Program

Most clinical residency programs must be applied to by December. The non-clinical M.Sc. has no specific deadline as students are accepted for the beginning of each Academic Term. 

ProgramExpected LengthProject and/or thesisCourse based
M.Sc.Clinical - 3 to 4 years, Non-clinical - 2 years
Ph.D.min. 4 years

The Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences provides teaching, research and expertise in small animal medicine, surgery, reproduction and specialized disciplines including ophthalmology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, dentistry, and wildlife and exotic animal medicine.

The department has an active research program involving small animal species and wildlife species. Faculty interests include retinal disease in dogs, magnetic resonance imaging, exercise induced collapse in Labrador Retrievers, immune mediated disease, orthopedic surgery, pain control, soft tissue surgery and nutrition.

Faculty

All students wishing to apply for the graduate programs must have a faculty member in the department who has agreed to supervise their program.

Name Research areas
Barbara AmbrosTotal intravenous anesthesia (TIVA), pain management and anesthesia in exotic species.
Koji Aoki
Gurpreet AulakhImaging science
Shannon Beazley
Anthony CarrElectrocardiography, blood pressure and platelet function
Kevin CosfordSmall animal internal medicine
Isabelle Desprez
Yu Gu
Marina LeisVeterinary Ophthalmology
Kathleen LinnAvian and canine orthopedic and soft tissue injuries
Jennifer LoewenResuscitative techniques, Fluid resuscitation, Acute kidney injuries, Sepsis
Candace Lowe
Valerie MacDonald DickinsonPatient quality of life, human-animal bond, novel cancer therapy development, comparative oncology
Arata Matsuyama
Monique MayerVeterinary radiation oncology, medical physics, oncologic imaging
Tammy OwensSmall animal clinical nutrition
Dennilyn ParkerAvian, exotic and wildlife medicine including projects related to avian renal portal system, ferret diseases and the rabbit's gastrointestinal system
Lynne SandmeyerVeterinary ophthalmology, congenital stationary night blindness, equine recurrent uveitis
Cindy ShmonSoft tissue surgery, lumbosacral stenosis, neurosurgery, urogenital surgery
Elisabeth SneadRadioisotopes as an alternative treatment for infectious diseases in dogs and cats, feline obesity, intraosseous bone marrow
Sally Sukut
Behzad Toosi
Kimberly TryonMRI technology, degenerative myelopathy in the German Shepherd dog

Tuition and funding

Funding

The University of Saskatchewan faculty supervisor must have funding for the student’s proposed project. Either the student or the USask faculty supervisor must have additional funding for the student’s stipend. 

Graduate students at USask can receive funding from a variety of sources to support their graduate education.

Tuition

Thesis or project-based master's program

Graduate students in a thesis or project-based program pay tuition three times a year for as long as they are enrolled in their program.

Term Canadian students International students
September 1 - December 31, 2023 $1,644.00 CAD $3,699.00 CAD
January 1 - April 30, 2024 $1,644.00 CAD $3,699.00 CAD
May 1 - August 31, 2024 $1,644.00 CAD $3,699.00 CAD
Total per academic year $4,932.00 CAD $11,097.00 CAD

Doctoral program

Doctoral students pay tuition three times a year for as long as they are enrolled in their program. Both international and domestic PhD students pay the same rate.

Term
January 1 - April 30, 2024 $1,644.00 CAD
May 1 - August 31, 2024 $1,644.00 CAD
September 1 - December 31, 2023 $1,644.00 CAD
Total per academic year $4,932.00 CAD

Student fees

In addition to tuition above, students also pay fees for programs like health and dental insurance, a bus pass, and other campus services. The amount you need to pay depends on if you are taking classes full time or part time, and if you are on campus or not. The table below assumes you are on campus full-time.

Fall 2023 Winter 2024 Spring 2024 Summer 2024
Student fees $497.88 CAD $659.51 CAD $35.00 CAD $35.00 CAD

Tuition information is accurate for the current academic year and does not include student fees. For detailed tuition and fees information, visit the official tuition website.

Admission requirements

This is a project-based clinical program intended to be completed in three years.

  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) or equivalent degree from a recognized college or university
  • Completion of an internship program at an accredited institution or a least one-year equivalent of experience in veterinary practice
  • Eligibility for restricted, educational SVMA licensure to practice veterinary medicine in Saskatchewan.
  • Language Proficiency Requirements: Proof of English proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English.
  • A cumulative weighted average of at least a 70% (USask grade system equivalent) in the last two years of study (i.e. 60 credit units)

 This is a two-year non-clinical program or four-year thesis/residency clinical program.

