For nearly a century, the Department of Entomology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has served a highly diverse clientele ranging from its own citizens to the world community. Founded in 1909, the Department of Entomology, during the years before World War II, served the agricultural needs of the state with research programs directed towards crop protection and apiculture. In the years following WWII, all areas of entomological research underwent a rapid expansion. These areas included: development of new pesticides and the study of their environmental fate, application of biological control to new pest species, improvement of rearing procedures for laboratory reared insects, and analyses of disease transmission. Research interests in the department have continued to expand and include such diverse topics and insect immunity, insect borne virus transmission, cholesterol metabolism, endocrinology, affects of global warming, spread of invasive species, gut symbiotic relationships, and organic farming. During the past decade members of the Department published more than 500 papers in refereed journals. The Department averages about 35 graduate students/year and has produced over 300 M.S. and 300 Ph.D. students since its' inception.

The Department maintains a small but vigorous undergraduate program averaging about 10 students. These students are expected to take part in faculty research programs and develop a capstone thesis. In addition to departmental instruction, the faculty is involved in team teaching in a number of other departments including Botany, Environmental Toxicology, Forestry, Genetics, Plant Pathology, Institute for Environmental Studies, and Zoology