Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
Overview
Zoology encompasses over 50 principal investigators. Research interests of faculty members can be divided into several broad categories with substantial overlap of interest and collaboration among these arbitrary groups. The program vigorously promotes integrative research in biology and actively participates in several interdisciplinary programs, including the graduate programs in genetics, neuroscience, applied mathematics, and resource management.
What makes the program unique?
The Department of Zoology at UBC is internationally renowned for its research in a variety of modern biological sciences, including ecology, evolution, physiology, neurobiology, cell biology and development. The department has many strong interdisciplinary connections between different areas of research.
In addition Zoology is actively involved in several interdisciplinary programs of instruction and research including: Fisheries Centre, Centre for Biodiversity Research, Centre for Applied Conservation Research (CACR), Genetics Program, ICORD (International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries), Institute of Applied Mathematics, BC Cancer Research Centre and Life Sciences Institute.
Quick Facts
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Subject
Life Sciences
Mode of delivery
On campus
Registration options
Full-time
Specialization
Zoology
Program Components
Dissertation
Faculty
Faculty of Science
Research Information
Research Focus
Cell and Developmental Biology: molecular and genetic bases of development and cellular function
Comparative Physiology: aspects of animal physiology from a comparative perspective, particularly those mechanisms underlying adaptive responses to environmental constraints
Ecology: blends field ecology and natural history with ecological theory and conservation biology
Evolution: encompasses evolutionary ecology, evolutionary genetics, conservation genetics, theory, and systematics
Application Notes
Please consult this webpage for full details on how to apply: https://www.zoology.ubc.ca/graduate-studies/how-to-apply
DEADLINES:
January 15th - Deadline to be considered for Four Year Fellowship and Zoology Graduate Fellowship.
Please note: If an applicant does not meet the minimum English language proficiency requirement, they will not be eligible to apply for a Teaching Assistant (TA) role during their first year of study. In subsequent years, students will be eligible to apply for a TA position once the English language proficiency is met.
Requirements
TOEFL (ibT) Overall Score Requirement
92
22
22
22
22
IELTS Overall Score Requirement
6.5
6.0
6.0
6.0
6.0
Funding Sources
All full-time students who begin a UBC-Vancouver PhD program in September 2018 or later will be provided with a funding package of at least $18,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. Please note that many graduate programs provide funding packages that are substantially greater than $18,000 per year. Please check with your prospective graduate program for specific details of the funding provided to its PhD students.
Career Outcomes
95 students graduated between 2005 and 2013: 1 graduate is seeking employment; 1 is in a non-salaried situation; for 6 we have no data (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016). For the remaining 87 graduates:
RI (Research-Intensive) Faculty: typically tenure-track faculty positions (equivalent of the North American Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor positions) in PhD-granting institutions
TI (Teaching-Intensive) Faculty: typically full-time faculty positions in colleges or in institutions not granting PhDs, and teaching faculty at PhD-granting institutions
Term Faculty: faculty in term appointments (e.g. sessional lecturers, visiting assistant professors, etc.)
Sample Employers in Higher Education
University of British Columbia (7)University of Washington (4)
Stanford University (3)
McMaster University (2)
University of Calgary (2)
University of California - Riverside (2)
University of Ottawa (2)
University of California - Davis
University of Victoria
Pennsylvania State University
Sample Employers Outside Higher Education
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (2)BC Ministry of Environment (2)
Vancouver Aquarium
Pure Integrative Pharmacy
AbCellera
Roadhouse Interactive
Hemmera
FISHBIO
Genentech
Mount Boucherie Secondary
Sample Job Titles Outside Higher Education
Postdoctoral Fellow (2)Wildlife Research Biologist
Principal
Senior Behavioural Ecologist and Bioacoustician
Scientist
Senior Scientist
Fisheries Biologist
Research Manager
Teacher
Hydro-Impacts / Sturgeon Specialist
PhD Career Outcome Survey
You may view the full report on career outcomes of UBC PhD graduates on outcomes.grad.ubc.ca.Disclaimer
These data represent historical employment information and do not guarantee future employment prospects for graduates of this program. They are for informational purposes only. Data were collected through either alumni surveys or internet research.Tuition / Program Costs
| Fees | Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat | International |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | $102.00 | $165.00 |
| Tuition * | ||
| Installments per year | 3 | 3 |
| Tuition per installment | $1,632.61 | $2,868.22 |
| Tuition per year | $4,897.83 | $8,604.66 |
| Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) | $3,200.00 (-) | |
| Other Fees and Costs | ||
| Student Fees (yearly) | $923.38 (approx.) | |
| Costs of living (yearly) | starting at $16,884.10 (check cost calculator) | |
* Regular, full-time tuition. For on-leave, extension, continuing or part time (if applicable) fees see UBC Calendar.
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.
Statistical Data
Enrolment Data
| 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | 29 | 41 | 27 | 29 | 28 |
| Offers | 11 | 17 | 12 | 12 | 15 |
| New registrations | 8 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 12 |
| Total enrolment | 97 | 107 | 103 | 109 | 109 |
Completion Rates & Times
This program has a graduation rate of 89.36% based on 47 students admitted between 2004 - 2007. Based on 35 graduations between 2013 - 2016 the minimum time to completion is 4.00 years and the maximum time is 8.99 years with an average of 6.01 years of study. All calculations exclude leave times.
Disclaimer
Admissions data refer to all UBC Vancouver applications, offers, new registrants for each year, May to April [data updated: 9 March 2018]. Enrolment data are based on March 1 snapshots. Program completion data are only provided for datasets comprised of more than 4 individuals. Rates and times of completion depend on a number of variables (e.g. curriculum requirements, student funding), some of which may have changed in recent years for some programs [data updated: 29 September 2017].
