Zoology
The Zoology track is intended for students with a background in biology. It provides students with training in integrative zoology, broad and in-depth knowledge on all major animal groups, and experience in multiple approaches and methods applied in zoological research
About the Program
Zoological research deals with the organism and its interactions with the environment. This is a multidisciplinary research that combines traditional methods, such as field observations and microscopy, with cutting-edge methods in molecular biology, movement ecology and eco-physiology. Students interact with leading scientists in the field of zoology in Israel and abroad, and conduct research on exciting organisms in unique habitats. Zoological research deals with fundamental and timely topics in biology, such as global warming, species extinction and formation, and invasive species.
Program Chair - Prof. Dorothee Huchon
The curriculum consists of 30 hours in addition to practical research in the lab.
Curriculum (in Hebrew)
Why Zoology?
Students in the zoology track acquire broad knowledge in integrative zoology and first-hand acquaintance with animals in their natural habitats, in the zoological garden and in the lab, supervised by leading zoologists who are experts in their respective fields. The course program ensures comprehensive knowledge of all major animal groups and experience in a wide range of research and analytical methods.
Program Chair
Zoology provides a scientific framework for understanding the remarkable diversity of animals, exploring their evolution, genomes, behavior, physiology, and ecological roles. It is a discipline that bridges fieldwork, laboratory research, and comparative analyses to uncover how animals function, adapt, and diversify.
My own expertise lies in animal molecular phylogenetics, and with the rapid development of genomic technologies, my research gradually shifted toward genome-based approaches. Yet I quickly realized that meaningful evolutionary inferences rely on robust comparative analyses that consider traits across species together with their ecological contexts and evolutionary histories. This understanding highlighted the importance of taxonomy, because accurate species identification is essential for any evolutionary or ecological study. The combination of phylogenomics, comparative biology, and taxonomy has become central to my work, and I find this integrated approach both essential and very exciting.
Many of our students conduct extensive field research while integrating tools from molecular biology, physiology, systematics, behavior, ecology, and evolution to address basic and complex questions in zoology. The track provides broad familiarity with animals across diverse habitats and taxonomic groups. Students benefit from unique research facilities, including the Zoological Research Garden and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History collections, which support advanced laboratory work alongside surveys, observations, and field studies in Israel and abroad.
Graduates of the Zoology track are well prepared for doctoral studies and for professional roles in research institutions, wildlife and conservation organizations, governmental agencies, environmental consulting, education, and industry. Their training allows specialization in areas such as behavior, ecology, evolution, or genetics, providing a versatile skill set aligned with the growing global demand for expertise in biodiversity conservation and sustainable ecosystem management.
