Doctor of Philosophy in Biosystems and Biodiversity

The PhD in Biosystems and Biodiversity is delivered by the Faculty of Arts and Science. Students in this program are normally supervised by faculty members in our Biological Sciences and Geography departments. Biosystems and Biodiversity is a multidisciplinary program emphasizing organisms' interactions with both biotic and abiotic components of their environments. Areas of research include animal ecology, plant ecology, microbial ecology, parasitology, molecular systematics, biogeography, physiological ecology, remote sensing, environmental genetics, toxicology, developmental biology, phytochemistry and plant physiology. In their programs, researchers use a wide range of techniques to study an array of organisms, including animals, plants, bacteria and fungi. Many research programs include a combination of laboratory and field studies.

Applicants holding a Master of Arts or Master of Science must meet the following minimum requirements before the University will consider admission:

1. A master's degree, or its academic equivalent, in the discipline of interest or in a closely cognate discipline from a recognized degree-granting university.

2. Evidence of scholarly competence (cumulative grade point average of 3.50, on a 4.00 scale, on all graded master's-level courses).

Acceptable evidence of ELP for graduate studies may be any one of:

• Successful completion of a baccalaureate or master’s degree at a recognized institution where the language of instruction is English and the student’s work is in English
• Successful completion of the Advanced Level, English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program at the University of Lethbridge
• Most recent official TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score a paper-based TOEFL of at least 580 and a TWE (Test of Written English) score of 5.0; a computer-based TOEFL of at least 93.
• Most recent official Academic PTE (Pearson Test of English) score, taken within the last two years, with an overall score of at least 63.
• Most recent official CAEL (Canadian Academic English Language) Assessment score of 70 or higher