Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Zoology Admission Process, Eligibility, Entrance Exams, Syllabus, Top Colleges, Scope and Salary 2023

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Ahana Bhaduri

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Ph.D. Zoology is a 3-year doctorate degree in Zoology. As an academic discipline, Zoology involves a study of animals, their structural classifications, and the science of their existence in the environment. The field is divided into several sub-branches, such as:

  • Ichthyology:  Study of fish and their habitats
  • Ornithology:  Study of birds
  • Mammalogy:  Study of mammals.

The minimum eligibility for pursuing the course is a Master’s degree in the discipline in some cases and additionally, M.Phil. in the subject in other cases.

Eligible candidates aspiring to pursue the course need to have attained a Master’s degree in the relevant discipline with a minimum aggregate score of 55% (50% for SC/ST/PH candidates) or an equivalent grade from a recognized university/institute of higher learning, besides a 5-year teaching/ industry/ administrative/ professional experience at a senior level.

They may work as teachers/ lecturers in schools and colleges, often upon qualifying the NET Exam. Also, such professionals may join chemical, pharmaceutical, and petroleum companies for jobs.

See Also: Top Colleges in Ph.D. Zoology

Ideal candidates for the course would possess data-handling skills such as recording, collating, and analyzing data using appropriate techniques and equipment. They must have written communication skills, presentation and oral communication skills such as presenting research findings and making presentations in a clear, succinct way. They must have project management skills, such as organizing and undertaking research projects, experiments, etc. (including budgeting, contingency planning, and time management).

See Also: Ph.D. Science Courses

PhD Zoology Course Highlights

Course Level Doctorate
Duration of the Course 3 Years
Examination Type Semester System
Eligibility Post-graduation
Admission Process Based on shortlisted candidates’ performance in the round of interview.
Course Fee INR 2, 000 - 8 Lacs
Average Starting Salary INR 1.5 Lacs- 6 Lacs per annum
Top Recruiting Companies Wildlife Sanctuaries, National Parks, Botanical Gardens, Zoos, Research Laboratories, Aquariums, Animal Clinics, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Museums, Pharmaceutical Companies, Veterinary Hospitals, etc.
Job Positions Animal Caretaker, Conservationist, Animal Rehabilitator, Documentary Maker, Animal & Wildlife Educator, Forensic Expert, Animal Trainer, Lab Technician, Zoo Curator, Animal Breeder, Researcher, Animal, Behaviorist, Wildlife Biologist, Veterinarian, Zoo Keeper, and such.

PhD Zoology: What is it About?

The PhD Zoology course is designed for students wishing to study animal behavior at an advanced level and as an academic specialty, besides evolutionary trends, species and characteristics, and the structure, functioning, behavior, and evolution of animals, including living beings.

Television channels such as National Geographic, Animal Planet, and Discovery channel offer various opportunities for documentary film-making for such specialists.

Why Study PhD Zoology?

The Doctorate qualification course is helpful for those understudies who need to consider creature conduct, transformative patterns, species and attributes and the structure, working, conduct and development of creatures, including living creatures. 

  • An understudy can discover a profession in zoology over the world and some incorporate voyaging. Hardly any TV slots, for example, National Geographic, Animal Planet and Discovery station offer different open doors for narrative filmmaking and different experts. 
  • They can become educators and speakers in schools and universities separately; for joining schools they ought to have NET pass testament and other UGC rules and guidelines. 
  • They can likewise go to colleges and examination organizations for study. 
  • They can likewise join synthetic, pharmaceutical and oil organizations for occupations.

What is PhD Zoology Admission Process?

The candidate needs to be aware towards the requirements of the institute that he/she is aiming for. Fill the application form of the college and then do the following steps. 

  1. Appear for the relevant written test.
  2. There may or may not be a round of Personal Interview.
  3. Your performance in a relevant qualifying examination may be taken into account. 
  4.  Candidates are shortlisted based on both academic record and performance in a relevant nation-wide screening test, such as:
  • UGC (NET/JRF)
  • CSIR(NET/JRF)
  • ICAR (JRF/SRF)
  • SLET
  • GATE
  • GPAT
  • ICAR entrance tests

PhD Zoology Eligibility

As a minimum criterion of eligibility, aspiring candidates need to meet the following minimum eligibility criteria:

  • Postgraduate degree in a relevant discipline, completed from a recognized institute/university.
  • A minimum aggregate score of 55% (50 % for SC/ST/PH hopefuls) or equivalent grade at the level of post-graduation.
  • At least 5 years of teaching/ industry/ administrative/ professional experience at a senior level.

