Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Biology

Downtown, Montreal, Canada

Shortlist

# =44QS Subject Rankings

48 monthsProgram duration

9,119 CADTuition Fee/year

01 Aug, 2025Application Deadline

Shortlist

Program overview

Main Subject

Biological Sciences

Degree

PhD

Study Level

PHD

Study Mode

On Campus

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 with the Neotropical environment option which is 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.

Keywords: Molecular biology, Cellular biology, Developmental biology, Biophysics, Quantitative biology, Evo-devo, Conservation, Environmental/Climate change, Ecology, Aquatic ecology, Evolutionary ecology, Theoretical ecology, Developmental evolution, Biodiversity, Behavioral science, Neurobiology, Plant biology.

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.

Read less

Program overview

Main Subject

Biological Sciences

Degree

PhD

Study Level

PHD

Study Mode

On Campus

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.

Read less

Admission Requirements

TOEFL

86+

IELTS

6.5+

Bachelor GPA

An eligible Bachelor's degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA out of a possible 4.0 GPA
English-language proficiency
Students who wish to be fast tracked to Ph.D1 with a B.Sc must have a minimum CGPA of 3.7/4.

Application Deadline

01 Aug 2025

Program Duration

4 Years

Starting Month(s)

Jan

Starting Month(s)

Sep

Candidates are required to submit references or letter(s) of recommendation for acceptance

Candidates are required to submit an essay(s) for acceptance

Tuition Fee and Scholarships

Domestic Students

Tuition Fee/year

1,483 CAD

Tuition Fee (Out of State)

International Students

Tuition Fee/year

9,119 CAD

Other Expenses

One of the important factors when considering a master's degree is the cost of study. Luckily, there are many options available to help students fund their master's programme. Download your copy of the Scholarship Guide to find out which scholarships from around the world could be available to you, and how to apply for them.

In this guide you will find:

Where to look for scholarship opportunities

How to apply to scholarships relevant to you

A list of available scholarships around the world

A scholarship application checklist

Download Scholarship Guide

QS subject rankings

2013
#=47
2014
#=46
2015
#=34
2016
#37
2017
#32
2018
#37
2019
#=29
2020
#31
2021
#36
2022
#39
2023
#36
2024
#=43
2025
#=44

Ranking criteria

Overall

77.7

Academic Reputation

75.3

Citations per Paper

Employer Reputation

H-index Citations

79.2

International Research Network

66.9

View all rankings data

Downtown, Montreal, Canada

# =44QS Subject Rankings

48 monthsProgram duration

9,119 CADTuition Fee/year

01 Aug, 2025Application Deadline

Program overview

Main Subject

Degree

Study Level

Study Mode

Program overview

Main Subject

Degree

Study Level

Study Mode

Admission Requirements

Exam Scores

Important Dates

Application

Tuition Fee and Scholarships

Tuition Fee

Domestic Students

International Students

Scholarships

In this guide you will find:

QS WUR Ranking By Subject

QS subject rankings

Subject: Biological Sciences

Ranking criteria

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