Doctor of Philosophy in Biological Sciences

The doctor of philosophy program in the Department of Biological Sciences at Simon Fraser University entails rigorous academic training and independent research culminating in a thesis leading to peer-reviewed publications. Our research strength is broadly organized into three themes: Cellular, Developmental, & Molecular Biology; Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology; and Applied Biology. Because applicants must identify a faculty member who will supervise them, all applicants must contact potential supervisors directly.

Students already in the MSc, MPM, or MET program in the Department of Biological Sciences may transfer to the PhD program after meeting the following criteria:

At least two terms completed (and no more than six terms) in the SFU master's program;

Completion of at least three-quarters of the required course work of the respective master's program, with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.5 or better;

English Language Requirements:

Internet-based TOEFL: 93 with minimum of 20 in each category

Paper-based TOEFL: 580 and TWE 5

IELTS (academic): overall band score of 7.0 of the academic (NOT general) test with a minimum of 6.5 in each section

CAEL: overall 70; minimum 60 in each section

Pearson Academic (PTE): overall 65; minimum 60 in all of their sections

Cambridge English Qualifications: C1 Advanced - minimum score of 193; C2 Proficiency - minimum score of 200

Duolingo English Test (DET): Provisionally through the Fall 2026 admission cycle - Duolingo English Test (DET) 130 overall with a minimum of 120 in each section.