Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an interdisciplinary concentration of study in Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science. Effective management of pest problems requires a broad base of knowledge in the pest disciplines and practical field experience. The Integrated Pest Management concentration features a strong core of courses in the three pest disciplines (entomology, plant pathology and weed science); a strong background in biological and physical sciences; and practical training through an internship. The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of students who wish to enter a career immediately upon graduation or pursue advanced degrees. A range of electives allow students to personalize their degree program for careers in crop production, agri-business, natural resource management, and/or graduate studies preparation. Graduates are well prepared for employment with industry; state and federal research; extension and regulatory agencies; private agricultural consulting firms; farmer's cooperatives; nurseries, home and garden centers; greenhouse plant production; and corporate farms. The Integrated Pest Management curriculum is in the Agronomy major.

Occupational Outlook Handbook: Integrated pest management is equivalent to an agricultural scientists. The median annual wage for agricultural scientists was $68,830 in May 2020. Overall employment of agricultural scientists is projected to grow 9 percent from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Employment of agricultural scientists is projected to grow as research into agricultural production methods and techniques continues.

Curriculum

Mississippi State University is now offering degree programs that may be completed in three years. These undergraduate degree programs are special programs which allow highly motivated and hard-working students the opportunity to complete a degree in three years rather than the traditional four years. Both the three year and traditional four year degree program are available in Agricultural and Environmental Soil Sciences.

Download the three year curriculum

Download the four year curriculum

Accelerated Program

Highly qualified undergraduates at Mississippi State University are encouraged to consider applying to the Accelerated Program. This program permits enrollment in graduate courses in Agronomy, Horticulture, or Weed Science during the student’s final year of undergraduate studies. Enrollment of up to 9 hours of graduate courses is approved for students admitted to the Accelerated Program. Upon completion of the graduate course(s), undergraduate credit is also awarded for the course. Students need to consult with a potential graduate advisor to ensure graduate credit could be applied to a program of study for the M.S. degree. Application to this program may be made as early as the end of the junior year (i.e., after completion of 90 or more hours of graded undergraduate courses). This option is only available for students pursuing a thesis-based Master of Science degree in Plant and Soil Sciences with a concentration in Agronomy, Horticulture, or Weed Science.

Careers

Agronomist
Chemical Sales Representative
Crop Consultant
Crop Protection Specialist
Crop Scout
Extension Agent

Farm Insurance Agent
Farm Manager
Research Assistant
Research Technician
Territory Sales Manager
Weed Scientist

Internship

IPM students must complete a minimum one semester internship with an approved internship sponsor with industry, a private consulting firm/individual, or government agencies.

Precision Agriculture Certificate Program

There is a need to train students in the broad array of precision agriculture technologies. This certificate program complements majors taught across College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) departments. This certificate features emerging technologies in decision-based agricultural planning and implementation. Visit the Undergraduate Catalog for course requirements.

Scholarships

Students may apply for university, college and departmental scholarships through one application. You can find the scholarship application once you login to myState. Under the banner tab, select Financial Aid and Scholarships. The application is listed as Submit/Revise General Scholarship Application.

Transfer Students

Students may transfer to Mississippi State University from regionally accredited community, junior or senior colleges for any period of enrollment, provided they have earned a 2.0 GPA (as computed by Mississippi State University) on all college courses attempted as well as earned a 2.0 GPA on the 30-hours of core courses. Transfer students should look at the transfer course equivalent guide to determine which courses will transfer.

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Contact:

Fred Musser | 662.325.2974