See Also:

PhD Zoology Entrance Exam

The entrance Exams available for PhD zoology are mentioned below along with other relevant information:

Entrance Exam Registration Date Exam Date
CSIR UGC NET July 11 – August 10, 2022 September 16 – 18, 2022
UGC NET April 30 – May 30, 2022 July 9 – July 12, 2022, and August 12 – August 14, 2022
ICAR AICE JRF/SRF July 21 – August 19, 2022 September 20, 2022
IIT JAM September 7 – October 14, 2022 February 12, 2023
VITMEE April 2022 June 2023
NIPER PhD Entrance Exam To be Announced To be Announced

Exam Pattern of top Entrance Exams

The exam pattern for top PhD Zoology Entrance Exams are mentioned below:

  1. UGC NET Entrance Exam: There are 2 papers of 3 hours each.

  • Paper 1: It is a 3hour exam and is common for all the candidates. Total number of questions are 50(Single correct type MCQ) with +2 and 0 negative marking. The paper is of 100 marks.
  • Paper 2: It is a 3hour exam and is subject-specific. Total number of questions are 100(Single correct type MCQ) with +2 and 0 negative marking. The paper is of 200 marks. 
  1. CSIR NET Entrance Exam: 

Section No of Questions to be attempted/Total +/- Marks for each Question Total Marks for the Section
A 15/20 +2/-0.5 30
B 35/50 +2/-0.5 70
C 25/75 +4/-1 100
Total 75/145 - 200

How to Prepare for the Entrance Exam?

The process for preparing for PhD Entrance Exams are mentioned below:

  1. Research about the pattern of the entrance exam. 
  2. Practice in the same time-slots as that of the exam. 
  3. Have a look at the detailed syllabus of the examination. 
  4. Revise your previous degree’s syllabus thoroughly. 
  5. Prepare notes as they are always handy a week or so before the actual exam.

How to get Admission in a Good College?

The process for getting in a good college for PhD Zoology are mentioned below:

  1. Research about the entrance exam that the college accepts. 
  2. Look for the pattern of that examination and prepare accordingly.
  3. See if there are any further rounds of the admission process apart from the entrance exam.
  4. Prepare for the Personal Interview. 
  5. One most important thing to be noted is that higher the score in the entrance exam, higher is your chance to get into your dream institute. 
  6. Make sure you possess and confidently show that you have data-handling skills such as recording, collating, and analyzing data using appropriate techniques and equipment.

PhD Zoology Syllabus

The syllabus that is followed for PhD Zoology is mentioned in the table below:

Semester 1 Semester 2
Ecology- deals with relations of organisms with one another and their surroundings. Fisheries and Aquaculture- study about breeding, rearing, and harvesting of fish, shellfish, algae, and other organisms in all types of water environments
Endocrinology- study of endocrine system of the human body Genetics and Molecular Biology- study of heredity and dealing with the structure and function of macromolecules
Entomology- the study of insects and their relationship to humans, the environment, and other organisms. Immunology- study of immune systems in all organisms
Environmental Biology & Toxicology- scientific study of the health effects associated with exposure to toxic chemicals Wildlife Biology- observing and studying the behavior of animals
- Stem Cells and Developmental Biology- study of processes by which animals and plants grow and develop

PhD Zoology Top Colleges

The top colleges that provide PhD Zoology are mentioned below along with the location, admission process and average fees:

College Location Admission Process Average Fees(per annum in INR)
Loyola College Chennai Registration through Online Application Portal. 7,200
Christ University Bangalore Admission is offered on the basis of score in written test & interview and performance in academics. 51,667
Presidency College Chennai Admission is offered based on the merit in the Master’s degree. 2,695
Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College Chennai Admission is offered based on the entrance exam conducted by University of Madras. 2,205
Jadavpur University Kolkata University conducts its own entrance tests. However, a valid score in CSIR NET or any other national level entrance exam is also considered. The final admission is offered based on the interview.  2,388
IIT Kanpur Kanpur Admission is offered on the basis of the Departmental written test. NET qualified candidates are eligible for scholarship assistance.  28,044
The North Cap University Gurgaon 60% marks in specialized Masters courses with valid GATE/NET/JRF score card is required for an admission at this college.  72,000
Shiv Nadar University Greater Noida Shiv Nadar University conducts its own written test and interview to offer admission in Ph.D. programs while CSIR/ UGC NET/ JRF or GATE score holders can also apply. 1,23,000
BIT Mesra Ranchi Admission to Ph.D. is done on the basis of Ph.D. entrance test conducted by BIT, Mesra followed by an interview round. However, candidates who have qualified UGC- NET/ CSIR NET/ any other national level entrance examination are exempted from Ph.D. entrance exam. 59,000
Banaras Hindu University Varanasi For an admission, a candidate must have passed a Master's degree in relevant discipline. Admission is done on the basis of marks scored in the Research Entrance Test(RET) conducted by the university. 6,627

PhD Zoology Job

Owing to the growing need for conservation and administration of natural life in the present-day society, such postgraduates are employed in a number of lucrative professional vocations.