Upcoming Doctoral Exams
Wednesday, 2 May 2018 - 12:30pm - Room 200
Yvonne Andrea Dzal
Matching Oxygen Supply and Oxygen Demand: Do Heterothermic Rodents Tolerate Cold and Hypoxia Through the Retention of Neonatal Traits?
Research Supervisors
This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.
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Abraham, Ninan (Mammals, pathogens, genetic analysis, proper cell funtion, development, maintenance and proper functioning of T- and B-cells )
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Adamson, Martin (Evolution, parasites)
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Altshuler, Douglas (flight control, visual guidance, visual neuroscience, neuroethology, avian biomechanics, aerodynamics, wing morphing, motor control)
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Angert, Amy (Biodiversity and Biocomplexity, Biogeography, Ecological and Ecophysiological Processes, evolutionary ecology, population biology, biological responses to climate change, conservation biology)
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Auld, Vanessa (Cell, Neurogenesis and Gliogenesis, Developmental Genetics, Molecular Genetics, development, nervous system, permeability barriers, glia , cell biology , genetics, in vivo imaging, epithelia)
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Aviles, Leticia (Evolution of sociality, evolution of sex ratios )
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Brauner, Colin (Gas exchange, ion regulation and acid-base balance in fish, Evolution and comparative physiology)
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Cheung, Wai Lung (Impacts of fishing and climate change on marine ecosystems and their goods and services)
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Christensen, Villy (Ecosystem (Aquatic and Terrestrial), Ecological Trends, Fishery Resources, Marine Environment)
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Doebeli, Michael Walter (Mathematical ecology and evolution, evolution of diversity, adaptive speciation, evolution of cooperation, game theory, experimental evolution in microorganisms)
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Gordon, Michael (Neuroscience, Neural circuits, Sensory systems, Feeding, Taste, Gustation, Drosophila, Chemosensation)
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Harley, Christopher (Ecology and Quality of the Environment, community ecology, climate change, marine invertebrates, marine algae)
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Irwin, Darren (Evolutionary Genetics, speciation, hybridization, ornithology, seasonal migration)
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Jankowski, Jill (Ecology)
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Leander, Brian (Evolutionary morphology, Marine invertebrate zoology, Evolutionary protistology, Species discovery, Phylogenetic biology, Comparative organismal biology, Marine biodiversity)
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Li, Yue-Xian (Calcium signalling in neuroendocrine cells Fertilization calcium waves in oocytes)
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Maddison, Wayne (Arachnology, Biodiversity, Spiders, Phylogenetic Theory and Programming)
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Matsuuchi, Linda (Cell signaling of specific membrane receptors, combining aspects of Cell Biology, Immunology , Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
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Matthews, Philip (respiratory adaptations of animals, primarily insects)
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McAllister, Murdoch (Statistical methods for fisheries risk assessment, estimation, decision analysis and management strategy evaluation)
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Mizumoto, Kota (Cell and Developmental Biology)
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Moerman, Donald (Formation and function of muscle )
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O'Connor, Mary (climate change, ocean, seafood, seagrass, eelgrass, invertebrate, ecology, environment, )
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Otto, Sarah (evolution, mathematical modeling, population genetics, genomic evolution, evolution of sex, yeast experimental evolution, Population genetics and evolutionary biology, yeast)
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Pante, Nelly (Molecular trafficking pathways within the cell)
Pages
Recent Doctoral Citations
- Dr. Jennifer Coyle Selgrath
"Dr. Selgrath quantified how small-scale fisheries shifted from benign to damaging through a growing use of destructive fishing gears and an increasing number of fishers. She demonstrated that past fishing impacted contemporary coral reefs, and identified opportunities for conservation programs to foster sustainable fisheries." (November 2017) - Dr. Ruth Victoria Sharpe
"Dr. Sharpe used social spider populations to demonstrate that over-sharing of food could result in population extinction. However, using a computer simulation, she showed that rare but random events could increase food available to large colonies, allowing individual spiders to obtain enough food to disperse, thus maintaining the overall population." (November 2017) - Dr. Taylor Christian Gibbons
"Dr. Gibbons examined the evolution of physiological traits in the threespine stickleback fish using both whole organism and molecular genetic approaches. He explored the roles of salinity and temperature in driving evolutionary divergence during freshwater colonization by this species. His work helps us understand current patterns in fish distribution." (November 2017) - Dr. Kathryn Michele Anderson
"Dr. Anderson studied the impacts of global change on marine ecosystems. Her research showed that shifts in species interactions in response to environmental change can have as large an impact on local biodiversity as environmental change on its own. Her research sheds light on important leverage points of ecological change and biodiversity loss." (November 2017) - Dr. G.D. Nadika Gayathri Samarasekera
"Barriers in epithelia block germs and prevent fluid loss. Gliotactin is essential to form these barriers, but too much Gliotactin leads to tumor-like growth and tissue disruption. Dr. Samarasekera identified cellular pathways that are involved in this tissue disruption, increasing our understanding why misregulation of barrier proteins can lead to cancer." (November 2017)
Sample Thesis Submissions
Further Program Information
Program Website
Faculty Overview
Academic Unit
Program Identifier
VGDPHD-Y3
May 2018 Intake
Application Open Date
01 May 2017 Canadian Applicant Deadline
15 December 2017 International Applicant Deadline
01 November 2017 September 2018 Intake
Application Open Date
25 September 2017 Canadian Applicant Deadline
30 April 2018 International Applicant Deadline
31 March 2018 January 2019 Intake
Application Open Date
01 January 2018 Canadian Applicant Deadline
01 May 2018 International Applicant Deadline
01 May 2018 Program Information
Application Enquiries
- Gerard Cowan, coordinator@zoology.ubc.ca
Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update the application inquiries contact details please use this form.