DoctorofPhilosophy(PhD)program
DepartmentofVeterinaryPathology,WCVM
AllstudentswishingtoapplyforthePhDgraduateprograminVeterinaryPathology
mustfirsthaveafacultymemberintheDepartmentofVeterinaryPathologywhohas
agreedtosupervisetheirprogram.
InterestedstudentsshouldcontacttheDepartmentpriortomakinganyapplication.A
curriculumvitaeandstatementofcareergoalsmaybeforwardedtotheDepartment
GraduateProgramCoordinators(vetpath.gradstudies@usask.ca),ortotheDepartment
GraduateChair(elemir.simko@usask.ca).Ifasupervisorisidentified,thestudentis
theninvitedtosubmitanapplication.Intheeventthatnosupervisorisfound,the
DepartmentofVeterinaryPathologyisunabletoacceptanyapplication.
Withtherecommendationoftheunit,directentryPh.D.admissionisavailableto
exceptionallystrongstudents,whoshowgreatpromiseintermsofacademic
accomplishmentsandpotentialforresearch.
 Afour‐yearhonorsdegree,DoctorofVeterinaryMedicine(D.V.M.)orequivalent,
fromarecognizedcollegeoruniversityinanacademicdisciplinerelevanttothe
proposedfieldofstudy
 Acumulativeweightedaverageofatleasta80%(UofSgradesystemequivalent)
inthelasttwoyearsofstudy(i.e.60creditunits)
 LanguageProficiencyRequirements:ProofofEnglishproficiencymayberequired
forinternationalapplicantsandforapplicantswhosefirstlanguageisnotEnglish.
SeetheCollegeofGraduateStudiesandResearchAcademicInformationand
PoliciesinthisCatalogueformoreinformation
InthePhDprogram,thedegreeofexpertiseandindependenceexpectedismuch
greaterthanintheMScprogram.Independentresearchwithguidanceisthemain
component.Knowledgeofthesubjectareashouldbebothbroadanddeep.At
completion,thePhDgraduateshouldbeanexpertinthedissertationtopic.
TheplaceofdiagnosticveterinarypathologyinthePhDprogramisvariable.Students
withDVMdegreesshouldlearntheskillsofthediagnosticpathologistsufficientlytomake
useoftheseimportanttoolsofpathologyintheirresearch.Also,veterinariansinthePhD
programmay,upongraduation,seekacademicpositionsthatrequireclinicalserviceand
teachingaswellasresearch.Thesestudentsmaychoosetospendadditionaltime
learningdiagnosticskills,butthetimerequiredtoacquiretheskillsandexpertiseofthe
researchscientistcannotbereducedtoaccomplishthisadditionaldiagnosticexperience.
Instead,thedurationofthetotalprogrammustbeincreased.
Graduatesshouldbereadytoenterjunioracademicorresearchpositions.Theyshouldbe
capableofindependentresearchandknowhowtomakehypothesesthatcanbetested.
Theyshouldhavesomeexperienceinteachingandinpresentationofdataatscientific
meetings.Theyshouldhavebroadknowledgeofgeneralpathologyandin‐‐‐depth
knowledgeoftheirresearchfield.ThosewithDVMdegreesshouldhavemoderate
diagnosticskills.
PleasevisittheUofSCollegeofGraduateStudiesandResearchforgeneralinformation
aboutgraduatestudiesattheUniversityofSaskatchewan.Thewebsite’sAdmission
Requirementssectioncontainsimportantinformationforprospectivegraduatestudents
whosefirstlanguageisnotEnglish.