Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has been implementing the highest formal education (doctoral degree) since established in 1949. UGM produced its first doctor in agricultural field in 1958. The implementation of doctoral study program has been changing along the time. In 1978, it established Lembaga Pendidikan Doktor (LPD) whose responsibility in the implementation of doctoral study programs in UGM. In 1983, Faculty of Postgraduate was established with Decree of President of Republic Indonesia No. 53 year 1982.
The implementation of doctoral study program in UGM had a firm foothold under Postgraduate Program and since the issuance of Decree of Ministry of Education and Culture Republic of Indonesia No. 053/U/1993. In 1993, Directorate General of Higher Education with its Decree No. 690/DIKTI/Kep/1993 granted UGM a permission to run master and doctoral study program. The decree covered some doctoral study program in these following field of studies: Agricultural Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, Mathematic and Natural Science, Humaniores, and Social Sciences. Doctoral study programs in the field of agricultural sciences consist of agronomy, agriculture economics, phytopathology, plant pest sciences, plant breeding, soil sciences, food science, agricultural engineering, animal science, veterinary science, and forestry.
Recently, the implementation of doctoral study programs in the field of agricultural sciences refers to Decree of Ministry of Education and Culture Republic of Indonesia NO. 212/U/1999 on Implementation of Doctoral Program; Decree of Ministry of National Education Republic of Indonesia No. 232/U/2000 on the Guideline on Formulation of Higher Education Curriculum; and UGM regulation on Implementation of Doctoral Study Program.
Since 9 March 2006, the implementation of Graduate Program in Animal Science becomes the monodisciplinary program under Faculty of Animal Science UGM as referring Rector Decree UGM No. 89/P/SK/HT/2006.