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Master of Pest Management 

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ADMISSIONS TO THE MPM PROGRAM HAVE BEEN TEMPORARILY PAUSED

Recent and upcoming retirement of faculty members will limit our ability to mentor new MPM student researchers and offer MPM graduate courses. We hope to open the MPM program to new student admissions in late 2024 or early 2025. If you have questions please contact the graduate program assistant (biscgrad@sfu.ca).
This temporary pause does not affect other graduate programs. Students who are interested in pest management-related research are encouraged to contact prospective supervisors and consider applying to the MSc program.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The MPM requires a minimum of 34 units, including:

  • Four classroom-based graduate courses
  • Two graduate field courses
  • A research-based thesis
  • BISC 800 - Skills for the successful scientist

View Detailed Program Requirements

Detailed Course Requirements

The MPM program uses an applied approach to the learning and discussion of biological principles, and includes a combination of theoretical and field-based courses. 

Field-based Courses

The MPM requires two field courses (8 days each):

MPM field courses combine classroom lectures with field demonstrations and problem-based learning.

Field courses provide an overview of pest control methods as they are currently practiced in agriculture, forestry, and urban environments and include visits to working farms, commercial forest operations, grain elevators, and research laboratories.

Instruction is supported by specialists from government agencies, extension services, industry, and pest control companies.

When feasible, participation in pest management activities, such as field sampling, diagnosis of pest problems, and calibration and use of equipment, is included.

Classroom-based Courses

Four classroom-based graduate courses are required, including: 

*A 3-unit 800 level elective or STAT 603 (5) can be substituted for one of these courses. 

Thesis Course

Completion of a laboratory or field-based research thesis is required as part of the MPM program:

*800 Level MPM-Related Courses

These graduate courses are usually offered biannually during the fall or spring semesters, depending on faculty availability and student demand. Some courses may not be offered in every two-year cycle.
 
BISC 838 - Population Dynamics and Demography (3)
Theory and practice of population modeling and demographic analysis.
 
BISC 841 - Plant Diseases and Plant Biotechnology (3)
An examination of the major factors that lead to development of plant diseases, control practices and the applications of plant biotechnology to disease management.

BISC 852 - Ecological and Molecular Interactions between Insect Vectors and Parasites (3)
Interactions between parasites and their arthropod vectors. Emphasis is placed on recent advances in our understanding of the interactions, including aspects that can be exploited to reduce parasite transmission.
 
BISC 884 - Special Topics in Pest Ecology and Management (3)
A course that provides graduate students with an in-depth analysis of a topic in pest ecology and management. The course content will change from year to year to reflect student interests and topical research, and can be taught by any faculty member of the Department of Biological Sciences.

BISC 849: Master of Pest Management Thesis

An independent research thesis based on laboratory or fieId-based research and focused on some aspect of pest management. The research may be supervised by any faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences and can be conducted in collaboration with other organizations or institutions willing to sponsor the project. The thesis involves some aspect of pest biology and management.

In their theses, students are encouraged to include sections where their research is interpreted to offer guidance for the management of pests. The M.P.M. thesis has an applied orientation, which distinguishes it from the M.Sc. program.

MPM Field-based Course Descriptions

BISC 601-2: Agriculture, Horticulture and Urban Pest Management
A broad range of agricultural pests and their management, with emphasis on insects, crop diseases, and weeds in greenhouses, orchards and field crops. Pest problems in urban environments, including stored products in and near buildings.
 
BISC 602-2: Forest Pest Management
Management of insect, microbial, vertebrate and plant pests of forests and forest products, including seed orchards, nurseries, dryland sorting areas. Emphasis is placed on diagnosis, decision-making, interactions and techniques for forest pest management.

MPM Research & Collaborators

MPM Research

As the management of pests becomes both increasingly complex and constrained by limited resources and concerns of environmental sustainability, the development of new and innovative approaches to pest management provides exciting research opportunities for both students and faculty.  Current research covers areas, such as: 

  • apiculture
  • behavioural ecology
  • biological control and biotechnology
  • chemical ecology and toxicology
  • insect biochemistry and molecular biology
  • disease vectors
  • vertebrate pests
  • plant pathology, stress physiology and ecology

In exploring these topics, students study pests that affect agricultural crops and forests, small fruits and orchards, urban environments and recreational areas, rangeland and livestock, aquaculture fisheries, and human health, among others.

