The Department of Integrative Biology is comprised of faculty members in three overlapping fields and offers MSc and PhD degrees in:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Comparative Physiology

The three areas of emphasis focus on (but are not restricted to), experimental approaches in field and laboratory settings and a strong linkage between theoretical and applied investigations. The Department encourages students to pursue interdisciplinary research and, where appropriate, utilize faculty expertise from across campus on their advisory committees.

Research is focused on a wide variety of organisms (from microbes to plants to animals) at multiple levels of organization (from molecules and cells through to entire ecosystems). Basic research is being used as a foundation to address some of the most important regional and global issues.

See the department website for additional information.

Administrative Staff

Chair
Amy Newman (2480 Science Complex, Ext. 56595)
ibchair@uoguelph.ca
Graduate Program Coordinator
Cortland Griswold (1474 Science Complex, Ext. 56240)
cgriswol@uoguelph.ca
Graduate Program Assistant
Kate Artuso (2483 Science Complex, Ext. 56097)
cbsibgrad@uoguelph.ca
Graduate Admissions Assistant
Karen White (3479 Science Complex, Ext. 52730)
cbsgrad@uoguelph.ca

Graduate Faculty

This list may include Regular Graduate Faculty, Associated Graduate Faculty and/or Graduate Faculty from other universities.

MSc Program

Admissions Requirements

To be considered, applicants must meet the requirements of a four-year honours science degree with a minimum 'B' (75%) average during the final two years (4 semesters) of undergraduate study. Each applicant must obtain the support of a faculty member willing to serve as their thesis advisor.

Admission may be granted in September, January or May. Completed applications should be uploaded at least one full semester (four months) before the expected date of admission. Applications from international students should be uploaded at least eight months prior to the expected date of admission.

All components of the application, including transcript(s), graduate certificate(s), grading scale(s), language test results, assessment forms, a statement of interest and the name of the faculty advisor must be uploaded no later than two months after an application is submitted through the OUAC portal. Applications that are incomplete after this time period will be closed.

Admission Process

Graduate student applications to programs in the College of Biological Science are handled by the Office of the Associate Dean, Research (ADR). Before submitting an application, applicants are strongly encouraged to review the information found on the CBS-ADR website to learn more about the application process.

Complete application submission instructions may also be found on the Office of Graduate Studies webpage or in the Graduate Calendar.

Program Requirements

Students must complete and defend an acceptable thesis. In addition, they must successfully complete courses totaling not fewer than 1.5 credits. These credits must include the mandatory course IBIO*6630 Scientific Communication

An acceptable MSc thesis comprises a scientifically defensible account of the student's research on a particular, well-defined research problem or hypothesis. Such research should begin with the practical expectation that it could be completed and the thesis defended in not more than six semesters. Paramount to the notion of acceptability of the thesis is its quality with respect to the underlying rationale (problem identification), the approach used to address the problem, and the evaluation of the results. Final acceptance of the MSc thesis need not imply that the work is sufficiently meritorious to warrant publication in scholarly media, though the majority of MSc research in the department is published.

The Department endorses the idea that graduate students in the Integrative Biology program should benefit from exposure to recent developments both within and between the major areas of emphasis. To that end, students may enrol in any of the regularly offered courses entitled “Special Topics in …” Details of course content, format and evaluation will be available in the Office of the Chair of the Department one semester prior to the semester in which the course is offered.

In addition, the Department offers two “Advances in Integrative Biology" courses to provide students with the opportunity to study with individual faculty on specific topics in the faculty member's area of expertise. These courses may be taken by groups as either reading/seminar courses, or on an individual research-project basis. Students should approach individual faculty members to request supervision on individual research project courses. In addition, a student can register in an “Advances in Integrative Biology" course to combine a senior-level undergraduate course in ecology, evolutionary biology, or comparative physiology with an additional component – typically a major paper or research project. Students should approach individual faculty members that teach the senior-level undergraduate course, and in consultation with their thesis advisor.

PhD Program

Admissions Requirements

The admission and degree requirements of the PhD program are essentially those of the university. Most applicants will have a recognized Master's degree in a related field obtained with minimum academic standing of 'A-' (80%) in their postgraduate studies, and the endorsement of a potential thesis advisor. Under exceptional circumstances admission directly to a PhD program with an appropriate honours degree alone, or transfer from MSc to PhD program without completing the MSc thesis requirements, is also possible. Applications should be uploaded at least one full semester (four months) prior to the expected date of admission. Applications from international students should be uploaded at least eight months prior to the expected date of admission.

Each applicant must obtain the support of a faculty member willing to serve as their thesis advisor.

All components of the application, including transcript(s), graduate certificate(s), grading scale(s), language test results, assessment forms, a statement of interest and the name of the faculty advisor must be uploaded no later than two months after an application is submitted through the OUAC portal. Applications that are incomplete after this time period will be closed.

Admissions Process

Graduate student applications to programs in the College of Biological Science are handled by the Office of the Associate Dean, Research (ADR). Before submitting an application, applicants are strongly encouraged to review the information found on the CBS-ADR website to learn more about the application process.

Complete application instructions may also be found on the Office of Graduate Studies webpage or in the Graduate Calendar.

Program Requirements

The Integrative Biology program expects that the major part of the student's time will be devoted to research in fulfillment of the thesis requirement. For that reason, the Department does not require that PhD students with an MSc degree take any courses. Students entering directly into the PhD program are required to take 1.0 course credits, which must include IBIO*6630 Scientific Communication in their first or second semester. Furthermore, advisory committees may, from time to time, require that a student take some prescribed or additional courses. Regardless, PhD students are expected to contribute and participate actively in the full academic life of the department, including regular attendance at departmental and inter-departmental seminars, and to provide leadership and counseling to undergraduate and MSc students.

PhD students will become candidates for the PhD degree upon successful completion of a qualifying examination with oral and written components, which should be conducted not later than the third semester of the PhD program. The exam evaluates students' knowledge in the general area of the intended research.

Submission and defence of an acceptable thesis complete the requirements for a PhD. An acceptable thesis comprises a report of the candidate's research on a particular and well-defined research problem or hypothesis. It should represent a significant contribution to knowledge in that field. Emphasis is placed on the quality of the work as judged by the expression of mature scholarship, critical judgment, and satisfactory literary style in the thesis. Thesis approval implies that the research is judged sufficiently meritorious to warrant publication in reputable, refereed journals in its field.

Collaborative Specializations

Neuroscience

The Department of Integrative Biology participates in the MSc/PhD collaborative specialization in neuroscience. Please consult the Neuroscience listing for a detailed description of the MSc/PhD collaborative specialization.

One Health

The Department of Integrative Biology participates in the collaborative specialization in One Health. Master’s and Doctoral students wishing to undertake thesis research or their major research paper/project with an emphasis on one health are eligible to apply to register concurrently in Integrative Biology and the collaborative specialization. Students should consult the One Health listing for more information.

Toxicology

The Department of Integrative Biology participates in the master's/doctoral collaborative specialization in toxicology. The research and teaching expertise of these faculty include aspects of toxicology; they may serve as advisors for master's and doctoral students in Toxicology. Students choosing this option must meet the requirements of the Toxicology collaborative specialization, as well as those of their home department. Please consult the Toxicology listing for a detailed description of the master's/doctoral collaborative specialization.

Courses