  • D.V.M. from a recognized college or university
  • Language Proficiency Requirements: Proof of English proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English
  • a cumulative weighted average of at least a 70% (USask grade system equivalent) in the last two years of study (i.e. 60 credit units)
  • A Master of Science (M.Sc.), or equivalent, from a recognized university in a relevant academic discipline
  • Language Proficiency Requirements: Proof of English proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English.
  • a cumulative weighted average of at least a 70% (USask grade system equivalent) in the last two years of study (i.e. coursework required in master’s program)

With the recommendation of the unit, direct entry Ph.D. admission is available to exceptionally strong students, who show great promise in terms of academic accomplishments and potential for research.

  • A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree
  • A cumulative weighted average of at least 80% (USask grade system equivalent) in the last two years of undergraduate study (i.e. 60 credit units of course work).
  • Language Proficiency Requirements: Proof of English proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English.

Application process

Apply for a residency program or find a supervisor

The clinical M.Sc. program is only available in conjunction with a clinical residency program. Candidates must be appointed to one of our residency programs before applying to do graduate studies in this department. A number of these residencies are filled through the Veterinary Internship/Residency Matching Program (VIRMP). You may also contact the graduate program co-ordinator directly if you are interested in this program.

If you are applying to the non-clinical, thesis based M.Sc., you will need to find a faculty member who is willing to supervise your research. View the list of current opportunities (non-clinical) in the department. Using the Faculty list above, find a potential supervisor, read about the work they are currently doing and their past publications. If you think you'd like to work with them, contact them and describe your research interests and past academic experience. If they are accepting students, they will instruct you to begin a formal application.

Submit an online application

If applying for a clinical M.Sc. program, you must first have been accepted to a residency program (see above).

Before beginning your online application, be sure that you have carefully reviewed all program information and admission requirements on this page.

During the application, you'll be asked for:

  • Personal information such as your name, address, etc.
  • Contact information of your three referees
    • For your letters of recommendation, two of your referees must be academic contacts, and the third may be academic or professional
  • Your complete academic history from all previous post-secondary institutions

The application takes about 30 minutes to complete. You may save your application and return to it later.

At the end of the application, you will need to pay a non-refundable $120 application fee. Your application will not be processed until payment is received.

Submit Required Documents

Once you've submitted your online application, you will have access to upload your required documents, and provide the contact information for your references. To do this, go to the "Supplemental Items & Documents" tab in your application, and upload the documents outlined below.

Preliminary Statement of Marks

  • Once you have submitted your application for admission and paid the application fee, you will be required to upload unofficial PDF copies of your academic transcript(s) from each post-secondary institution attended. This requirement will appear as Preliminary Statement of Marks or Additional Prelim. Statement under admission requirements on your Application Summary when you check your application status.
  • The uploaded transcript can be an unofficial copy of the transcript issued by the university or college, and must include a grading key/legend.
  • All pages of a transcript must be uploaded as a single PDF document.
  • Uploaded transcripts will be considered unofficial or preliminary. Official copies of your transcripts will be required only for applicants offered admission. This requirement will appear as Post-secondary Transcript under admission requirements on your Application Summary when you check your application status.

Uploading documents

Post-secondary Transcripts

If you receive an offer of admission, you will then be required to have your official post-secondary transcripts sent (by mail in a sealed envelope directly from the institution) to the address below. Please do not send official documents until we request them.

College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Room 116 Thorvaldson Building, 110 Science Place 
Saskatoon, SK CANADA S7N 5C9

  • Transcripts usually indicate the institution’s name, grading scheme (typically on back of transcript), your name, course names, numbers, credits, and the grades you have received. Depending on the country or institution, some features may not be available.
  • Transcripts in languages other than English must be accompanied by a certified translation.
  • If you are a current University of Saskatchewan student completing your undergraduate program then a letter of completion of degree requirements will be required from your college.

Proof of English language proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English.

For students who are required to provide proof of English proficiency:

  • It is your responsibility to have completed an official and approved test with the appropriate score before the application deadline.
  • Tests are valid for 24 months after the testing date and must be valid at the beginning of the student's first term of registration in the graduate program.
  • Applicants will be required to upload a PDF copy of any required language test score. Uploaded test scores will be considered unofficial or preliminary.

Uploading documents

If you receive an Offer of Admission you may be required to have your official language test scores sent to the address below. Please do not send official documents until we request them.

College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Room 116 Thorvaldson Building - 110 Science Place
Saskatoon, SK CANADA S7N 5C9

Contact

Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
52 Campus Drive
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4

Graduate Chair
Lynne Sandmeyer
Email: lynne.sandmeyer@usask.ca

Graduate Program Co-ordinator
Charla Penner
Email: sacs.gradstudies@usask.ca