MPM Collaborating Instructors & Organizations

The Master of Pest Management program is recognized for its unique professional orientation gained, in part, by the valuable contributions of research scientists and managers who participate as guest instructors. These instructors come from various organizations and have contributed their time and effort on a voluntary basis over the course of many years (some as long as 20 years). Several of these organizations have also contributed research funds to provide financial support for students in the program:

  • Abbotsford Spraying Service Ltd.
  • Agriculture Canada Plant Health/Plant Protection Divisions
  • Agriculture Canada Research Stations (Agassiz, Kamloops, Lethbridge, Summerland, Vancouver)
  • Airspread Services Ltd.
  • Alberta Agriculture
  • Alberta Special Crops and Horticultural Research Station
  • Alberta Sugar Company
  • Alexander Juelt Fellowship in Agriculture, Australia
  • Applied Bio-Nomics Ltd.
  • Arbour-Care Tree Service
  • B.C. Forest Service
  • B.C. Hydro
  • B.C. Lettuce Co-operative Association
  • B.C. Ministry of Environment and Parks
  • B.C. Ministry of Forests
  • Bloedel Conservatory
  • British Columbia Coast Vegetable Co-operative Association
  • British Columbia Fruit Growers Association
  • British Columbia Greenhouse Vegetable Research Council
  • British Columbia Honey Producers Association
  • British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Abbotsford, Cloverdale, Kamloops, Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon)
  • British Columbia Ministry of Environment
  • British Columbia Ministry of Forests
  • British Columbia Ministry of Health
  • British Columbia Vegetable Marketing Commission
  • Brooks Diagnostics Ltd.
  • Burnaby School District
  • Canada Grain Commission
  • Canadian Forest Products Ltd.
  • Canadian Forest Service
  • Canadian Pacific Forest Products Ltd.
  • Capilano Pest Control
  • Chai-Na-Ta Ginseng Products Ltd.
  • Coast-Agri
  • Cranberry Growers Association of British Columbia
  • Department of Fisheries and Oceans
  • Department of National Defence
  • DowElanco Canada Ltd.
  • E.S. Cropconsult Ltd.
  • East Chilliwack Co-op
  • Fletcher Challenge Canada Ltd.
  • Forintek Canada Corporation
  • Green Timbers Reforestation Centre
  • Haney Farms
  • Integrated Crop Management Services
  • Integrated Pest Management Services
  • International Forest Products Ltd.
  • International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria
  • MacMillan Bloedel Ltd.
  • Monsanto Canada
  • Natural Resources Canada
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
  • Northwood Pulp and Timber Ltd.
  • Novartis Inc.
  • Novo Nordisk Bioindustrials, Inc.
  • Okanagan Valley Tree Fruit Authority
  • Okanagan-Similkameen Co-op Growers Association
  • Pacific Biology Station
  • Pacific Forest Products Ltd.
  • Pacific Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service
  • PCO Pied Piper Ltd.
  • Peninsul-Lab
  • Pest Management Alternatives Program
  • Phero Tech Inc.
  • R.K. Silviculture Ltd.
  • Richmond Health Department
  • Ridpest Service Ltd.
  • Sagahlie Biological Consultants
  • Science Council of British Columbia
  • Service Packing Co. Ltd.
  • Similkameen Okanagan Cooperative Growers Association
  • Similkameen Okanagan Organic Fruit Producer's Association
  • Simon Fraser Health Unit
  • Sterile Insect Release Program
  • Surrey Nursery
  • The Cariboo Lumberman's Association
  • The Council of Forest Industries of British Columbia
  • The Interior Lumber Manufacturers' Association
  • Timber West Forest Ltd.
  • Tolko Industries Ltd.
  • Traas Nursery Ltd.
  • United Flower Growers Association
  • University of British Columbia
  • University of Lethbridge
  • Vancouver International Airport
  • Vancouver Parks Board
  • Western Biologicals Ltd.
  • Western Forest Products Ltd.
  • Western Greenhouse Growers Co-operative Association
  • Weyerhaeuser Canada Ltd.
  • Wright Institute, SFU

MPM Program Timeline

* Review the courses offered and consult with your supervisor as to which courses are recommended. 

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