Program Description
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Plant Science offered by the Department of Plant Science in the Faculty of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences is a research-intensive program that emphasizes in-depth and challenging learning opportunities. The program's objective is to equip students with skills in cutting-edge thinking, literature review, and data collection to pursue professional opportunities in academia or industry.
The program can be pursued as one of several additional options:
Bioinformatics option: is designed for students looking to study in the interdisciplinary field of bioinformatics, which lies at the intersection of biological/medical sciences and mathematics/computer science/engineering.
Neotropical Environment option: is aimed at students who wish to focus their graduate research on environmental issues relevant to the Neotropics and Latin American countries.
Keywords: plant production, plant physiology, plant development, plant cell biology, environmetrics, genomics, horticulture, plant pathology, plant breeding, plant interactions, weed biology; plant biomechanics; sustainability, plant systematics; proteomics, structural bioinformatics, systems biology; tropical biology, interdisciplinary research, environmental issues, environmental policy
Unique Program Features
- Students benefit from access to research facilities - both field and laboratory - focusing on areas such as plant breeding, crop physiology, crop management, crop quality, plant ecology, the epidemiology and biology of plant diseases, epigenetics, biosystematics, recombinant DNA technology, molecular biology, high-end imaging, mycology, weed biology, tissue culture, plant biochemistry, and bioinformatics;
- The research and experimental facilities include the Horticultural Research Centre, the Emile A. Lods Agronomy Research Centre, various greenhouses and growth cabinets, the Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Herbarium, the Macdonald Campus Multi-scale Imaging Facility (MuSIF), a genome editing laboratory, a plant-pest containment laboratory, and a field phenomics platform;
- The Neotropical Environment option includes additional courses and seminars, where of the program takes place in Panama;
- Graduates pursue careers in various areas such as in academia, working with government agencies, or the private sector.
University-Level Admission Requirements
- An eligible Bachelor's degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA out of a possible 4.0 GPA
- English-language proficiency
Each program has specific admission requirements including required application documents. Please visit the program website for more details.
Visit our Educational credentials and grade equivalencies and English language proficiency webpages for additional information.
Program Website
PhD in Plant Science website
Department Contact
Graduate Program gradstudies.macdonald [at] mcgill.ca (subject: PhD%20in%20Plant%20Science) (email)
Available Intakes
Fall
Winter
Application Deadlines
| Intake | Applications Open | Application Deadline - International | Application Deadline - Domestic (Canadian, Permanent Resident of Canada) |
|---|---|---|---|
| FALL | September 15 | January 15 | May 31 |
| WINTER | February 15 | July 15 | September 1 |
| SUMMER | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Note: Application deadlines are subject to change without notice. Please check the application portal for the most up-to-date information.