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Master of Pest Management
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.
The Master of Pest Management is a unique program combining intensive research with applied skill development. The program offers opportunities to research, develop and apply innovative solutions to the management of pests which might otherwise have devastating consequences on food production, forestry, human health and conservation.
Research within the MPM program is wide-ranging, covering topics such as:
- biological control
- chemical ecology and animal communication ecology
- pest ecology and dynamics
- disease vectors
- plant pathology
- biotechnology
Admission Requirements
Entry to the Master of Pest Management (MPM) requires completion of a Bachelor's degree from a recognized university and:
- a minimum cgpa of 3.0 (B)
- commitment from a faculty member willing to supervise your research
- evidence of your ability to carry out advanced studies
The MPM program is normally completed within 3 years.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
The MPM requires a minimum of 34 units, including:
- 16 units of graduate courses; and,
- an 18 unit thesis, based on original research
PROGRAM FACULTY
A faculty supervisor must be identified prior to admission. Faculty members with current research interests related to the biology or management of pests are listed below, however any of our research faculty can supervise MPM students:
PROGRAM HISTORY
The Master of Pest Management program was founded in 1967 after the establishment of Simon Fraser University in 1965. The program became recognized nationally and internationally for its contributions to the biology and management of pests. Since 1967, the program has provided training to students from over 30 countries. This unique professional degree relies upon valuable contributions from numerous guest instructors and provides broad and comprehensive training, covering numerous aspects of pest management.
The availability of new technologies, and skills with which pest problems can be solved, provides new research opportunities for both students and faculty alike. In addition, as the complexities of pest management increase in the face of limited resources and heightened awareness of environmental sustainability, we are being faced with addditional challenges. Therefore, new and innovative approaches to the management of pests must be developed. There is increased interest, for example, in the areas of biological control, biotechnology, and chemical ecology. In 2003, the MPM program underwent a major revision to provide students with contemporary training and research experiences.
The MPM program continues to provide unique opportunities for students by combining basic research with the practical application of pest management strategies. The underlying philosophy is that students graduating from the program should attain a broad and interdisciplinary background.