Program

The Small Animal Clinical Sciences graduate programs at the University of Saskatchewan advance professional training in small animal medicine, surgery, and specialty disciplines. Students refine clinical skills and research abilities to support stronger care for companion and wildlife species.

Why choose USask for Small Animal Clinical Sciences?

  • Build advanced clinical and research expertise in areas spanning ophthalmology, oncology, anesthesia, dentistry, wildlife medicine, surgery, medical imaging, avian, exotics and internal medicine.
  • Advance your training within an active research environment exploring retinal disease, MRI, immune-mediated conditions, orthopedic surgery, pain control, and nutrition.
  • Strengthen real-world clinical skills through the Veterinary Medical Centre, offering primary and referral services.

Quick facts

  • Expected length Thesis-based Project-based Course-based
    M.Sc. (clinical) 3–4 years
    M.Sc. (non-clinical) 2 years
    Ph.D. 4+ years
  • Degree requirements
  • Class delivery in-person
  • Supervisor approval is required to apply
  • Deadlines and admission details below

Innovators in companion and wildlife care

Advance your skills in internal medicine, anesthesiology, imaging, and wildlife health while generating research-driven insights that push veterinary practice forward for diverse species.

Small Animal Clinical Sciences master's and Ph.D. research areas

A veterinary team prepares a dog for treatment under a large medical imaging machine.

Faculty in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences conduct active research involving companion animals and wildlife species, exploring clinical, physiological, and disease-related questions across multiple specialty areas.

Key research areas include:

  • Ocular disease in animals: investigation of ocular conditions affecting vision and ocular health in animals.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging: advancing diagnostic imaging approaches in small animal practice.
  • Exercise-induced collapse in Labrador Retrievers: studying the causes and mechanisms of collapse episodes.
  • Immune-mediated disease: examining disorders driven by dysregulated immune function.
  • Orthopedic surgery and soft-tissue surgery: improving surgical techniques and understanding musculoskeletal conditions.
  • Pain control: exploring better strategies for managing and reducing pain in small animals.
  • Nutrition: investigating dietary influences on health and disease in small animal species.
  • Wildlife and exotic animal medicine: conducting research involving species such as grizzly bears and other wildlife.

Specialty and rotating internship

Small animal specialty and rotating veterinary internships are also available for those interested in further clinical training. These programs provide supervised, hands-on experience that builds advanced clinical skills and enhances competitiveness for admission into highly competitive clinical residency programs, while also supporting preparation for general practice or specialty training.

Research supervisors

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

Name Research areas
Pain management, electrical impedance tomography
Veterinary Ophthalmology
Avian and canine orthopedic and soft tissue injuries
Resuscitative techniques, Fluid resuscitation, Acute kidney injuries, Sepsis
Patient quality of life, human-animal bond, novel cancer therapy development, comparative oncology
Veterinary radiation oncology, medical physics, oncologic imaging
Avian, exotic and wildlife medicine including projects related to avian renal portal system, ferret diseases and the rabbit's gastrointestinal system
Veterinary ophthalmology, congenital stationary night blindness, equine recurrent uveitis
Soft tissue surgery, lumbosacral stenosis, neurosurgery, urogenital surgery
Radioisotopes as an alternative treatment for infectious diseases in dogs and cats, feline obesity, intraosseous bone marrow
Medical education and cross sectional imaging (CT and MRI)
Oncology
MRI 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 and fees

Thesis or project-based master's program

Students in thesis and project-based master's programs are assessed tuition three times a year for as long as they are enrolled in their program.

Term Canadian students International students
September 1 - December 31, 2026 $1,902.00 CAD $4,279.00 CAD
January 1 - April 30, 2027 $1,902.00 CAD $4,279.00 CAD
May 1 - August 31, 2027 $1,902.00 CAD $4,279.00 CAD
Total per academic year $5,706.00 CAD $12,837.00 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 2026 Winter 2027 Spring 2027 Summer 2027
Student fees $617.36 CAD $854.96 CAD $46.75 CAD $46.75 CAD

Tuition is typically billed and due in instalments, four times per year. 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.

Doctoral program

Doctoral students are assessed 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
September 1 - December 31, 2026 $1,879.00 CAD
January 1 - April 30, 2027 $1,879.00 CAD
May 1 - August 31, 2027 $1,879.00 CAD
Total per academic year $5,637.00 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 2026 Winter 2027 Spring 2027 Summer 2027
Student fees $617.36 CAD $854.96 CAD $46.75 CAD $46.75 CAD

Tuition is typically billed and due in instalments, four times per year. 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 and deadlines

Deadlines and important dates

Clinical M.Sc. - Most clinical residency programs must be applied to by December.

Non-clinical M.Sc - The non-clinical M.Sc. has no specific deadline as students are accepted for the beginning of each academic term.

Apply for a residency program or find a supervisor

Clinical M.Sc. - 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.

Non-clinical M.Sc. - 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.

Submit an online application

International students - Master's and doctoral students applying for a study permit do not need a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma students, as well as Visiting Research students studying over six months, still need a PAL. Review federal international study permit policies before you apply.

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 application fee: $125 for domestic students and $145 for international students. 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.

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.
  • Transcripts in languages other than English must be accompanied by a certified translation.

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

  • Completing a relevant test with the appropriate score is required 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.

Contact

Student and  senior clinician examining puppy

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

Graduate Program Co-ordinator
Marissa Evans
Email: sacs.gradstudies@usask.ca

Graduate Chair - Clinical Programs
Valerie MacDonald Dickinson
Email: valerie.macdonald@usask.ca

Graduate Chair - Thesis Programs
Behzad Toosi
Email: behzad.toosi@usask.ca