Overview

Applied Animal Biology 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.

The program is enriched through collaboration with colleagues in other UBC graduate programs such as Zoology, Population and Public Health, and with agencies such as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Dairy Farmers of Canada and other livestock agencies and the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA).

On-campus teaching and research facilities are located 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 Fisheries and Oceans Canada at West Vancouver; Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the BC SPCA.

What makes the program unique?

UBC is uniquely equipped to offer you a rich and well-rounded graduate degree in Applied Animal Biology. After all, we have been honing our expertise for over a century: The Faculty of Agriculture (now LFS) was one of UBC’s three founding faculties back in 1915, with Animal Husbandry as one of Agriculture’s first four programs. Still today, our MSc and PhD programs benefit from state-of-the-art on-campus teaching and research facilities, as well as off-campus research facilities.

The Applied Animal Biology program is also home to the UBC Animal Welfare Program, the Dairy Education and Research Centre, and a graduate certificate in Aquaculture. The Animal Welfare Program is one of the largest and most respected programs in the world in the field of animal welfare science. Since its inception in 1997, the Program’s research has led to improvements in the lives of animals in British Columbia and around the world. The mission of the program is to improve the welfare and humane care of animals in agriculture, research, companionship and other areas through active efforts in research, education and public outreach. For additional information visit: https://awp.landfood.ubc.ca/

Program Structure

Graduate training at the Ph.D. level in applied animal biology requires that 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.

Meet a Representative

Land and Food Systems Research-based Programs Info Session

Online
Friday, 14 November 2025 10:00 – 11:00 am

Join us to learn more about the research-based programs in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems. We offer both a MSc and PhD in Applied Animal Biology, Food Science, Human Nutrition, Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems, Plant Science and Soil Science. Learn more about each program as well as application and admissions requirements. There will also be time for Q&A with the LFS Admissions Coordinator and graduate students.

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If you don't have a UBC Campus-Wide Login (CWL) please create an account first.
If you don't have a UBC Campus-Wide Login (CWL) please create an account first.

Intake

Application Open Date
Canadian Applicant Deadline
International Applicant Deadline

Intake

Application Open Date
Canadian Applicant Deadline
International Applicant Deadline

Intake

Application Open Date
Canadian Applicant Deadline
International Applicant Deadline

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