Ph.D. program 

Incoming graduate students are encouraged to apply for University and Departmental assistantships. LSU offers highly competitive research fellowships and assistantships for outstanding M.S. and Ph.D. students. These are administered through the Department, Graduate School and the College of Agriculture, and most require applications that should be submitted by mid-February for the following Fall semester.

In addition, graduate research assistantships are awarded by the Department to qualified students on a competitive basis and are half-time (i.e., 20 hours/week) research appointments. Students must maintain satisfactory performance to remain on an assistantship. This requires maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), and satisfactory progress on research. The expected periods of time for students to complete the M.S. and Ph. D. degrees are 2 ½ and 4-5 years, respectively, and departmental assistantships are generally not extended beyond these time periods. Stipends for graduate students vary depending on the source of funds and possible supplements (i.e., from the Graduate School or grants). Tuition (but not other fees) is waived for students receiving graduate assistantships.

The L.D. Newsom Graduate Student Award in Entomology
This award is given to individuals who exhibit excellence in academic achievement and graduate research in the Department of Entomology at Louisiana State University. One award is available for nominees in the M.S. program and one award for a Ph.D. candidate each year. The amount of each award is $1,000. Deadline for application is March 1 of each year.

The Boethel Scholarship Graduate Student Award in Entomology
This award is given to a full time M.S. or Ph.D. student who exhibits excellence in academic achievement and has made satisfactory progress on his/her graduate degree program in the Department of Entomology at Louisiana State University. Preference is given to students with research in the area of integrated pest management. One award is available for a nominee in the M.S. or Ph.D. program each year. The amount of the award is $1,000. Deadline for application is July 1 of each year. 

The Roussel Scholarship Graduate Student Award in Entomology
This award is be given to a full time M.S. or Ph.D. student who exhibits excellence in academic achievement and has made satisfactory progress on his/her graduate degree program in the Department of Entomology at Louisiana State University. Overall GPA must be overall GPA of 3.4 or greater. One award is available for a nominee in the M.S. or Ph.D. program each year. The amount of the award is $1,000. Deadline for application is July 1 of each year.

Distinguished Dissertation Award in Science and Engineering
A nominee is selected from within the Entomology Department by the Student Awards Committee and forwarded to the College of Agriculture(COA). Nominations are due at the COA in early December. The COA selects one nominee which is submitted for competition at the university level.

John Henry Comstock Award 
This award, given by the National Office of the ESA to promote interest in the science of entomology at the graduate level and to stimulate interest in attending the national conference, consists of an all-expenses-paid trip to the ESA national conference, plus $100 cash and a certificate. It is given to one graduate student from each Branch. Each Entomology Department in the Southeastern Branch nominates one Ph.D. student. Each nomination should contain a detailed resume prepared according to ESA requirements submitted by departments to the SEB-ESA Awards Committee. Nomination packets should be given to the departmental Student Awards Committee chair and this committee selects the department nominee. The departmental nominee’s packet is due at the SEB on July 1st.

Kirby L. Hays Award 
This award is sponsored by the Southeastern Branch and is given each year to an outstanding Master’s student. The recipient is given $250 and a plaque at the Annual Branch Meeting. Each Department nominates one student. Each nomination should contain a detailed resume prepared according to ESA requirements. The Student Awards Committee selects the departmental nominee after a call for nominations around July 1st and submits the nominee to the SEB by September 1st. 

Robert T. Gast Award and Southeastern Branch Student Award
These two awards are given annually to a Ph.D. and M.S. student, respectively, presenting the best research paper as judged by both oral presentation and written work. The Gast Award recipient is given $500 and the Southeastern Branch Student Award recipient is given $250. Plaques are presented to both winners at the Annual Branch Meeting. Runners-up for these awards each receive $100 and a plaque. The deadline for nominations is coincident with the deadline for receipt of titles and abstracts for student paper competitions at the SEB Annual Meeting, usually September or October. The paper submitted for consideration cannot have been submitted for publication prior to this deadline.

Southeastern Branch Outstanding Student Display Presentation Award
This award is given annually to the student presenting the best research paper in a display format based on both the presentation and a written summary. The recipient is given $100 and a plaque at the Annual Branch Meeting. The deadline is announced annually and materials are sent to the SEB. 

Students are encouraged to compete for travel and research awards from various sources on campus such as the LSU Sigma Xi Chapter and the Graduate School and nationally from federal agencies (e.g. National Science Foundation’s Dissertation Improvement Grants, EPA Star Fellowships), professional societies (e.g. Sigma Xi, American Women in Science), private foundations (e.g., The Nature Conservancy), and industry.