Entomology: Master's or Ph.D?

[LadyMactans]

I want to go to graduate school for entomology (leaning toward Medical or Veterinary ent right now, but that part may change) and I think I'd like to go for my Ph.D eventually, but I'm not sure when. Does anyone know how much longer it takes to get a Master's and then a Ph.D vs. just going straight for a Ph.D? Also, does anyone know if it's better to get a Ph.D in that field or if it would be ok to just get a master's? What are the benefits of each? I'm fairly new to this search, although I have a few ideas of which schools I like, so any advice/information is more than welcome. Thank you.

[Astaroth]

The only reason you would want to do a Masters before the PhD would be if you have a particularly weak Bachelors that you think might prevent you from being accepted at the schools you want. A Masters is a LOT of work, it is essentially a PhD condensed down to 2 years, so I would avoid it as much as possible. If you intend to become a researcher, you will need a PhD for sure. I don't really know what you could possibly do with a Masters in Entomology other than lab technician, lower level teaching, or maybe science journalism.