The majority of graduate programs are NOT impacted by recent government announcements about tuition increases.
PhD students from the rest of Canada will continue to pay Quebec fees.
International PhD fees will see the same 3% increase as Quebec fees.
Program Description
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biology offered by the Department of Biology in the Faculty of Science is a research-intensive program that emphasizes stimulating and well-structured learning opportunities. The program's objective is to equip students with skills in attention to detail, original thinking, and the presentation of complex ideas to pursue professional opportunities in academia or industry.
The program may also be taken as one of the following options:
Environment option: offered in collaboration with the Bieler School of Environment, the program considers how various dimensions (scientific, social, legal, ethical) interact to define environment and sustainability issues.
Neotropical environment option: aimed at students who wish to focus their graduate research on environmental issues relevant to the Neotropics and Latin American countries. Students will complete their research in Latin America and their core and complementary courses will be taught in Panama.
Unique Program Features
- The program allows students considerable flexibility in their choice of research and coursework while encouraging cross-disciplinary thinking. Additionally, both Canadian and international students benefit from financial support;
- When applicable, the Department may also accept students with a high academic standing in fields other than biology, such as medicine, engineering, chemistry, and physics;
- Students may either enroll in on of the options or they can choose a project in one of the department’s three main research focus areas: Conservation, Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour; Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, and Neurobiology and Behaviour;
- Students benefit from access to state-of-the-art infrastructure in the Stewart Biology Building and Bellini Life Science Complex, as well as excellent field facilities in Canada and abroad such as the McGill University Phytotron, theAdvanced BioImaging Facility (ABIF), the Gault Nature Reserve, the Penfield Nature Conservancy on Lake Memphrémagog, the McGill Subarctic Research Station at Schefferville, the Bellairs Research Institute, and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI);
- Graduates pursue careers in academia, as researchers in industry, as wildlife biologists, as forensic technologists, or science policy advisors.
University-Level Admission Requirements
- An eligible Bachelor's degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA out of a possible 4.0 GPA
- English-language proficiency
Each program has specific admission requirements including required application documents. Please visit the program website for more details.
Visit our Educational credentials and grade equivalencies and English language proficiency webpages for additional information.
Program Website
PhD in Biology website
Department Contact
Graduate Program ancil.gittens [at] mcgill.ca (subject: PhD%20in%20Biology) (email)
Available Intakes
Fall
Winter
Application Deadlines
| Intake | Applications Open | Application Deadline - International | Application Deadline - Domestic (Canadian, Permanent Resident of Canada) |
|---|---|---|---|
| FALL | September 15 | January 15 | March 15 |
| WINTER | February 15 | August 1 | November 10 |
| SUMMER | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Note: Application deadlines are subject to change without notice. Please check the application portal for the most up-to-date information.