PhD Animal Behavior at Arizona State University

Programme overview

The Doctor of Philosophy in animal behavior is a transdisciplinary graduate degree program that provides you with doctoral-level training in mechanistic and functional approaches to understanding behavior in a variety of animal taxa. The study of behavior is at the interface of several scientific disciplines, including anatomy, ecology, evolution, neuroscience and physiology. This program offers you the diverse but specialized array of skills and knowledge needed to produce excellent research in animal behavior.

What you will study

84 credit hours, an oral comprehensive exam, a written comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation Required Core (8 credit hours) ANB 601 Research Strategies in Animal Behavior (4) ANB 602 Current Issues in Animal Behavior (1) Electives or Research (64 credit hours) Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) ANB 799 Dissertation (12) Additional Curriculum Information Core course ANB 602 is a one credit hour course taken four times.

Career pathways

A PhD program in animal behavior provides strong preparation for academic careers at every level, including community colleges and research universities. Career examples: animal scientist, biology professor, conservation biologist, postsecondary biology teacher, wildlife biologist.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Applicants must have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in a related discipline from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program. Applicants must submit the following: graduate admission application and application fee official transcripts academic record form personal statement curriculum vitae or resume three letters of recommendation proof of English proficiency Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

Domestic applicants: USD 13,327 a year (2026-27). Arizona resident tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads Source

International applicants: USD 24,780 a year (2026-27). International tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads ar Source

Entry terms: Fall, Spring and Summer; the terms available for each programme are listed in Degree Search.

Graduate application deadlines are set by each programme office and listed in Degree Search. The nonrefundable application fee is $75 for U.S. citizens, permanent residents, DACA and international online students outside the U.S., and $120 for international students on a nonimmigrant visa studying in the U.S.

Apply through the official page: https://admission.asu.edu/apply/graduate/admission

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