Zoology (PhD)

What is A Zoology (PhD) Degree?

Zoology is the study of animals.  Animals are divided into two different sub-categories:  those with backbones (like fish, reptiles, bird, amphibians, and mammals) and those without backbones (like insects, spiders, crustaceans, worms, shellfish, and other squishy creatures).  Zoologists study everything about animals like how they stay alive (what they eat, do, and how they reproduce), how their bodies are structured, and how they interact with the environment and other animals. Some focus on wild animals, some on your pets like Gizmo (whom you know from this site), or some study farm animals.

Having a PhD degree in Zoology will prepare you for positions such as zoologist, wildlife biologist, zoo scientist, or researcher.  You may also become the Executive Director of a major zoo or wildlife refuge!  You may also be interested in becoming a professor of zoology in a university setting, teaching zoology/animal biology and doing research into animal behavior.  Coursework for the PhD in Zoology will include those advanced research/statistics and zoology courses that are needed to complete a major research project for which you’ll write and defend a dissertation.  You may study things like animal psychology, population ecology, environmental toxicology, or neuroendocrinology.  It’s possible that your dissertation research could look into obscure characteristics of creatures who live in all kinds of environments. You might even discover something that can help animals, including people, all over the world.