applications to Biosystems (3)
FWF 535 - Environmental Impacts to Natural Ecosystems (3)
PLSC 515 - Agroecology (3)
PLSC 552 - Plant Biotechnology and Genetics (3)
PLSC 634 - Advanced Weed Science Principles (3)
