Program Overview

Overview

The Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD) program offers opportunities for advanced study and research leading to a Ph.D. degree in animal physiology, behaviour, welfare, and management of livestock, companion animals, research animals, wildlife species, aquaculture, and on the human-animal relationship.

Program Structure

Graduate training at the Ph.D. level in applied animal biology requires that the student complete a body of research leading to a dissertation. Students are expected to publish their research results in relevant leading international refereed journals. Coursework is not mandatory but if needed is decided upon in consultation with the student's supervisory committee and normally includes graduate courses in areas relevant to each student's research.

Quick Facts

• Faculty: Faculty of Land and Food Systems
• Academic Unit: Faculty of Land and Food Systems
• Specialization: Applied Animal Biology
• Mode of delivery: In person at UBC Vancouver
• Program Components: Dissertation
• Tuition (First Year):
  • Domestic: $5,626.02
  • International: $9,883.98
• Median Funding: 50% of students receive $39,324 or more funding per year in the first 4 years, before tuition and fees

Admission Information & Requirements

Check Eligibility

• Minimum Academic Requirements: The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC).
• English Language Test: Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application.
  • TOEFL:
    • Overall score requirement: 90
    • Reading: 22
    • Writing: 21
    • Speaking: 21
    • Listening: 22
  • IELTS:
    • Overall score requirement: 6.5
    • Reading: 6.0
    • Writing: 6.0
    • Speaking: 6.0
    • Listening: 6.0

Meet Deadlines

• Program Name: Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD)
• Intake:
  • September 2026:
    • Canadian Applicant Deadline: 10 January 2026
    • International Applicant Deadline: 10 January 2026
  • January 2027:
    • Canadian Applicant Deadline: 1 June 2026
    • International Applicant Deadline: 1 June 2026
  • May 2027:
    • Canadian Applicant Deadline: 1 September 2026
    • International Applicant Deadline: 1 September 2026

Prepare Application

• Transcripts: All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study.
• Letters of reference: Applicants have to submit 3 references to apply to this graduate program.
• Statement of Interest: Many programs require a statement of interest, sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.
• Supervision: Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor.

Research Information

Facilities

• On-campus facilities include laboratories in the MacMillan Building.
• Off-campus research facilities available to students include:
  • the UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre in Agassiz
  • shared research facilities at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans at West Vancouver
  • Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
  • the BC SPCA

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

• Fees:
  • Application Fee:
    • Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat: $118.50
    • International: $168.25
  • Tuition:
    • Installments per year: 3
    • Tuition per installment:
      • Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat: $1,875.34
      • International: $3,294.66
    • Tuition per year:
      • Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat: $5,626.02
      • International: $9,883.98
  • Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible): $3,200.00
• Other Fees and Costs:
  • Student Fees (yearly): $1,144.10 (approx.)
  • Costs of living: Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies.

Financial Support

• Program Funding Packages: All full-time doctoral students within the AANB program will be provided with a funding package of at least $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD.
• Funding Statistics:
  • 14 students within this program were included in this study because they received funding through UBC in the form of teaching, research, academic assistantships or internal or external awards with a mean of $39,229 and a median of $39,324.
  • This results in a net balance (any funding provided to the student minus tuition and fees) mean of $30,321 and median of $28,575.

Career Outcomes

• Graduates of the Applied Animal Biology program have pursued academic positions at universities or colleges, research positions at universities and government institutions, consultant positions, or careers in animal-related fields including veterinary medicine, the animal feed manufacturing industry, wildlife rehabilitation, non-profit organizations, and others.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

• This program has a graduation rate of 83% based on 12 students admitted between 2011 - 2014.
• Based on 7 graduations between 2020 - 2023 the minimum time to completion is 4.1 years and the maximum time is 8.9 years with an average of 5.06 years of study.

Research Supervisors

• Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor.
• The following faculty members have full supervisory privileges and are affiliated with this program:
  • Cerri, Ronaldo
  • Frommel, Andrea
  • Guan, Leluo
  • Protopopova, Alexandra
  • von Keyserlingk, Marina
  • Weary, Daniel

Sample Thesis Submissions

• Novel methods of assessment and intervention to improve cat welfare in animal shelters
• Investigating owner relinquishment to animal shelters through data practices, self-rehoming outcomes, and community surrender pathways
• Impediments to and possibilities for respectful human-animal relationships in agriculture
• Social behaviour of dairy cattle: inter-individual differences and implications for welfare

Related Programs

• Same specialization:
  • Master of Science in Applied Animal Biology (MSc)
• Same Academic Unit:
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science (PhD)
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Human Nutrition (PhD)
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (PhD)
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Science (PhD)
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science (PhD)
  • Graduate Certificate in Aquaculture (GCAQUA)
  • Master of Food and Resource Economics (MFRE)
  • Master of Food Science (MFS)
  • Master of Land and Water Systems (MLWS)
  • Master of Science in Applied Animal Biology (MSc)
  • Master of Science in Food Science (MSc)
  • Master of Science in Human Nutrition (MSc)
  • Master of Science in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (MSc)
  • Master of Science in Plant Science (MSc)
  • Master of Science in Soil Science (MSc)