They are also often needed for professional research and documentary-making. Zoologists are additionally employed in zoos, wildlife settings, greenhouses, natural conservation-based organizations, national parks, colleges, labs, aquariums, animal facilities, fisheries and aquaculture, historical centers, pharmaceutical companies, veterinary healing centers, and such.

Such professionals are hired in capacities such as Animal Behaviorists, Animal Raisers, Animal Trainers, Animal Caretakers, Animal and Wildlife Educators, Animal Rehabilitators, Conservationists, Documentary Makers, Forensic Experts, Lab Technicians, Researchers, Wildlife Biologists, Veterinarians, Zoo Attendants, Zoo Curators, and related roles.

Tabulated below are some of the popular professional avenues open to such postgraduates in private and public sectors, along with the corresponding salaries and basic job duties.

Annual Salary

Job Role Job Description Average Salary(Annual)
Animal Caretaker An Animal Caretaker is responsible for catering to the daily requirements of animals. They feed, prep, bathe, and conduct daily exercises for pets and other wild animals. They work in an assortment of settings, including pet hotels, zoos, stables, pet stores, veterinary centers, and aquariums. 3,20,000
Conservationist A Conservationist works with landowners and governments to ensure conservation of natural assets such as soil and water. They help discover approaches for resource use without exploiting nature and wildlife. They are often called Soil and Water Conservationists or Preservation/Conservation Researchers 5,80,000
Forensic Expert Forensic Science Specialists inspect and assess physical aspects, compositions of wild animals’ anatomies, and conduct physical examinations. They might be required to work with blood and other organic liquids, hair, bodily discharge, drugs, strands, paint, and glass. 6,35,000
Wildlife Biologist Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists observe and examine wild animals and other forms of wildlife, and analyze how they associate with their biological communities. They observe the physical natures of animals, animal practices, and the effects people have on wildlife and their natural habitats. 8,20,000
Zoo Keeper Zookeepers are in charge of maintaining the well-being of zoo animals. Such managers routinely execute daily tasks for animals, such as bathing, feeding, and taking care of their regular physical exercise. 7,50,000

PhD Zoology Scope

Some zoology graduates decide to embrace postgraduate examination at Masters or PhD level so as to have practical experience in a specific region of enthusiasm inside their order, for instance untamed life preservation and science, creature science, biology and ecological supportability, and nature and the board of the common habitat. 

Others decide to do additional concentrate in an alternate territory altogether. Numerous postgraduate courses are available to graduates with a degree in any subject. 

You may likewise decide to read for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), or Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) in Scotland, in anticipation of a lifelong showing science or general science.

Finishing a PhD in Zoology can have numerous possible advantages. Not many understudies accomplish this degree of scholarly authority, and the individuals who do may stand apart from their friends on a resume just as in the field. The investigation of zoology can develop modern basic speculation capacities just as broad exploration aptitudes.

Most understudies who seek after a doctorate in zoology will have explicit vocation objectives as a main priority and will tailor their program to their inclinations. Graduates may remain on at the college as a full-time educator, directing exploration, composing papers, and teaching graduate and college understudies. They may likewise look for some kind of employment as natural life scholars, zoo researchers, zoologists and ecological pros for companies, establishments and philanthropic associations.

Ques: How many years does it take to get a Ph.D. in Zoology?

Ans: This program has a graduation rate of 90.48% based on 42 students admitted between 2006 - 2009. Based on 50 graduations between 2015 - 2018 the minimum time to completion is 3.32 years and the maximum time is 8.67 years with an average of 5.88 years of study.

Ques: How can I crack the BHU Ph.D. Zoology entrance exam?

Ans: Study NCERT and previous 10 year papers. 

Ques: What are some Ph.D. Zoology thesis topics?

Ans: Topics for a Ph.D. aren’t available on the web. 

Ques: Can you do a Ph.D. in 4 years?

Ans: Yes, a Ph.D. is completed as soon as you have completed the original research documented in a defended dissertation. This generally takes 3-4 years of time.

Ques: Is Zoology a degree?

Ans: Entry-level positions require at least a bachelor's degree. Zoologists typically earn degrees in zoology, wildlife biology, ecology, or general biology.

Ques: Which is better: Zoology or Botany?

Ans: Both subjects cannot be compared with each other. botany is the study of plants while zoology is the study of animals, both have their own importance.

Ques: Is Botany harder than Zoology?

Ans: While dealing with theory, Zoology is way more easier to understand and reciprocate during exams as compared to Botany. On the other hand, practicals in Botany are easier than Zoology.

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